PITTSBURGH — Some hitters just find success in certain ballparks. For Los Angeles Angels 36-year-old slugger Albert Pujols, one of those places is PNC Park.

Coming into Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Pujols had .377 with 29 home runs and 85 RBIs in the Pirates’ home on Pittsburgh’s North Side.

While more Pujols success wasn’t unexpected, career home run number 30 couldn’t have come at a better time, as he hit a two-run shot off Pirates reliever Tony Watson in the top of the eighth inning to lead the Angels to a 5-4 win.

“Albert, his numbers are pretty incredible in most places,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “I know he’s hit well in the past. He’s driving in runs for us. You never know how a game is going to turn out or what’s going to help you win a game, but you know there’s a good chance he’s going to be in the middle of it and he came up big today.”

Watson (1-2), the Pirates usually reliable set-up man, has hit a bit of a rough patch. He has now allowed seven runs in his last 2 1/3 innings.

“(The pitch to Pujols) was an up-and-in fastball,” Watson explained. “It was thrown well. He’s been around for a long time. He had one thing on his mind that at-bat, and that was to give his team the lead.”

Watson failed to protect the lead for Pirates starter Gerrit Cole, who allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings.

Deolis Guerra (1-0) struck out three over 1 2/3 innings of relief and picked up his first win with the Angels.

The Pirates loaded the bases in the ninth against closer Huston Street, but he was able to induce a game-ending double play from Sean Rodriguez.

“It was a first-pitch slider and I thought there was no chance we’d turn it,” Street said. “As soon as the ball was hit, I started thinking about what pitches I was going to throw to (Matt) Joyce. I really did. That was one of the quickest turns of my career.”

An ineffective outing from Los Angeles starting pitcher Hector Santiago opened the door for the Pirates’ offense. They took advantage of five walks and a hit batsman to take an early lead. Of the 90 pitches thrown by Santiago, just 55 of them were strikes.