Mitch Farris allowed a run over five strong innings in his major league debut, earning the win as the visiting Los Angeles Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 5-1 on Tuesday night.
The 24-year-old Ferris (1-0), drafted by Atlanta and acquired by the Angels (65-73) this past offseason, allowed only a third-inning sacrifice fly, three hits and two walks while striking out three on 70 pitches. Jo Adell ensured Ferris would come away with the win, connecting for a 454-foot blast to left field in the top of the sixth inning with a man on off former Angel, and Anaheim native, Michael Lorenzen (5-9). Los Angeles then added three more runs to move to 4-4 on a 10-game trip.
That was the only blemish for Lorenzen. He allowed four hits and struck out five over six innings for the Royals (70-68), who managed four hits during their sixth loss in 10 games.
The Angels had a chance to open the scoring in the third. Bryce Teodosio singled and stole second with nobody out. But Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. saved a potential run with a brilliant diving snag on shortstop counterpart Zach Neto’s bouncer just onto the outfield grass, then threw a rocket over to first for the out. Teodosio advanced to third but was stranded after Lorenzen fanned Luis Rengifo and Yoan Moncada.
Witt then set the table for the game’s first run in the bottom of the frame when he tripled into the right-field corner off Farris and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s fly to left.
In the sixth, Lorenzen yielded a one-out single to Rengifo, who went to second on a wild pitch. He then scored on the long ball from Adell, who was a triple shy of the cycle.
The Angels added two more in the seventh. Chris Taylor doubled and came home on a double by Oswald Peraza, who went to third from Teodosio’s fly ball to right and scored via John Schreiber’s wild pitch.
Teodosio added a ninth-inning sacrifice fly for the Angels, who scratched star Mike Trout from Tuesday’s lineup due to a skin infection.
