The Angels set the tone early, hanging on to beat the White Sox

May 29, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) ran for a touchdown against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Drury and Matt Thaiss connected for back-to-back home runs in the first inning and went on to combine five hits and four RBIs to lead the visiting Los Angeles Angels to a 6-4 win against the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.

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Drury and Thaiss were sent up against White Sox starter Michael Kopech. Drury’s three-run shot opened the scoring

Mike Trout added two hits and an RBI for the Angels, who overcame 16 hits to send the White Sox to their fourth loss in five games.

Angels closer Carlos Estevez worked around Eloy Jimenez’s solo homer, batsman hit and road in the ninth to get his 13th save in multiple chances

Los Angeles capitalized on control problems from Kopech to create an early scoring opportunity, as Trout walked and Shohei Ohtani was hit with one throw-out. A wild pitch twice in the inning allowed the Angels stars to move up to second and third before Drury went deeper.

Chicago running back in the bottom half of the frame, as Jimenez puts one RBI to center with two outs.

Home runs helped the White Sox get close. Andrew Vaughn (two runs) sent an opposing homer to right in the fourth before Romy Gonzalez opened the fifth with another solo shot against Angels starter Griffin Canning

Kopech equaled a season high with 10 strikeouts despite pitching a season low of 4 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs at five hits while spreading two hits and two hitting two batters to lose to 3-5.

Canning (4-2) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings with zero walks and nine strikeouts.

The White Sox were closer with Liam Hendriks reinstated to the active roster before the game. 34-year-old Hendriks was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in December and underwent his last round of chemotherapy four months later.

Hendriks allowed a pair of runs in the eighth, spreading three hits and one hit. The Angels scored a run with a sacrifice and one hit from jumping shortstop Tim Anderson

–Field Level Media