Giants fall to Angels 4-3

ANAHEIM - With a tie game and a chance to coax one last inning out of his starting pitcher, Bruce Bochy elected to tempt fate, letting Derek Holland face the heart of the Angels' order in the sixth inning.

The skipper went all-in. The Angels had the better hand.

It wasn't rookie star Shohei Ohtani who ruined Holland's night, as he was on the bench. It wasn't cleanup hitter Justin Upton, as he drew a walk. It wasn't even two-time MVP Mike Trout, who homered off Holland earlier in the game to knot up the score at 2-2.

It was 18th-year veteran Albert Pujols, who launched his 618th career home run into the right center field seats to put the Angels ahead for good in a 4-3 win.

Though Giants starting pitchers have earned Bochy's trust and loyalty with a string of impressive performances, the skipper's leash proved too long for Holland on Saturday.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Giants left fielder Mac Williamson had to play the part of a goalie defending penalty kicks, as the Angels crushed three line drives at speeds greater than 90 mph in his direction.

Williamson saved all three from hitting the grass, but it was the ball hit to right field that did in Holland.

With the score tied 2-2, the Giants' starter issued a one-out walk to Upton before Pujols stepped to the plate.

He wasn't there long.

After working ahead 0-1, Holland threw Pujols a fastball up and out over the plate. There aren't many 10-time All-Stars who miss mistakes, and Pujols smashed his 2,992nd career hit into the right center field bleachers.

Though Holland only surrendered five hits in six innings of work, he served up three home run balls and the Giants' offense couldn't preempt the Angel Stadium Saturday night fireworks show with its own version.

Even after a Pablo Sandoval RBI double cut the Angels' lead to 4-3 in the top of the eighth, the Giants couldn't continue a late rally that would have helped them secure their first series win of the season.

Despite sitting out his 30th birthday on Friday, Brandon Belt kept his home run streak alive with a round-tripper in the third straight game he played.

His two-run shot opened the scoring against Angels righty Garrett Richards and managed to spur a chaotic chain of events that riled up the crowd at Angel Stadium.

Belt's blast into deep right center field barely cleared the yellow line at the top of the fence, and only did so after clanking off the outstretched glove of center fielder Trout.

While umpires Doug Eddings and Marty Foster signaled for a home run, Sandoval attempted to race from first to home as the ball trickled back onto the outfield grass.

The Angels acted as if the ball remained playable, setting up a relay to throw Sandoval out at the plate. While a throw arrived well ahead of the Giants designated hitter, umpire Joe West swung his arms wide to call Sandoval safe, eliciting jeers and groans from the home crowd.

Moments later, Belt was able to jog home freely, but not before Eddings and Foster cleared him to do so.

The Angels needed just two innings to even the score, as Holland allowed a solo home run to Jefry Marte in the bottom of the second before Trout launched a tying shot to deep left center field in the third. Trout's home run traveled 415 feet, and ensured that Holland would allow at least two runs for the fourth straight start.