Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Angels Live Blog: Instant Reactions

The Los Angeles Angels rallied to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 Tuesday in a West Coast interleague battle. 

Garrett Richards started out giving up a lot of contact early, but rebounded remarkably well. He finished with with four strikeouts and four hits allowed in seven innings. His run allowed was unearned after two passed balls by his catcher Carlos Perez.

Coming into the game, Jeremy Hellickson had yet to lose a start since April 26. He had also been successful in his career against Arizona. He was 3-2 with a 2.73 ERA in five career starts, including 2-0 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim with 11.1 scoreless innings, according to ESPN Stats & Information. 

Hellickson pitched well in six innings of work. He allowed two runs on four hits while striking out six. However, Albert Pujols jacked a fourth straight Hellickson fastball into the center field seats in the sixth inning following a Mike Trout walk with two outs. 

David Freese added another homer in the eighth to make the score 4-1, bringing in Pujols after he walked with two outs.

The Diamondbacks had been hot in the last month. Since May 18, their .593 winning percentage was fifth-best in the MLB coming into this game, according to ESPN. They came in winners of four straight, including a 7-3 win over the Angels Monday.  

Los Angeles has underwhelmed this season, now sitting at 33-32 and 4.5 games behind Houston for the American League West lead. The team has lost of eight of its last 13. The offense is certainly a culprit as the Angels rank 26th in baseball with a .241 team batting average before Tuesday. 

Perhaps tonight's performance can spark the Angels moving forward. Manager Mike Scioscia decided to put Pujols at fourth in the lineup and Pujols had a huge game. This team has too much offensive talent to be struggling this bad. Expect the team to add another bat to the lineup this summer as they make a playoff push. 

As for the Diamondbacks, they played good baseball tonight before the final three innings. The team just could not put the Angels away with two outs Tuesday, which ultimately cost them. If Arizona continues its current play, the team should rise in the standings behind the play of National League MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt.