Ben Joyce caps scoreless night for Angels’ bullpen in victory over Braves – Press Enterprise Fitnessnacks

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The Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Injured Angels star Mike Trout looks on from the dugout during the first inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
Angels pitching coach Barry Enright, left, talks to starting pitcher Jose Soriano, right, in the dugout Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano after the first inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach throws to the plate throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano throws to the plate during the third inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley throws to first base on a ground out by the Angels’ Zach Neto during the third inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Braves’ Marcell Ozuna, right, celebrates after hitting a single during the fourth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Braves’ Marcell Ozuna celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run during the fourth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Jose Soriano throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
The Atlanta Braves’ Matt Olson celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run during the fourth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe, left, looks on as Manager Ron Washington, second from left, removes starting pitcher Jose Soriano (59) during the fourth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel, left, avoids a tag by the Atlanta Braves’ Whit Merrifield for a double during the fourth inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel, left, avoids a tag by the Atlanta Braves’ Whit Merrifield for a double during the fourth inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel, left, slides safely into second base for a double ahead of the tag by the Atlanta Braves’ Whit Merrifield during the fourth inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
The Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe watches the flight of his two-run home run during the fourth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
The Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Zach Neto, right, places the home run “halo” on the head of teammate Logan O’Hoppe after O’Hoppe hit a two-run home run during the fourth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. The Angels won, 3-2. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
The Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe, ceter, celebrates with Manager Ron Washington, right, as he returns to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Angels relief pitcher Brock Burke throws to the plate during the sixth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Braves’ Jarred Kelenic, right, is out at second base as Angels second baseman Michael Stefanic throws to first to complete a double play during the sixth inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker, left, takes the ball from starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach walks to the dugout after being removed during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Mickey Moniak hits a go-ahead RBI double during the sixth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Pierce Johnson looks on after giving up a go-ahead RBI double to the Angels’ Mickey Moniak during the sixth inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
The Atlanta Braves’ Marcell Ozuna breaks his bat on a single during the eighth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
Angels relief pitcher Ben Joyce throws to the plate during the eighth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
Angels relief pitcher Ben Joyce throws to the plate during the eighth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
Angels relief pitcher Ben Joyce walks off the field after inducing a double play to end the top of the eighth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
Angels relief pitcher Ben Joyce throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe, left, and relief pitcher Ben Joyce celebrate after the final out of their 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
Angels relief pitcher Ben Joyce, left, and left fielder Taylor Ward celebrate after their 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)
A view of the cleats worn by Angels relief pitcher Ben Joyce during their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)
A view of the cleats worn by Angels shortstop Zach Neto during their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

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The Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe hits a two-run home run during the fourth inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

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ANAHEIM — Ben Joyce continues to show he has what it takes to be a major league closer.

The Angels’ flame-throwing right-hander picked up a five-out save to secure a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.

“I don’t want to talk too highly about him,” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said with a smile. “This game is humbling, obviously, but I mean, what you guys see is what it is behind the plate, and it’s pretty incredible and pretty special stuff. I’m talking to umpires about how electric stuff is, and it’s pretty cool to hear too. So happy he’s on our team, for sure.”

Joyce needed 14 pitches – five of them between 102 and 104 mph – to finish off the Braves, picking up his second save and cutting his ERA to 2.54.

Joyce entered with runners at first and second and one out in the eighth, and he needed just two pitches to induce a double play.

In the ninth, Joyce went through the top of the Atlanta order. He struck out Michael Harris II and got Austin Riley on a fly ball. After Marcell Ozuna singled, Joyce got Matt Olson on a groundout.

His performance capped a night in which Angels relievers shut out the Braves over 5⅔ innings after José Soriano got knocked out early.

The Angels were down 2-0 in the fourth and the Braves had two runners on when Soriano was pulled. Even though he hadn’t allowed much damage, he had walked three, hit a batter and allowed three hits. It was just the third time this season he didn’t finish the fourth.

“Just had trouble finding the strike zone,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Couldn’t get his breaking ball over with any consistency. Tried some splits, couldn’t control it. Sinker, he just couldn’t control it.”

Soriano’s short start could have made for a bad night, but the Angels’ bullpen came to the rescue. Roansy Contreras, Brock Burke, Hunter Strickland and Matt Moore picked up 12 outs between Soriano and Joyce.

“That’s what you call stepping up,” Washington said. “The bullpen stepped up. It really did. We need them to step up. And they did again. Everyone down there is trying to find their spot. You have people all over the place, until we find a good, cohesive group that’s working the rest of the way.”

At the moment, it’s working pretty well. Angels relievers have a 2.47 ERA since June 17, which is the best in the majors.

The bullpen allowed the Angels to win a game in which they still couldn’t generate much offense.

The first two runs came off the bat of O’Hoppe, representing a big moment for O’Hoppe and for the team.

His two-run homer ended an 0-for-29 slump that stretched back to the first game of the previous trip.

“I felt like a lot of weight lifted off my shoulders,” O’Hoppe said. “It’s not over yet, obviously, getting out of it still, but it’s a good sign. I feel like I finally got something to latch on and build on tonight.”

For the Angels, it was the first time they had a hit with a runner in scoring position since the fourth inning on Sunday. In between, they had gone hitless in 22 straight at-bats with a runner in scoring position over parts of five games.

The Angels got the lead in the sixth.

Nolan Schanuel and Niko Kavadas led off the inning with walks, and two outs later Mickey Moniak drove in Schanuel with a double off the fence in right center.

The Angels could have had an insurance run, though. Jo Adell smoked a grounder down the third base line and Riley made a sensational diving stop.

Adell, who has elite speed, still should have been able to beat the throw, extending the inning and driving in another run. However, first base coach Bo Porter was waving Adell around, so Adell changed his path as if to round the base, and he was thrown out at first.

Thanks to Joyce, the Angels didn’t need the extra run.

They were able to pick up a victory, snapping a three-game losing streak, but the night also included another injury to embattled third baseman Anthony Rendon.

Rendon was hit by a pitch in the second inning and left the game two innings later with a right elbow contusion.

So far this season Rendon has missed time with a torn hamstring and a back injury. He has played in just 41 of the Angels’ 122 games.

Washington said after the game that Rendon was day to day.

“He’s doing well,” Washington said. “He wasn’t feeling very good so we took him out. We weren’t going to take any chances.”

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