Photo credit: @usanews2017

By Jeremy Kahn

With one swing of the bat, the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Angels went from being tied to giving the Angels the lead for good.

Albert Pujols hit a two-run opposite field home run off of Derek Holland in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Angels a 4-2 lead and they hung on to defeat the Giants 4-3 at Angel Stadium.

It was the 2,992nd hit of Pujols career, bringing him within eight of the magical 3,000 hit club and it was the 618th home run of his 18-year career.

The Pujols home run made a winner out of Garret Richards, who was facing the Giants for the first time in his major-league career.

Richards went six innings, allowing two runs on five hits, while walking one and striking out 11, as he raised his record to 3-0 on the young season.

All in all, on the evening the Giants struck out 17 times, including three times apiece by Pablo Sandoval, Brandon Crawford and Nick Hundley. This the second most strikeouts by the Giants in a game this season, as they struck out 18 times against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 7 in a 7-5 14-inning win on a walk-off home run by Andrew McCutchen.

Brandon Belt gave the Giants a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, as he hit his fourth home run of the season.

Jefry Marte got the Angels within a run in the bottom of the second inning, as he solo home run off of Holland to get the Angels on the board.

Mike Trout tied up the game in the bottom of the third inning, as he launched a Holland pitched that landed in the Angels bullpen. It was the second home run of the series for Trout.

Sandoval got the Giants within one in the top of the eighth inning, as he drove in McCutchen, as he walked with two outs.

Mac Williamson reached on an infield single to get the top of the ninth inning started for the Giants, but Angels closer Kenyan Middleton was able to strikeout Crawford and Hundley, before he got Joe Panik to ground out to end the game. It was the fifth save of the season for Middleton, who went 1.1 innings, allowing one hit and struck out three.

Holland went six innings, allowing four runs on five hits, walking just one and striking out six, as he saw his record fall to 0-3 on the season.

NOTES: Johnny Cueto closes out the road trip on Sunday, as he takes the mound, looking for his second win of the season for the Giants. Angel Stadium will be the last of the current stadiums that Cueto will have pitched in his career.

Cueto will be opposed by Jaime Barria, who will be making his second career start and looking for his second straight win. Barria won his major-league debut against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park on April 11.

Buster Posey was a late scratch to the Giants lineup, as he was scratched due to back tightness.

UP NEXT: The Giants and Angels conclude the series Sunday afternoon at 1:07 pm PT.