The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will seek to even their American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals at one game a piece tonight at Angel Stadium.
The Royals won Game 1 Thursday night as Mike Moustakas, the No. 9 hitter in their lineup, led off the 11th inning with a home run in a 3-2 victory before a capacity crowd announced at 45,321 at Angel Stadium.
“This game was not won and lost in the 11th inning,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “This game was won by Kansas City with four incredible defensive plays.”
Matt Shoemaker will start on the mound for the Angels tonight, facing Yordano Ventura, in a matchup of rookie right-handers.
Shoemaker won 16 games during the regular season, the most by a rookie in Major League Baseball in 2014 and an Angels rookie record. His .800 winning percentage on a 16-4 record was the best in the American League among pitchers with a minimum of 15 decisions.
Shoemaker will be making his first start since Sept. 15. He missed the Angels’ final 12 games of the regular season because of an oblique injury.
Shoemaker was 0-1 in two starts against Kansas City in the regular season with a 10.00 ERA.
Ventura was charged with the loss in his only appearance against the Angels, allowing seven hits and two runs (both earned) in a 6-2 loss June 28 at Kansas City.
Ventura allowed two runs in one-third of an inning of relief in the Royals’ 9-8 12-inning victory over the Oakland Athletics in the American League wild card game Tuesday.
The home run by Moustakas, a 2007 graduate of Chatsworth High School, was Kansas City’s first base hit since Alex Gordon led off the fifth with a double.
“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit,” Moustakas said. “We got a bunch of guys on that bench that can get a bag, so I was doing whatever I could to find a way on base.”
Moustakas also scored the game’s first run, drawing a two-out walk in the third and scoring on Alcides Escobar’s double.
Danny Duffy, the sixth of seven Royals relievers, was credited with the victory, pitching a scoreless 10th inning. Greg Holland, pitched a perfect 11th, striking out the first two batters he faced, for the save.
Fernando Salas, the fifth Angel pitcher, was charged with the loss. He was 5-0 in the regular season.
“Fernando has been one of our guys that’s been pitching terrific and holding leads against left-handed hitters coming up,” Scioscia said. “He just yanked a change-up a little bit down and in and Mike Moustakas didn’t miss it.”
The Angels tied the score in the fifth on a solo home run by David Freese.
Kansas City took a 2-1 lead in their half of the fifth when Omar Infante’s sacrifice fly drove in Gordon, who had moved to third on Salvador Perez’s fly out.
The Angels’ No. 9 hitter, Chris Iannetta, homered in the third, tying the score, 1-1.
Angel starter Jered Weaver allowed two runs (both earned) and three hits in seven innings, striking out six and walking two. Royals starter JasonVargas allowed two runs (both earned) and three hits in six innings, striking out two and walking one.
Weaver and Vargas were teammates at Long Beach State in 2004 and with the Angels last season.
