ANAHEIM, Calif. — As the Angels failed to get back above .500 for the first time since April 20, Taylor Ward had an electric performance in their 7-4 loss to the Nationals.

Ward went 3-5 at the plate with three doubles, one RBI, and two strikeouts this afternoon.

“I mean steady heavy right?” Angels manager Ray Montgomery said. “He comes to play every day. I thought he had some good swings. I’ll take that every day of the week.”

His promising day at the plate started in the first inning after Nolan Schanuel drew a walk with one out.

In the next at bat, Ward hit an line drive towards right field to score Schanuel home from first base. During the play, Washington outfielder Daylen Lile lost track of the ball on the ground, giving Schanuel time to sprint towards home after rounding the base, Ward advanced to second for his first double.

With two outs already made in the third, he was aggressive at the plate swinging at the first pitch he saw, a 94 MPH fastball, and sent it to left field. The inning ended with the Angels (41-42) unable to capitalize on a score.

As the Angels were looking for a spark to the offense with just one run, Ward ignited a rally in the sixth. Leading off the inning, Ward hit the ball in the shallow part of the outfield, hustling around first base, he slid into second to get a lead off double for his third one of the afternoon. In the next at bat, he scored following a blooper hit by Jo Adell towards right field to tie the game at two. Adell extended a 10-game hit streak to 11 from the play.

After the at bat, Logan O’Hoppe advanced Adell to second from a single.

With Travis d’Arnaud at the plate two at bats later, he advanced Adell to third, but he and O’Hoppe were ruled out from a double play. In the next at bat, the Angels were getting one of their most clutch players as of late in Christian Moore at the plate.

Moore did what he needed to and got the Angels the lead by hitting a line drive towards left field to give the Angels a 3-2 lead. Following Moore’s at bat, Mike Trout came up to pinch hit but the Angels couldn’t add more to the lead after he popped out.

For most of the afternoon, the Angels’ bullpen kept them in it this afternoon. It was questionable plays defensively that kept the Nationals (35-49) in it.

Starting pitcher Jack Kochanowicz was pulled through four innings and 63 pitches.

For most of the afternoon, he was crusing until he ran into the fourth and fifth innings.

In the first, Kochanowicz had a ball comeback and hit him on his leg with two outs. He remained in the game and got the next batter out.

In the fourth, he was poised for another 1-2-3 hitting until he gave up a walk to Nathaniel Lowe. In the next at-bat, Josh Bell advanced Lowed to third following a first pitch changeup.

With runners on first and third, Lowe was able to walk home after a Brady House double.

The Angels had a mound visit after the double, Kochanowicz then got Lile to ground out towards short on a chopper.

Kochanowicz gave up a walk and a double in the fifth inning and was removed from the game for José Fermín.

Fermín got CJ Abrams to ground out, then intentionally walked James Wood to load the bases.

With only two outs, and Luis García up at the plate and the bases loaded, Fermín was looking to keep the fire controlled.

Throwing a slider towards the inside middle of the strike zone, he almost did just that.

The ball was hit perfectly towards Nolan Schanuel but Drew Millas was able to score, giving Washington their first lead of the day. Following a tag attempt by Logan O’Hoppe, the ball came out, and Young came running down the basepaths. O’Hoppe quickly retrieved the ball and tagged Young out on the third base line to end the inning.

“On that play. That situation. Come home get the out at the plate at the very least. Keep that right where it is score-wise,” Montgomery said. “I literally think he knew it the second after. I get the intent. I’ve been through that position at first base. I understand what he was thinking but I think coming home would’ve been the better choice.”

The play was challenged by Washington and was not overturned. Manager Dave Martinez came out to argue with the umpire and was ejected from the game for his first ejection of the season.

In the next inning, Brock Burke retired three straight batters to quiet the Nationals offense.

Ryan Zeferjahn looked ready to have himself a shutdown inning like Burke after getting the first two batters he faced out until Young drew a walk. He then got Abrams to pop up on what looked to have been a routine play but shortstop Kevin Newman appeared to have lost the ball in the sun, scoring Young from first to tie the game again.

“Especially it just being a pop-up. It really isn’t a difficult play by any means,” Newman said. “It just bounced its way right in the middle of the sun, and I think that’s the first time that’s happened in my whole career.”

“Obviously you feel for (Ryan Zeferjahn) too because I want to catch that. Keep that run from scoring and keep the lead. But it was just unfortunate.”

Zeferjahn was removed from the game following the play, and Reid Detmers would take over for the next 1 1/3 innings. Detmers had three strikeouts and did not give up a hit.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Luis Rengifo was the man to get the Angels their next lead. Rengifo hit a standup up triple on a line drive towards right. During Ward’s fourth at bat today, Nationals relief pitcher Jose Ferrer threw a wild pitch, Rengifo took advantage of the play and scored the fourth run of the game.

The Angels were ready to close the out until Kenley Jansen gave up an RBI single to Young, scoring Liles to tie the game. Jansen ended the inning getting Abrams to ground out and Amed Rosario to strike out.

With the Nationals tying the game in the ninth, it marked the first time Jansen has blown a save this season for the Angels.

Going into extra innings, Connor Brogdon came in to relieve Jansen after the blown save opportunity. Brogdon kept the Nationals put by not giving up a run.

In the tenth inning, Ward came up to the plate with Zach Neto at second base. Neto was in for Newman after pinch-hitting for him in the ninth.

Unable to take advantage of the situation, Ward struck out from three pitches without swinging at them.

“I don’t know why I didn’t pull the trigger on those first two pitches. I’m going to be kicking myself. 

Unable to capitalize on a run, Brogdon came out for another inning in the eleventh.

In the bottom half of the inning, it wasn’t so pleasant as Brogdon gave up three runs, one of them unearned, and three hits.

The Angels ended the bottom half of the eleventh without getting a hit to end the game.

“They fought all day. I mean the guys. From Wardo all the way down. We had our cracks. We had our chances. We had people in the right spots. We just didn’t get the big hit when we needed to,” Montgomery said. “I have no problem with the effort and the AB’s along the way and how we went about it. It’s just unfortunate we didn’t get the big hit when we needed to and they did.”