Pirates Sweep Angels with 9-3 Victory in Anaheim

Anaheim, California — The Pittsburgh Pirates completed a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 9-3 victory on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. Andrew McCutchen‘s three-run home run in the fourth inning was a key moment in the game, lifting Pittsburgh ahead 5-1.

The Pirates had a strong offensive performance, recording a season-high 18 hits. McCutchen’s homer was his second of the season and came off Angels starter Jose Soriano. Following McCutchen’s blast, Pittsburgh’s bullpen held Los Angeles hitless for the remainder of the game, combining for five shutout innings.

Pirates pitcher Bailey Falter allowed three runs on five hits in four innings, striking out five without issuing a walk. Chase Shugart (1-0) was particularly effective, retiring all six batters he faced. Other relievers including David Bednar and Dennis Santana contributed to maintaining the lead.

The Angels, struggling recently with a record of 2-6 in their last eight games, managed only five hits during this matchup. Taylor Ward hit a solo home run for Los Angeles, but the team could not recover from the early deficit.

Soriano, who took the loss, faced challenges throughout the game, yielding five runs over just 3 1/3 innings. His performance included eight hits and four walks. The Pirates scored two runs in the third with back-to-back RBI singles from Joey Bart and Ke'Bryan Hayes before McCutchen’s impactful homer.

The Pirates will aim to carry this momentum into their next series, while the Angels must regroup quickly as they look to turn their season around.