I love pitch to contact pitchers. Give me a game full of dribblers and popups with defensive plays but not many strikeouts and I’m a happy guy. So I was looking forward to watching the crafty old professor Kyle Hendricks go against a guy who is a lot like a younger version of himself in Tomoyuki Sugano.
Unfortunately, for Hendricks the contact was quite hard. A solo homer in the first was followed by a 2 run, 30 pitch inning in the second and the Angels were in a 3-0 hole.
The contact off the Angels bats was quite week as Sugano did a good job of mixing his pitches, hitting his spots, and occasionally making a batter lose his helmet. He wasn’t overpowering, but he was efficient and effective.
Schanuel looked bad on that swing but he did make the best contact against Sugano early. He was robbed of a double down the first base line but a really nice defensive play, then later hit a ball to center that Cedric Mullins nabbed just inches from the ground.
That one earned run for Sugano came courtesy of the red hot Yoan Moncada. Dude is just killing it this week. No home run tonight. He legged out a triple in the 7th and scored on a Taylor Ward groundout.
Nolan’s night got worse in the bottom of the 8th when he was absolutely hosed on a call from the home plate umpire. A 3-0 pitch that should have loaded the bases with 2 outs was inexplicably called a strike. Ultimately a routine flyout to center ended an inning that should have seen Moncada come to the plate.
The limited ball/strike challenge system can’t get to MLB quickly enough. If it was here now, there is 100% certainty that call is challenged and corrected. The system has been in the minors now and works fine.
On a brighter note, Matthew Lugo got the birthday gift of a lifetime when he made his Major League debut.
Unfortunately, Lugo misplayed the first ball hit his way and that baserunner came back to hurt the Angels.
Travis d’Arnaud made a great play to keep the deficit at 3-1 in the top of the 9th. Luis Rengifo fielded a chopper with the infield in and threw to the first base side of home plate trying to nail the runner coming in from third base. Travis caught the ball, dove, spun, and managed to tag Rivera just before he touched home plate. Great defensive play.
Baltimore scored the run a hitter later to stretch the lead to 4-1. Of, with Kenley Jansen pitching in the 8th inning. Yes, Washington was managing like a playoff game and brought in Jansen with one out and a runner on second in the top of the 9th.
Felix Bautista closed the door in the 9th. Angels lose…again.
