Pitchers struggle again as Angels lose for seventh time in eight games - OCRegister

https://ift.tt/2VWImBB

Jose Suarez brought a glimmer of hope to the mound. After all, he had not yet thrown a single major league pitch in this dismal start to the Angels’ season, so perhaps he could at least be a part of what turned the team back in the right direction.

Four outs and 48 pitches later, Suarez was leaving the mound with the Angels once again in an early hole on their way to yet another disturbing defeat.

Suarez was charged with five runs in the Angels’ 10-5 loss to the Giants in San Francisco on Thursday.

• San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler gestures toward umpires as Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, left, stands at the plate during the seventh inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon, foreground, gestures while talking with umpire Lance Barrett during the seventh inning of a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Angels in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Sound

  The gallery will resume inseconds

• San Francisco Giants’ Alex Dickerson cannot catch a triple hit by Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout during the seventh inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, right, slides into third on his triple next to San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria during the seventh inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Jose Suarez against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Anthony Rendon #6 of the Los Angeles Angels hits an RBI single in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on August 20, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

• Matt Andriese #35 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts after he walked in a run in the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on August 20, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels catcher Max Stassi, left, is checked on by manager Joe Maddon, foreground right, and a trainer during the second inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani walks to the dugout after striking out against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• José Suarez #54 of the Los Angeles Angels pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Oracle Park on August 20, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Jose Suarez, right, pitches to San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• San Francisco Giants’ Kevin Gausman pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• San Francisco Giants’ Wilmer Flores, left, is congratulated by Austin Slater after hitting a two-run home run that scored Slater against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Albert Pujols eats while sitting above the field before a baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Angels in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Anthony Rendon, right, hits a run-scoring single in front of San Francisco Giants catcher Joey Bart during the first inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Anthony Bemboom, right, is congratulated by Luis Rengifo after hitting a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Mike Trout #27 and manager Joe Maddon of the Los Angeles Angels watch the game against the San Francisco Giants from the dugout at Oracle Park on August 20, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

• Wilmer Flores #41 of the San Francisco Giants hits a two-run home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Oracle Park on August 20, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani flips his bat after striking out against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Los Angeles Angels catcher Max Stassi, left, is checked on by manager Joe Maddon, foreground right, and a trainer during the second inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani bats against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout waits to bat against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Although his pitching sent the Angels to another loss, the most upsetting moment of the night for Manager Joe Maddon came in the seventh inning, when Shaun Anderson threw another pitch near Mike Trout’s head. Anderson had buzzed Trout twice on Tuesday in Anaheim.

Maddon angrily came out to talk to the umpires, who warned Anderson. Trout ended up tripling off the fence in the at-bat. Anderson would walk two hitters before leaving with the bases loaded.

Afterward, Maddon explained that his “antenna was up” because of Anderson’s presence in the game.

“This is the major leagues, there’s a level of accountability here,” Maddon said. “I don’t want to use the word irresponsible loosely, but in that situation, I pretty much know it’s going to happen again. I’m not accusing the guy of doing anything on purpose. I’m just saying he doesn’t command his fastball enough in order to know where it’s going.”

Besides Trout’s response to Anderson, the most positive news for the Angels was that Anthony Rendon had three more hits, improving to 18 for 37 (.486) during a 10-game hitting streak.

Otherwise, it went down as the Angels’ seventh loss in eight games, and in all eight of them they allowed at least six runs. It’s the longest such streak in franchise history. If not for Tommy La Stella’s two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth on Monday, they would have lost eight in a row.

The Angels are 8-18, continuing to have the worst start in the organization’s 60 seasons.

The Giants were 8-15 before taking three of four from the Angels in this home-and-home series. Now the Angels will continue their nine-game trip with three across the San Francisco Bay against the first-place Oakland A’s, followed by four against the second-place Houston Astros.

The team is hitting a low point no one could have imagined before this shortened 60-game season began. While few expected them to win the division, they seemed to be a team that could play .500 or better and compete for one of eight spots in the expanded playoffs.

Pitching, however, has scuttled those plans.

On Thursday night they turned to Suarez, a 22-year-old lefty who made his big league debut last year. His rookie season didn’t go well as he battled mechanical issues, and also suspicion that he was tipping his pitches.

With new pitching coach Mickey Callaway getting a crack at Suarez, there was hope that he could improve.

Suarez, however, missed the start of summer camp after a positive test for COVID-19, he said in Spanish after Thursday’s game. It took him a few weeks to work his way back to the big leagues, and his opportunity didn’t go well.

Suarez got ahead 0-and-2 to the first batter of the game, Austin Slater, but he got too much of the plate and Slater yanked the ball into left for a double. An out later, Suarez gave up a two-run homer to Wilmer Flores on a 2-2 fastball over the inside corner.

Suarez walked a batter and a hit batter, requiring 29 pitches to get out of the inning. In the second, he gave up hits to three of the first four batters he faced before he was pulled.

Suarez’s fastball averaged 93.3 mph and he hit 94.8 mph. Last year he averaged 91.7 mph, so that was encouraging to Suarez and Maddon.

“Just a classic example of a young pitcher with a great arm still learning his craft,” Maddon said. “He’s very impressive. As he gets more seasoning layered on top of him, he could be really good.”

Matt Andriese finished off the second and then Julio Teheran, whose demotion to the bullpen created the spot for Suarez, then entered for his first relief appearance since 2012.

Teheran pitched five innings and gave up four runs, extending himself to a season-high 78 pitches. Teheran hadn’t gotten past three innings or 60 pitches in any of his three starts.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

"lose" - Google News
August 21, 2020 at 12:43PM
https://ift.tt/34gksWd

Pitchers struggle again as Angels lose for seventh time in eight games - OCRegister
"lose" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3fa3ADu https://ift.tt/2VWImBB

Bagikan Berita Ini