Cincinnati, OH – Chris Iannetta delivered a two-run single in the top of the 13th inning to lift the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to a 3-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
A crowd of 43,168, the largest for a regular-season game at Great American Ball Park, had gathered to take in the first-ever interleague Opening Day matchup.
What they witnessed was an incredible pitching duel, and the Angels were finally able to break through against Cincinnati's bullpen.
Los Angeles had stranded two men in the 11th and wasted a one-out triple by Peter Bourjos in the next frame.
In the 13th, however, Iannetta ripped a bases-loaded single off J.J. Hoover (0-1) past diving third baseman Todd Frazier to score high-priced free-agent acquisition Josh Hamilton and Howie Kendrick.
Ernesto Frieri worked around a one-out walk in the bottom of the inning to earn the save.
Reliever Mark Lowe (1-0) tossed two innings to pick up the win for the Angels, who missed the playoffs for the third straight year in 2012.
Iannetta also homered off Cincinnati starter Johnny Cueto in the third inning.
The defending National League Central champs tied things up in the home half of the third. Newcomer Shin-Soo Choo hit a leadoff double and a tapper over the mound by Brandon Phillips moved him to third. After Ryan Ludwick drew a two-out walk, Choo scored on Angels starter Jered Weaver's wild pitch, sliding home just ahead of the tag.
Ludwick continued on to third while the Angels argued the call and dislocated his right shoulder on the slide. The club announced Ludwick will have an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury.
The Angels loaded the bases in the seventh, but Cueto fanned Iannetta and pinch-hitter J.B. Shuck to escape the jam.
Cincinnati looked to snap the deadlock as a pinch-hitting Xavier Paul reached on Kendrick's fielding error to begin the eighth and Choo followed with a single.
After Phillips dropped down a sacrifice bunt, Joey Votto was intentionally walked to load the bases. Chris Heisey, who replaced Ludwick, and Jay Bruce both went down swinging to end the threat.
Game Notes
Weaver gave up two hits, walked two and struck out four over six innings. He made his fourth straight season-opening start for the Angels and became the first American League starting pitcher to bat on Opening Day since Baltimore's Pat Dobson and New York's Mel Stottlemyre, Sr. on April 16, 1972 ... The Angels have won five consecutive Opening Day games, the longest streak in franchise history ... Cueto scattered three hits, walked two and fanned nine in seven frames. He became the first Reds pitcher to make consecutive Opening Day starts since Aaron Harang (2006-10) ... The Halos compiled a 4-2 record in two previous series against the Reds.
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