PHOENIX (Interstat) — Ryne Nelson pitched seven strong innings and Pavin Smith broke a tie with a seventh-inning home run, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night at Chase Field.

Nelson, who entered with a 2-5 record and had been tagged for seven earned runs in his previous start at Miami, allowed two earned runs on nine hits while striking out five without a walk. He improved to 3-5 and gave the Diamondbacks a much-needed quality start after they had dropped three of their previous four games.

The Angels, losers of four of their last five, fell to 29-44. Arizona improved to 37-35.

Nelson’s counterpart, Walbert Ureña, also worked seven innings, giving up three earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. He took the loss to fall to 4-5.

Paul Sewald earned his 18th save, working the ninth inning despite allowing a solo home run. He gave up one hit and struck out two.

The game drew an announced crowd of 29,457 and lasted 2 hours, 17 minutes.

The Angels struck first in the top of the first inning. After Zach Neto struck out, Mike Trout singled off Nelson’s glove, then Wade Meckler lined out. Jo Adell doubled to right field, driving in Trout for a 1-0 lead. Nelson escaped further damage by getting Nolan Schanuel to ground out.

Arizona answered in the bottom half. Ketel Marte popped out, then Geraldo Perdomo walked. Corbin Carroll flew out, but Gabriel Moreno singled to left-center, scoring Perdomo to tie the game at 1-1.

Neither team scored in the second or third innings. The Angels put runners on base in the third when Trout was hit by a pitch and Adell singled, but Nelson induced a force out and a groundout to end the threat.

The Diamondbacks took the lead in the fourth. Carroll singled sharply to right, and after a groundout, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled to right, scoring Carroll to make it 2-1. Ureña retired Nolan Arenado and Jordan Lawlar to limit the damage.

The Angels tied the game in the fifth. With one out, Mike Trout launched his 16th home run of the season to right field, a solo shot that made it 2-2. Wade Meckler followed with a soft single, but Jo Adell lined out sharply to Nelson, who snagged it and doubled off Meckler to end the inning.

Ureña then settled in, retiring the Diamondbacks in order in the fifth and sixth innings. The Angels had a chance to break the tie in the sixth when Denzer Guzman singled and Logan O’Hoppe doubled, putting runners at second and third with one out. But Nelson struck out Donovan Walton swinging to escape the inning.

The game’s decisive moment came in the bottom of the seventh. Lawlar was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Pavin Smith then crushed his first home run of the season to right field, a two-run shot that tied the game and gave the Diamondbacks a 3-2 lead. After Tommy Troy grounded out, Ketel Marte singled sharply to right. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a double to left-center, scoring Marte and extending the lead to 4-2.

The Angels threatened in the eighth against reliever Jonathan Loáisiga but went down in order on groundouts. In the ninth, Sewald came on to protect a two-run lead. He struck out Denzer Guzman and got Logan O’Hoppe to fly out. Donovan Walton then homered to right-center, his second of the season, cutting the deficit to 4-3. But Sewald struck out Oswald Peraza to end the game.

Trout led the Angels offensively, going 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. He also reached on a hit by pitch. Adell finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Walton was 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI.

For the Diamondbacks, Smith went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. Perdomo walked twice and drove in a run with a double. Moreno had a single and an RBI. Ketel Marte had two hits and scored a run.

Arizona’s bullpen was effective after Nelson’s departure. Loáisiga pitched a perfect eighth inning with no hits and no walks, and Sewald, despite allowing the late homer, closed it out.

The Angels will look to bounce back Tuesday night when the two teams meet again at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks will send a starting pitcher to be announced, while the Angels have not yet named their starter.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Los Angeles Angels 5, Arizona Diamondbacks 3. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Arizona with a 62.80 percent probability to win. Arizona had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 7 went over the over-under line of 8.5.