LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ricky Nolasco was pitching well while holding the big-hitting Dodgers scoreless. The only thing that stopped him was a liner that hit him in the shin and ended his night.
Still, Nolasco pitched into the seventh inning to pick up his first win in almost two months, Yunel Escobar drove in two runs and the Los Angeles Angels snapped the Dodgers’ 10-game winning streak, 4-0 on Monday night.
Nolasco (3-9) gave up five hits while striking out five and walking two in 6 2/3 innings. He left the game after getting hit by a line drive by Enrique Hernandez. Nolasco was 0-7 in 10 starts since beating Oakland on April 27.
“Staying positive is the main thing,” Nolasco said. “That was a bad little streak going there. I’d been feeling good in whatever games I’d been losing or whatever. Just trying to carry that over to (Monday) and make some pitches.
“Obviously they have a good lineup and things like that. Just trying to give us a chance to win and make a lot of good pitches.”
The Dodgers also ended a streak of 17 consecutive games with at least one home run, which was tied for the longest stretch since moving to Los Angeles before the 1958 season. Their franchise record is 24 consecutive games set by Brooklyn in 1956.
Cam Bedrosian relieved Nolasco after he took the ball to the shin and faced runners on second and third with one out. He struck out pinch hitter Mike Freeman and Chase Utley to end the inning.
“It’s huge. We don’t look too much into it,” Bedrosian said of stopping the Dodgers win streak. “Of course you see the guys that are hot, but we don’t go into any series thinking any team is better than we are. We just come in and do our job and let the cards fall where they are.
Danny Espinosa had a sacrifice fly and Martin Maldonado added a solo homer to help the Angels win for the fourth time in five games.
Dodgers starter Rich Hill (4-4) gave up three runs and four hits in a season-high seven innings, striking out seven and walking two.
“We lost a baseball game, but the biggest win is for Rich to give us seven innings, and pitch the way that 2016 Rich threw the baseball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
The Angels took the lead on Escobar’s two-out, two-run single in the third. With one out, Cameron Maybin and Kole Calhoun had a double steal to advance to second and third, and scored on Escobar’s hit to right field.
In the fourth, Andrelton Simmons led off with a triple to deep center and scored on Espinosa’s fly ball to left field.
Maldonado added his eighth homer of the season in the ninth.
Nolasco retired seven in a row until Yasiel Puig beat out an infield hit for a single in the seventh inning. Hernandez then hit the liner back at the mound and the ball ricocheted off Nolasco and past first base into the foul territory in right field.
“Ricky knows he’s a better pitcher than what his numbers show so far this year,” Mike Scioscia said. “We know he’s a better pitcher. Hopefully, he took some steps to get to that pitching we saw last year when he was throwing the balls as well as anybody in our league.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: Mike Trout (thumb surgery) is swinging off a tee. Scioscia said he will progress to soft toss and then live batting practice. That could be on the Angels next homestand. … Escobar (left thumb sprain) missed the previous two games.
Dodgers: SS Corey Seager (hamstring) ran sprints and did agility drills. RHP Brandon McCarthy (right knee tendinitis) was placed on the disabled list. … LHP Scott Kazmir (left hip) threw three innings in a rehab assignment at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Monday and gave up four hits one run, a home run to the first batter he faced.
NO PLACE LIKE THE ROAD
Recently, the road is a friendly place for the Angels, who have won their last four road series. Their road record is inching closer to .500 (20-23).
UP NEXT
Angels: RHP Jesse Chavez (5-7, 5.15) has a career 3.32 ERA against the Dodgers, whom he pitched for last year after being traded from Toronto mid-season. Chavez allowed five runs in just four innings Thursday against the Yankees but was not involved in the decision.
Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (5-3, 4.62) is making a spot start to give those starters not named Clayton Kershaw a day of rest. He will then go back to the bullpen, where he’s made two relief appearances.
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