Jared Jones matched his season high with nine strikeouts over six three-hit innings and Jake Mangum had an RBI double to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 1-0 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.
Bryan Reynolds also doubled and had two hits for Pittsburgh (70-72), which won for the fifth time in its last six games. Konnor Griffin, activated off the 60-day injured list after missing 49 games with a torn sagittal band in his left ring finger, scored the lone run of the contest.
Jones (3-6) walked one while snapping a seven-start winless drought dating back to a 7-1 victory at Cleveland on July 18. He left after throwing a season-high 91 pitches, 63 for strikes.
Wilber Dotel followed Jones, recording two strikeouts and a walk over two innings, setting the stage for Mason Montgomery, who pitched around a leadoff single by Mike Trout in the ninth to pick up his ninth save.
Ryan Johnson (3-8) suffered the loss for Los Angeles (53-88) despite allowing just one run on four hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out six.
Pittsburgh scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the second. Oneil Cruz led off with a walk but was erased at second on a fielder’s choice by Griffin. Mangum then doubled into the right field corner, driving in Griffin, who barely beat the relay throw to the plate and avoided a sweeping tag attempt by catcher Moises Ballesteros with a headfirst slide.
Pittsburgh missed a chance to extend its lead in the eighth inning when it loaded the bases. Spencer Horwitz walked, advanced to second on Reynolds’ single, and went to third when Nick Gonzales was hit by a pitch. But Angels reliever Samy Natera Jr. struck out Cruz to end the threat.
The Angels’ best chance to tie it came in the ninth when Trout led off with a single to right. However, Wade Meckler popped out trying to sacrifice, Vaughn Grissom flew out to the warning track in right and Montgomery then struck out pinch-hitter Travis d’Arnaud to end the game.
