Angels Start Gets First MLB Win After Coaching Staff Purge

The Los Angeles Angels beat the Texas Rangers last night, 5-2, and starter George Klassen got the win. Those are the bare-bones facts of this particular story, but there’s a much deeper narrative that reveals plenty of hard work and resilience for the right-hander. 

This sort of thing is part and parcel for being a young Angels pitcher, and the Halos are trying change that. Klassen had some bright moments in spring training, but part of the coaching staff that helped him show out was eliminated this week as the Angels fired pitching coach Mike Maddux along with bullpen coach Dom Chiti and assistant pitching coach Dylan Scott. 

Klassen went six innings and gave up just two runs on five hits, and he was treated to a beer shower by his teammates, according to a post-game report from Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. It was quite a turnaround performance given that Klassen’s previous best was four innings and an ERA of 7.27 in 8-2/3 innings. 

“I felt pretty good,” said Klassen. “I definitely battled some things in the beginning of the game, but made some changes midway through and just kept on grinding. It was awesome. Couldn't do it without Moisés [Ballesteros] calling the game, the defense behind me and the bats swinging it. It was just overall a good team win.”

Klassen’s numbers included a four-seamer that averaged 96 mph, while his slider and changeup also got 11 swings-and-misses, according to Statcast. Manager Kurt Suzuki praised the effort, and he emphasized Klassen attacking hitters and getting ahead. 

“I thought he was really, really great,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “He attacked with first-pitch strikes [17-for-24], and we are trying to emphasize that. Getting ahead with his stuff, competing with his best stuff, attacking with what his strengths are.”

Klassen did give up a third inning home run to Corey Seager, and Texas manager broke down his start from across the diamond. 

“He had good stuff,” said Rangers manager Skip Schumaker. “He’s 97 [mph] at the top of the zone. The changeup gave us trouble to the lefties, and the slider was really effective against our righties. He was able to go east-west with his offspeed, and obviously the fastball at the top. But I thought his offspeed played really well against us, and couldn’t lay off that slider with some of our righties.”

Klassen’s big step up has been about improving his command at Triple-A Salt Lake, according to Bollinger, who cited number like a  2.44 ERA, 50 strikeouts and 20 walks over his last 50-1/3 innings. Klassen went four innings against the Miami Marlins last weekend, but he did walk four. 

The right-hander also worked on his changeup while he was at Salt Lake, as his success is all about changing speeds to get hitters off balance. 

“It’s definitely about getting the changeup where I want it to be,” Klassen said. “I needed that to get the hitter's timing off.”

He’ll now get an extended look with starter Yusei Kikuchi on the way back, and Klassen and Ryan Johnson both have a chance to earn rotation spots going foward.