Atlanta Braves vs Los Angeles Angels Box Score on May 31, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jun 1, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- There was a milestone home run Wednesday night at Angel Stadium, but it wasn't the one the 35,000 or so fans wearing red came to witness.

Albert Pujols went into the game with 599 career home runs, the Los Angeles Angels designated hitter looking to become the ninth player in major league history to hit 600.

Instead, the milestone home run belonged to Atlanta Braves left fielder Matt Kemp, who connected for career home run No. 250 in the second inning. However, it was the only run of the game for the Braves in the Angels' 2-1 victory.

The decisive hit of the game came off the bat of Eric Young Jr., who belted career home run No. 9 in the bottom of the eighth inning off Braves reliever Arodys Vizcaino (2-2) to break a 1-1 tie and allow the Angels to take two of three in the series.

Young, playing in just his third major league game this season, hit his first home run since 2014 while with the New York Mets. He was called up Monday from Triple-A Salt Lake to replace the injured Mike Trout on the roster, and so far, he has been up to the task.

He went 2-for-2 with the home run and a walk on Wednesday, and he is 5-for-11 with two stolen bases since his promotion.

Both Braves starter Jaime Garcia and Angels starter Jesse Chavez pitched well. Each lasted seven innings and each gave up just one run. Chavez yielded Kemp's home run, but the run Garcia allowed was unearned.

The Braves left-hander took a shutout into the seventh when the Angels got a couple of infield hits to begin a rally. Shane Robinson, called up from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier in the day, came to the plate with runners on first and second and one out.

With the baserunners going on a full-count pitch, Robinson hit a sharp grounder to third, which was fielded by Rio Ruiz. Ruiz stepped on the bag for an out, but Martin Maldonado's hard slide into Ruiz forced an errant throw to first.

Instead of an inning-ending double play, the ball got past first baseman Jace Peterson, allowing Danny Espinosa to score all the way from first on the play and tie the game at 1-1.

Angels reliever Blake Parker (1-2) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to get the win. Closer Bud Norris got the final two outs of the game for his 10th save.

Kemp led off the second inning for the Braves with his 10th home run of the season, but it was the only mistake Chavez made in the early frames.

NOTES: Angels CF Mike Trout had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Dr. Steve Shin performed the surgery at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles. "We're going to count the days," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Trout's absence. ... Angels RHP Parker Bridwell, who earned the victory Tuesday in his first career major league start, was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake to make room on the roster for OF Shane Robinson. Robinson, who was hitting .289 with 25 RBIs and 27 runs at Salt Lake, started the game in center field. ... Braves 2B Brandon Phillips was back in the starting lineup after missing the previous two games with a contusion on his right knee. Phillips went 0-for-4. ... Braves 1B Matt Adams was not in the lineup after hurting his right knee Tuesday.