Atlanta Braves vs Los Angeles Angels Box Score on May 30, 2017

The Sports Xchange
May 31, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Atlanta Braves right-hander Bartolo Colon won the Cy Young Award while with the Los Angeles Angels in 2005, but his former club hasn't treated him too kindly the last couple times he has returned to Angel Stadium and faced them wearing an opposing uniform.

Colon gave up nine runs to the Angels on Tuesday, all in an ugly and decisive third inning that ultimately led to a 9-3 Los Angeles victory.

In his most recent previous start in Anaheim, three years ago while with the New York Mets, Colon also surrendered nine runs in a 14-2 loss.

Colon (2-6) wasn't solely to blame for the Braves' implosion, as the defense committed three errors, including one by Colon himself, which resulted in seven of the nine runs being unearned. The Angels had six hits in the inning, including a three-run homer by Albert Pujols, his eighth of the season and No. 599 of his career.

Pujols is on the verge of becoming the ninth player in major league history to reach 600.

While Colon was making his 511th career start and 520th career appearance, Angels starter Parker Bridwell was making his first. In his major league debut, Bridwell (1-0) got the victory after giving up three runs and six hits in six-plus innings.

He allowed three hits in the first inning but benefited when right fielder Kole Calhoun threw out Nick Markakis at the plate trying to score from second on a single by Matt Adams.

Bridwell seemed to settle down after the first and allowed only a two-run homer to Matt Kemp in the third inning and a solo homer to Tyler Flowers in the seventh before coming out of the game.

Kemp's blast gave the Braves a brief lead that lasted only until they came unglued in the bottom of the third.

Juan Graterol led off the Angels' third with a single but was forced out at second on Eric Young Jr.'s grounder to short. Probably the biggest play of the inning and the first of the three errors came next when second baseman Jace Peterson mishandled a grounder by Calhoun in his haste to turn what would have been an inning-ending double play.

Instead, Pujols followed with his three-run homer, and the rout was just beginning. All nine runs were charged to Colon, who didn't survive the inning.

There were also a couple of plays -- one by Colon and one by first baseman Adams -- when their indecision after fielding a grounder resulted in Angels baserunners safely advancing all around.

In all, the Angels sent 14 batters to the plate and the inning ended when Luis Valbuena lined into a double play with the bases loaded. The nine-run inning was Los Angeles' largest of the season and marked just the fourth time the Angels scored as many as nine runs in a game.

Colon went 2 1/3 innings and gave up seven hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

NOTES: Angels OF Cameron Maybin was not in the starting lineup because of a strained muscle in his side. He hurt himself making a running catch in Monday's game and is listed as day-to-day. Provided he is healthy, Maybin is expected to get most of the starts in center field with CF Mike Trout on the disabled list. Eric Young Jr. got the start in center on Tuesday. ... Angels INF Nolan Fontana was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake to make room on the roster for RHP Parker Bridwell. Fontana was up with the big club for only a week, getting into seven games (five starts) and hitting .056 (1-for-18), his one hit being a home run. ... Braves 2B Brandon Phillips missed his second game in a row with a contusion on his right knee. Phillips said he expects to be in the lineup Wednesday. ... Braves 1B Matt Adams has 10 hits since being acquired from the Cardinals in a trade May 20 to replace injured 1B Freddie Freeman. Six of those hits (three doubles, one triple and two homers) have gone for extra bases.