Jaime Barría solid on the mound as Angels beat Cubs

It has been a small sample size in 2023, but Jaime Barría has so far been one of the Angels’ most solid and reliable starters.

On Wednesday, he helped the Angels to a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Angel Stadium.

Initially a starter at the beginning of his Angels’ career, Barría moved to the bullpen last season. But in the middle of May, he was put into a swing starter-reliever role out of necessity because José Suarez was on the injured list.

Barría pitched five innings Wednesday, giving up two earned runs and three hits, one walk with three strikeouts in 76 pitches as the Angels clinched the series from the Cubs.

Both runs for the Cubs came in the top of the fifth inning, the Angels temporarily losing a one-run lead courtesy of Mike Trout’s solo home run in the fourth.

It was Trout’s 14th home run of the season.

Barría left the game in the fifth, but the Angels tied the score in the bottom of the inning on Luis Rengifo’s solo home run.

The Angels then put together a four-run sixth inning against the Cubs as Rengifo (two-run single) and Mickey Moniak (two-run double) gave them a 6-2 lead. Relievers Ben Joyce, Aaron Loup and Sam Bachman combined to keep the Cubs scoreless over the last four innings.

For Joyce, it was his first career win.