Taylor Ward Homers, Kenley Jansen Reaches 475 Saves as Angels Edge Royals 3-2 to Avoid Sweep in Anaheim

Thursday, September 25th, 2025

Los Angeles Angels Edge Kansas City Royals 3-2 to Avoid Series Sweep

The Los Angeles Angels narrowly defeated the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Wednesday night in Anaheim, preventing a series sweep and earning just their second win in their last 12 games. Taylor Ward provided a crucial home run, while Kenley Jansen secured his 475th career save by striking out two batters in the ninth inning.

Game Recap

Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi delivered a strong performance, allowing only one hit and striking out six over five innings before exiting due to a left forearm cramp at the start of the sixth. Jansen's 28th save of the season sealed the narrow victory for Los Angeles.

Luis Rengifo got the Angels on the board in the second inning, doubling and scoring on Oswald Peraza’s groundout to give the Angels a 1-0 advantage. In the third, Taylor Ward smashed a 320-foot solo home run, becoming one of just three MLB players this season with at least 35 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 30 doubles.

Royals starter Stephen Kolek pitched six innings, conceding three runs on five hits and striking out two. A fielding mishap in the fourth allowed Peraza to score, extending the Angels' lead to 3-0.

Royals Rally Falls Short

Randal Grichuk put the Royals on the scoreboard with a home run in the fifth—the only hit allowed by Kikuchi. In the seventh, Carter Jensen scored to bring the Royals within one, but the Angels’ bullpen held on to secure the win. The Angels began the game with the worst save percentage in MLB (51%) and the highest bullpen ERA in the American League at 4.87, but Jansen closed the door to buck that trend.

Key Moment

In the seventh inning, Christian Moore made a game-saving diving stop at second base, firing to first to record the third out and preserve the Angels’ 3–2 lead.

Key Stat

Despite entering the game with one of the lowest team error rates in MLB (0.37 per game), the Royals committed three errors against the Angels—costly mistakes that contributed to their defeat.

Up Next

The series concludes on Thursday with Angels pitcher Mitch Farris (1-2, 6.52 ERA) taking on Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen (6-11, 4.70 ERA).

In summary

The Los Angeles Angels edged out the Kansas City Royals 3-2, backed by Taylor Ward’s home run and Kenley Jansen’s milestone save. Strong pitching from Yusei Kikuchi and game-changing plays in the field helped the Angels avoid a sweep and snap a difficult stretch. Despite the Royals’ defensive woes and missed opportunities, the competitive series will wrap up with an anticipated pitching matchup.

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