• Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud, left, and relief pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn celebrate after the final out of their 9-7 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Angels on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The Angels’ Luis Rengifo reacts after lining out during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The St. Louis Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar reacts after hitting a broken-bat single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Angels on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• Angels starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado fouls off a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Angels on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Gorman doubles during the second inning of a baseball game against the Angels on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Gorman, right, is congratulated by teammate Pedro Pages after scoring during the second inning of a baseball game against the Angels on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• Angels star Mike Trout rounds first on his way to a two-run double during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The Angels’ Luis Rengifo (2) and Taylor Ward (3) celebrate after scoring during the third inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The St. Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker watches his solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Angels on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The St. Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker is congratulated by teammates after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Angels on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The St. Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Angels on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel catches a pop-up by the St. Louis Cardinals’ Masyn Winn in foul territory to end the fourth inning on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan places the tag as the Angels’ Luis Rengifo, right, is caught stealing during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado tosses his bat in the air after striking out swinging during the sixth inning of a game against the Angels on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo throws out the St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan at first during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel follows through on a two-run triple during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The Angels’ Yoan Moncada (5) is congratulated by teammate Mike Trout (27) after scoring on a two-run triple by Nolan Schanuel during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The Angels’ Travis d’Arnaud fouls off a pitch during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The St. Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker walks back to the dugout after flying out during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Angels on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• The Angels’ Kyren Paris celebrates after hitting an RBI single during the 11th inning of their 9-7 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
• Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo, left, and right fielder Mike Trout celebrate a 9-7 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in a baseball game Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

ST. LOUIS —Nolan Schanuel was the goat. Then he was the hero. Then he was simply another excited spectator, able to see the rest of his teammates collaborate on a victory that they won’t soon forget.

“The best way to put it is being out there and being a part of that, I got goose bumps,” the Angels first baseman said after their 9-7, 11-inning victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. “Just being with these group of guys and everything, it’s just electric, 24/7. There’s a totally different vibe in here from this year to last year. And it’s awesome. It’s awesome to be a part of.”

The Angels (4-1) have won four in a row, holding on for three well-played one-run victories in the days leading up to this one. They were on the way to another game just like the others until Schanuel’s eighth-inning error gave away their lead.

From there, the game went off the rails, but someone on the Angels had an answer for everything that went wrong, starting with Schanuel. His triple in the 10th drove in two runs, on the way to building a three-run lead.

The Angels were then forced to rely on two rookie pitchers to hold that lead, and they gave it up in the bottom of the 10th.

Then they scored three more in the 11th, including a two-out RBI single from Kyren Paris – suddenly their best clutch hitter – and a two-run double from Yoán Moncada.

This time, the lead held, and the Angels celebrated back-to-back series victories to start the season.

“There’s no quit,” Manager Ron Washington said. “It just was no quit. They’re learning how to pull for each other. They’re learning how to stay in the fight. And if you’re going to be successful, you’re going to have to be in those kind of ball games. Those are the kind of ball games that winning teams have to be in. And we’re getting a taste of it early. And I’m just so proud of the way they hang together. I’m so proud of the way they’re just going out there and trying to get the job done, and they are getting the job done.”

It wasn’t the way they planned it.

They took a 3-2 lead to the eighth, thanks to six strong innings from Kyle Hendricks, one from Ian Anderson and a three-run outburst in the second inning. Right-hander Ben Joyce was just about to finish off the eighth. He induced a routine grounder to the right of Schanuel at first base, but he made a wild throw to Joyce covering the bag. It got past him and the tying run scored.

“Guys came up right when I got into the dugout on the front step and tapping me, saying ‘Hey, forget about it. You’re gonna have to come up and make an impact in the game later,’” Schanuel said.

He got his chance in the 10th, when he lined a ball into the right-center field gap, putting the Angels back up by two. He pumped his first after sliding in with the first triple of his career. Jo Adell followed with what proved to be a critical insurance run.

In the bottom of the inning, the Angels had used all their reasonably fresh relievers. They were down to a couple of pitchers who had never been in the majors before last week, and who had each thrown at least 20 pitches the night before.

Left-hander Garrett McDaniels, who was pitching his second major league game a night after pitching his first, could only retire one of the four hitters he faced. Two runs scored. Right-hander Ryan Johnson the entered with the tying run at third and one out, and he gave up a game-tying single. He escaped with the score still tied.

“That’s two young kids, first time at the major-league level, they got thrown in a fire quick, and I think they handled themselves extremely well,” Washington said. “It wasn’t something that we planned, but it was something we needed them to do for us to be successful. And they went out there and they left their heart out there, and they did it for all of us, and that’s what it’s about.”

Johnson, who had picked up his first big league save a night earlier, ended up getting his first major league victory on Tuesday, thanks to the Angels having one more rally.

With two outs in the 11th and the Angels automatic runner still standing at third, the Cardinals intentionally walked Mike Trout to get to Paris.

It was a perfectly reasonable thing to do, except that Paris has shown a remarkable knack for clutch hits.

His RBI single came two days after his go-ahead homer in the eighth and one day after his game-tying triple in the seventh.

“He’s electric,” Schanuel said. “What is this, three games in a row? He’s a dude. It’s awesome.”

Moncada’s two-run double gave the Angels two more runs, which was enough for them to finally hold the lead. Johnson got the first out in the bottom of the 11th, and Ryan Zeferjahn – working for the third day in a row – got the final two to pick up his first major league save.

By the time it was over, it seemed like a lifetime ago that Hendricks had polished off the Angels’ fourth quality start in their first five games. Once he was done, he become another excited spectator, watching four hitters drive in the final six runs.

Earlier in the game, the Angels’ three-run second was built on four straight two-out hits.

“Just an awesome win,” Hendricks said. “Just back to back nights like that. Just kind of onto the next pitch, next play. Taking advantage of that other side. Just some huge swings of the bat there late. That just shows the approach, selectiveness and just using their strengths. The hitters making the pitchers come to them and then doing damage. Just so fun to watch, man.”

Originally Published: April 1, 2025 at 8:01 PM PDT