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The Los Angeles Angels are officially the hottest team in baseball — and they’re swinging their way into the record books to prove it. With Friday night’s 7-4 victory over the Miami Marlins, the Angels not only extended their win streak to eight games but also set a franchise record with their seventh consecutive game hitting at least two home runs. Taylor Ward and Jorge Soler each went deep, continuing the power surge that has defined this midseason turnaround.
Ward’s second-inning solo blast was his 15th of the season and his seventh during the Angels’ 9-2 road trip. It also marked his ninth straight game with an extra-base hit, tying a club record set by Darin Erstad in 1998. Ward wasn’t done, adding a sacrifice fly in the fourth that helped give Los Angeles a 3-0 lead.
“It’s sick,” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said of Ward’s hot streak. “Just seeing how clear his head is — and the way he breaks down at-bats — has helped me a lot more than he probably realizes.”
Soler’s solo shot in the eighth gave the Angels 19 homers during their winning streak. They’ve homered in 13 straight games, the longest active streak in MLB.
Angels continue their dominant stretch with win over Marlins
The offensive outburst came against Miami starter Sandy Alcantara, who struggled through 5 1/3 innings, allowing six runs (five earned). The former NL Cy Young winner has an 8.04 ERA in his first season back from Tommy John surgery.
Los Angeles built a 6-0 lead through six innings thanks to O’Hoppe’s RBI double, a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, and a sacrifice fly. Eric Wagaman added an insurance homer in the seventh and a two-run single in the eighth, while Kyle Stowers continued his torrid stretch with an RBI double and a 20-game on-base streak.
On the mound, Yusei Kikuchi (1-4) finally earned his first win in an Angels uniform after going winless in his first 10 starts. The left-hander tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up seven hits and four walks while striking out five. Though he once again fell short of completing six full innings, Kikuchi focused on what he could control.
“I think the most important thing is to try to keep the team in the game,” Kikuchi said through his interpreter. “There were some cheap hits, but the goal is always run prevention.”
Shortstop Zach Neto preserved Kikuchi’s shutout in the sixth with a clutch play, charging a slow roller and firing to first for the final out with the bases loaded.
While the bullpen did allow four runs — including three in the eighth by Shaun Anderson — closer Kenley Jansen remained perfect, walking two in the ninth but locking down his 11th save in as many opportunities.
The Angels (25-25) are now back at .500 for the first time since April 23. With their longest winning streak since 2014, the team believes they’re just getting started.
“We got back to zero,” manager Ron Washington said. “But we’re not a .500 team. We know we’re better than that — and now it’s time to keep moving forward.”
