The Los Angeles Angels are losing a lot of games recently and the bullpen is largely to blame, but its ace right-hander gets the ball to try and even the series against the Chicago White Sox.
The Los Angeles Angels are in a losing spell after dropping eight of its last nine games and the series opener to the Chicago White Sox late Monday night.
The Angels were in complete control of this one in the early going, which started three hours late due to a rain delay. Los Angeles scored once in the first inning, twice in the second and once in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead before the White Sox scratched a run across the board in the fifth.
A Jorge Soler solo home run in the seventh made it a 5-1 ballgame, and with how right-hander Jack Kochanowicz was throwing the ball through six innings, it seemed like the Angels would run away with this one.
Unfortunately, the story of the season has been the bullpen letting down the starting rotation and offense, which continued into this one. Chicago scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh, with one being charged to Kochanowicz (and one unearned), three to Nick Sandlin (in seven pitches) and two to left-hander Drew Pomeranz.
Pomeranz gave up a go-ahead three-run home run to Major League Baseball’s home run leader, Munetaka Murakami, and a homer to Miguel Vargas the next at-bat. The Angels tried to claw back with two runs in the ninth, but the White Sox held on to win this one 8-7.
When asked if he was concerned about Pomeranz, manager Kurt Suzuki hesitated but admitted he was after allowing three homers during his last two outings.
“Um…I mean – yeah,” Suzuki addressed the media following the game. “He gave up the homer yesterday and the homer today; we just have to see what’s going on and figure out the solution and take care of it.”
While some may be unhappy with Suzuki’s tenure as manager, it’s hard to blame him for the bullpen’s blunders. The Angels’ 4.64 bullpen ERA is sixth-worst in MLB.
The good news for the Angels is that it’s José Soriano day, and the team’s last two wins came during his starts. Soriano will take on Chicago’s best starter thus far, right-hander Davis Martin.
Soriano has been on an unreal run to begin the season, going 5-0 with a microscopic 0.24 ERA and 0.82 WHIP through six starts (37.2 innings). The Angels have won every game that Soriano has pitched in, and it’s no surprise why. Soriano has allowed just one run on a solo home run hit by Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin earlier this month and has absolutely dominated hitters this season.
Soriano is the early frontrunner for American League Cy Young and if he keeps this up, he may dethrone the back-to-back winner, Detroit Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal. He leads MLB with 2.7 WAR.
Martin has been an incredible bright spot for the White Sox, going 3-1 with a 2.01 ERA and 1.02 WHIP through five starts (31.1 innings). He has allowed no more than three runs in all of his starts and has pitched into the seventh inning his last three times out.
Martin struck out seven and walked one against the Arizona Diamondbacks across 6.1 innings during his last outing, allowing one run on six hits. The Angels offense, which has been quite solid, may have its hands full in this matchup. But hey, so will the White Sox’s offense against Soriano.
First pitch is at 4:40 p.m. PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.