Halos fall, Ducks soar, Argos roll

By OC Tribune Staff on April 7, 2017 • ( Leave a comment )

ANDRELTON SIMMONS is batting .400 in the young season for the Angels (Dinur photo).

The 2017 home opener for the Los Angeles Angels is Friday at the Big A, with the Halos hosting the Seattle Mariners. The Angels are 2-2 after a 5-1 loss to the Oakland A’s Thursday night and the M’s are 1-3. Jesse Chavez will make the start for the home team

In Thursday’s loss, each team had five hits, but the A’s got a two-run homer in a four-run third inning to take the lead they wouldn’t give up.

Tyler Skaggs (0-1) took the loss, working 5.1 innings and giving up five runs on five hits. He walked three and struck out five.

Andrelton Simmons lifted his batting average to .400 with two hits to lead the Halos, who were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

The Seattle series will run through Sunday. The Angels will have Monday off, then start a series on Tuesday hosting the Texas Rangers.

DUCKS PLUCK THE BLACKHAWKS

Showing the kind of form that augurs well for the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Anaheim Ducks rolled over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 at Honda Center Thursday night. Taking on one of the top teams in the league, the Orange County squad got goals from Corey Perry (his 19th of the season), Chris Wagner (sixth), Ryan Kesler (22nd) and Rickard Rakell (33) in the win.

Goalkeeper John Gibson had 37 saves as he recorded his sixth shutout of the season. “[Gibson] played outstanding,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “We left him high and dry in some situations, and he made some big stops for us.”

The win was the Ducks’ third in a row and their record of 45-23-14 (103 points) puts them four points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL Pacific race. Not all the news was good on Thursday, however, as it was announced that defenseman Cam Fowler will be sidelined two to six weeks because of a right knew injured suffered on Tuesday.

Anaheim is next in action on Sunday hosting the Los Angeles Kings (38-35-7) at Honda Center.

ARGOS ROLLING IN SOFTBALL RACE

Garden Grove High’s softball team continued its unbeaten run through the Garden Grove League Thursday with an 11-0 victory over Bolsa Grande. The Argonauts are 4-0 in the GGL and 9-8 overall. Bolsa is 1-3 and 4-7.

In baseball action, Kenny Kim hit a pinch-hit grand slam home run in the top of the fifth to power Huntington Beach to a 5-2 win over Marina in a Sunset League contest. The Oilers are 4-1 in league and 10-3 overall, while the Vikings are 5-1 and 8-4.

Here are scores of interest to the Garden Grove-Huntington Beach-Westminster area

Baseball

Huntington Beach 5, Marina 2

Softball

Garden Grove League