series finale

BALTIMORE — Zach Neto hit a three-run home run to lift the Angels over the Baltimore Orioles 4-1 in the final game of the series on Thursday afternoon.

Wade Meckler singled on a ground ball in the third inning that was overthrown by Orioles starting pitcher Brandon Young at first, advancing him to second. Nolan Schanuel was then walked to set up Neto’s 411-foot homer that went over the center-field wall.

Schanuel hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh for Meckler to score the fourth run of the game.

Angels pitcher Mitch Farris (1-3) entered the game in the fifth inning in relief of starter Ryan Johnson. Farris pitched one inning, struck out two and walked one. Johnson pitched the first 4 2/3, where he walked five and struck out one. He gave up three hits and one earned run. Samy Natera Jr. earned his second save after striking out two in the final 1 1/3 innings.

Yohel Pozo hit a solo home run in the third for the only run for the Orioles. It was his first in an Oriole uniform since coming to Baltimore after getting claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals in July.

Young (8-3) pitched 4 1/3 innings in the loss, giving up six hits. He struck out four and walked two.

Up next

The Angels have not yet named a starter for Friday as they kick off a three-game series at Miami. The Marlins will start RHP Tyler Phillips (3-5, 3.53 ERA).

The Angels traded reliever Chase Silseth and struggling catcher Logan O’Hoppe to the Texas Rangers for minor league third baseman Angel Arredondo on Wednesday night.

The deal, announced a few minutes before the Angels’ series finale against the Houston Astros, could mark the beginning of an extensive rebuilding process for the Angels, who entered play Wednesday with an American League-worst 42-66 record and 13 1/2 games behind the Rangers in the AL West.

“We know we have to start shaking up this roster, and today was day one,” Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak said. “Clearly, where the Angels are at right now, we need to do things differently.”

Silseth, 26, was one of the Angels’ top relievers, going 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in 47 games this year. O’Hoppe, 26, appeared in 75 games, batting .209 with 23 RBIs.

Arredondo, 19, hit .247 with eight home runs, 15 doubles and 47 RBIs in 86 games for low-A Hickory this season. He signed with the Rangers as an international free agent out of Mexico in 2024.

Hunter Dobbins scattered six hits over six innings, JJ Wetherholt hit a home run in the sixth and the St. Louis Cardinals held on for a 1-0 victory over the Angels on Wednesday at Angel Stadium.

Dobbins, recalled from triple-A Memphis for Wednesday’s start, struck out five and walked none to help St. Louis snap a four-game losing streak and end the Angels’ three-game win streak.

Luis Gastelum threw a scoreless seventh, George Soriano had a 1-2-3 eighth and closer Riley O’Brien struck out Oswald Peraza with an 80-mph sweeper and Josh Lowe with a 98-mph sinker with two on in the ninth for his 26th save.

Dobbins (2-1) escaped a first-and-third, two-out jam in the second, a two-on, one-out jam in the third and a first-and-third, two-out jam in the fourth.

That inning ended with Cardinals third baseman Blaze Jordan reaching into the third-base dugout to snag Tyler Heineman’s popup.

Angels starter Reid Detmers (3-7), expected to be a top target of contenders looking to acquire starting pitching before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, blanked the Cardinals on one hit through five innings despite walking two to open the fifth.

The left-hander escaped the fifth with the help of third baseman Vaughn Grissom, who made a backhand diving stop of José Fermín’s grounder, scrambled to the bag for a forceout and threw to first to complete a double play.

Jordan struck out to end the inning.

But with one out in the sixth inning, Detmers (3-7) left a fastball up to Wetherholt, who lined his 15th homer of the season over the wall in center field to break the tie and knock Detmers out of the game.

Up next: Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (4-7, 2.92 ERA) will oppose Arizona RHP Brandon Pfaadt (4-1, 4.58 ERA) Thursday night in St. Louis. For the Angels, RHP Grayson Rodriguez (3-3, 8.23 ERA) will face Giants RHP Logan Webb (5-7, 3.87 ERA) Friday night in San Francisco.