ANAHEIM, Calif. (Interstat) — Walbert Ureña pitched six strong innings and Jo Adell delivered a two-run home run in a five-run first inning as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

The Angels, who improved to 41-61, scored all of their runs in the opening frame against Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore. The Cardinals fell to 51-49.

Ureña allowed one earned run on six hits over six innings, striking out five and walking none to improve to 6-7. He threw strikes on 26 of his 40 pitches, with 26 balls in play. Liberatore took the loss, falling to 5-7, after yielding five earned runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out seven but walked one.

The decisive rally began immediately for Los Angeles. Zach Neto led off the bottom of the first with a sharp line-drive single to left field. Mike Trout followed with a sharp ground-ball single to left, and as Neto attempted to advance to third, left fielder Lars Nootbaar threw to third baseman Blaze Jordan to cut down Neto for the first out. Nolan Schanuel walked to put runners at first and second, and Jorge Soler cleared the bases with a double to left field, scoring Trout and Schanuel for a 2-0 lead. Vaughn Grissom singled to right field, scoring Soler and moving to second on the throw. Adell then crushed his 15th home run of the season to left-center field, scoring Grissom and making it 5-0.

The Angels added two more hits in the inning but also struck out twice — Oswald Peraza and Jose Siri both went down swinging. But the damage had been done.

Liberatore settled down after the first, allowing only four hits over the next four innings before being lifted with one out in the sixth. He retired the side in order in the second, third and fourth innings, but the Cardinals’ offense could not muster a response against Ureña.

St. Louis scored its lone run in the fifth inning. Blaze Jordan singled to shortstop with one out and moved to third on a single to right by Bryan Torres. JJ Wetherholt grounded into a force out — second baseman Peraza to shortstop Neto — but Jordan scored on the play, making it 5-1. Iván Herrera grounded out to end the inning.

The Cardinals had runners in scoring position in the first and third innings but failed to capitalize. In the first, Herrera singled and Alec Burleson singled, putting runners at first and second with one out. But Jordan Walker flied out and Nootbaar struck out looking to end the threat. In the third, Torres walked with one out, but Wetherholt struck out and Herrera grounded into a double play.

Los Angeles threatened again in the fourth when Adell singled and Siri singled, putting runners at first and third with one out. But Logan O’Hoppe struck out and Neto flied out to center.

The Angels’ bullpen preserved the lead. Mitch Farris pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out two. Chase Silseth retired two batters, striking out one. Ryan Zeferjahn pitched the ninth, allowing one hit but striking out three.

St. Louis’s bullpen also performed well. Scott Blewett pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. Matt Svanson pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Cardinals finished with seven hits. Burleson had three singles. Herrera, Jordan, Torres and Walker each had one hit. For the Angels, Adell went 2 for 4 with the home run and two RBIs. Siri went 2 for 4 with a double. Neto had two singles, and Soler drove in two runs with his double.

The game lasted 2 hours, 31 minutes in front of an announced crowd of 33,151.

St. Louis’s previous game was a 3-2 loss to the Angels on Monday. The Cardinals have lost two straight after winning three of four against Arizona. Los Angeles has won two straight after beating the Tigers on Sunday.

The Angels’ five-run first inning was the most important part of the game. The rally featured four hits, a walk and a home run, and it chased Liberatore out of his rhythm. The Cardinals never recovered despite solid relief work.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of St. Louis Cardinals 4, Los Angeles Angels 3. Interstatl’s ELO system had projected St. Louis with a 57.80 percent probability to win. St. Louis had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 6 went over the over/under line of 8.5.