Angels star Shohei Ohtani hits a home run during the first inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Mike Trout hits a home run during the third inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tyler Wells Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a home run during the first inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani follows through on his swing after hitting a home run during the first inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels star Shohei Ohtani hits a home run during the first inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the first inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tyler Wells Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels star Mike Trout hits a two-run home run during the third inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, left, celebrates with Mike Trout after Trout hit a home run during the third inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels star Mike Trout celebrates in the team’s kabuto after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the third inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Baltimore Orioles left fielder Austin Hays catches a ball hit by Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani during the third inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
The Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson shows his frustration after striking out during the fourth inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Angels shortstop Zach Neto throws out the Baltimore Orioles’ Ryan McKenna during the fourth inning on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tyler Wells throws to the plate during the third inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Baltimore Orioles center fielder Ryan McKenna, left, second baseman Joey Ortiz (65), and right fielder Anthony Santander can’t catch a ball hit by the Angels’ Mickey Moniak during the fifth inning on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
The Baltimore Orioles’ Anthony Santander hits a home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Fans in the Bird Bath Splash Zone celebrate a home run hit by the Baltimore Orioles’ Anthony Santander during the fifth inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels left fielder Mickey Moniak catches a ball hit by the Baltimore Orioles’ Ryan Mountcastle during the fifth inning on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
The Angels’ Luis Rengifo scores during the sixth inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
The Baltimore Orioles’ Adley Rutschman hits a two-run home run during the seventh inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Adley Rutschman, center, celebrates with Ryan Mountcastle (6) and Austin Hays (21) after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Austin Voth throws to the plate during the eighth inning of their game against the Angels on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, left, bumps fists with first base coach Damon Mashore after hitting a single during the eighth inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels relief pitcher Carlos Estevez throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
The Baltimore Orioles’ Adam Frazier is tagged out by Angels shortstop Zach Neto while trying to stretch a single into a double during the ninth inning on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Angels shortstop Zach Neto, left, tags out the Baltimore Orioles’ Adam Frazier as he tries to stretch a single into a double during the ninth inning on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels relief pitcher Carlos Estevez throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Angels relief pitcher Carlos Estevez, left, celebrates with catcher Matt Thaiss after their 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels center fielder Mike Trout, left, celebrates with shortstop Zach Neto after their 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
Angels star Shohei Ohtani (17) celebrates with teammates after their 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Angels star Mike Trout signs autographs for fans before their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Angels star Mike Trout, left, and the Baltimore Orioles’ Adley Rutschman talk before their game on Thursday in Baltimore. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Angels star Shohei Ohtani smiles in the dugout before their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
BALTIMORE — The person in the Angels’ clubhouse who seemed to be the least impressed with Hunter Renfroe’s game-saving throw was Hunter Renfroe.
“I wouldn’t say it was one of my favorite throws,” Renfroe said. “I wouldn’t say it was not not difficult, but he was out.”
With the Angels clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth inning of a rollercoaster game, Renfroe cleanly fielded the carom directly off the wall, and he spun and threw Adam Frazier out at second base, recording the penultimate out of the Angels’ 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.
“I was able to get a good carom off the wall and get my feet set and take my time to make a strong throw to second,” said Renfroe, who threw out Frazier, his former Mississippi State teammate, by a few feet.
It was Renfroe’s fifth assist of the season, continuing a career-long trend for him.
“People still running on Renfroe?” center fielder Mike Trout shrugged. “He said in the beginning of the spring he’s got one of, if not the best, arms in the league. And he’s backing it up.”
Manager Phil Nevin, who had been a third base coach against Renfroe at several stops throughout their careers, added: “That’s one of the better throws I’ve seen him make. I’ve seen him make a couple against me, sending guys home and walking back to the dugout after he’s thrown them out. It’s nice to have them on my side for once.”
The throw was the capper to a thrilling afternoon that ended with the Angels pulling out the split of a four-game series against the Orioles, who have the second-best record in the American League as well as a knack for pulling out any game that’s close late.
They were on their way to saddling the Angels with a crushing loss after young star Adley Rutschman hit a two-run homer against Chris Devenski to give the Orioles a 5-4 lead in the seventh.
This time they got the job done before the Orioles could get electric closer Felix Bautista into the game.
With one out in the top of the eighth, Luis Rengifo punched one of his three hits into center field. Zach Neto followed with a walk, and then Gio Urshela singled to tie the score. Taylor Ward struck out and Trout was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Shohei Ohtani. He yanked a sharp grounder to the right side. First baseman Ryan Mountcastle made a diving stop, but couldn’t beat Ohtani to the first-base bag, and the go-ahead run scored.
Ohtani had also driven in the Angels’ first run of the game in the first inning, with his 10th homer, and two innings later Trout hit his 10th, a two-run shot that was further evidence he’s pulling out of his two-week slump.
“Just taking the confidence and positive results into the next game,” Trout said. “It’s been a grind, it felt normal today.”
Trout’s homer made it 3-0, but starter Tyler Anderson couldn’t hold the lead. He got through four scoreless innings, admittedly without his best stuff, but he gave up three runs in the fifth, two on an Anthony Santander homer.
That’s when the rollercoaster really began.
The Angels re-took the lead in the next inning, on Neto’s two-out opposite-field RBI single, and then they lost it in the seventh when Devenski threw Rutschman a fastball on the inside corner and he yanked it over the right field fence.
The Angels had the final rally, though, led by the bottom of the order. The Angels had six hits and three walks out of the bottom three spots in the order.
“You need consistency throughout,” Nevin said. “It’s not just always Mike and Sho.”
Left-hander Matt Moore then worked a perfect eighth and right-hander Carlos Estévez worked the ninth, picking up his 10th save with a big assist from Renfroe.
“As soon as I saw that, I was thinking double,” Estévez said. “Then I saw the bounce. And he read it great. I got to back up second because he’s going to throw him out. As soon as I saw the throw, I was like ‘oh, he got him.’ That guy is amazing.”
The importance of the throw was magnified because Estévez then gave up a double to Cedric Mullins. The Angels intentionally walked Rutschman – putting the go-ahead run on base – before Estévez struck out Mountcastle on three pitches to end the taut game.
“It felt great,” Estévez said. “We had the lead and we lost it. We kept fighting. We kept fighting till the last out.”
The Angels (23-22) needed the victory to remain over .500, and also to prove that they can play with a good team. They still have not won a series against a team with a winning record, but at least they didn’t lose this one.
“We’ve been playing pretty good baseball, but not our best baseball yet,” Renfroe said. “We’ve been having some bad luck. We hit some balls really hard today in this series, and just kind of hadn’t had a whole lot of good luck. Moving forward, we’re gonna be playing our better baseball and it’s gonna be a lot of fun to watch for the fans and obviously be part of.”
