Angels rise off mat vs. MLB saves leader before Ward hits game-winning slam

SAN DIEGO -- Taylor Ward was in the moment. He wasn’t thinking about how the Angels had taken advantage of a ninth inning in which Padres closer Robert Suarez struggled with his command and walked four consecutive batters to tie the game. He wasn’t thinking about how the bases were loaded with an opportunity to make a statement in the opener of a three-game series Monday night at Petco Park.

Ward was focused on his own approach -- not looking for any specific pitch, just trying to be in a good hitting position and stay anchored to the ground.

On the sixth pitch, it paid off.

Ward saw Alek Jacob’s sweeper over the heart of the plate all the way though, put a swing on it and launched it. Padres left fielder Brandon Lockridge tried to make a play on the ball, but all he could do was watch it sail over the wall for a go-ahead grand slam that lifted the Angels to a 9-5 victory.

“Amazing. Amazing,” Ward said before letting out a sigh. “I’m going to soak in every minute of this.”

The Halos made every moment count on Monday. Suarez, who leads the Majors with 15 saves, entered the game with a 0.51 ERA with only four walks all season. He has been the definition of a shutdown closer all season, but he was unable to protect a two-run lead this night.

Things started to unravel after Luis Rengifo singled on a ground ball that deflected off second baseman Jake Cronenworth’s glove.

Logan O’Hoppe worked a seven-pitch walk. Suarez then walked Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel to first load the bases and then force in a run.

The first three pitches Yoán Moncada saw were all balls. He eventually walked to bring in another run, erasing the Angels’ two-run deficit.

“He’s one of the best closers right now, and just to see the guys continue to take good pitches and pass the baton,” Ward said. “It’s incredible.”

One out later, the stage was set for Ward.

“We certainly needed him to be Taylor Ward in that situation,” manager Ron Washington said.

And that’s exactly the version of Taylor Ward that showed up.

It hasn’t been an easy season by any stretch of the imagination for Ward, as he entered the game with a slash line of .182/.226/.385. But after putting in some extra work and taking live at-bats last week, Ward feels like he has found something. He tweaked his mechanics, focusing on keeping his back leg anchored.

Ward said he’s still trying to cement those changes within himself, but the early returns look promising as he had back-to-back multi-hit games for the first time this season.

“He’s going to come around; he’s too good of a baseball player not to come around,” Washington said. “We just got to make sure we keep his mind calm and keep the work going, and then things will start falling into place.

“But I tell you what, we certainly needed what he gave us tonight.”

It was Ward’s fifth career grand slam. Though he said this one takes the top spot for him in that category, he had a hard time saying it’s his favorite moment at Petco Park, considering it’s the same ballpark where he made his big league debut and got his first hit in 2018.

“It’s up there with it,” Ward said. “But first hit? Can’t compare to the first.”

The Angels seem to have a flair for these late game dramatics. Monday marked their third ninth-inning comeback of the season, with the first two both in Anaheim, against the Giants and Jays. Washington’s starting to notice a pattern there.

He also noticed the Angels tend to play up to their competition. He’s not worried about how they’ll play against the Padres because they seem to do well against good teams. It’s everyone else that they seem unable to get past.

“It’s in us. We just got to find a way to sustain and be consistent,” Washington said. “We’re starting to figure things out in that sixth and seventh inning. Every now and then you give up a run because of the type of team you’re playing against … but our confidence has never wavered.”