Today we had Yusei Kikuchi versus Mark Burrows of the Astros. He didn’t stick around quite long enough to get the win. The team got the win.
Inning 1
Zach Neto and Mike Trout on a double and a single respectively. Nolan Schanuel drove in Neto on a fielder’s choice. 1-0 Angels.
Jorge Soler struck out.
In their half of the first, Jeremy Pena singled and stole second. He scored on a wild pitch by Kikuchi together with a throwing error by Logan O’Hoppe. Tough break. 1-1 tie.
Jose Altuve walked and Carlos Correa singled. Fortunately Cam Smith struck out to end the inning.
Inning 2
Yoan Moncada walked. Jo Adell singled to shallow right but Moncada only made it to second base. Josh Lowe homered to make it 4-1 Angels.
Logan O’Hoppe struck out. Oswald Peraza lined out to center. Zach Neto struck out.
Christian Walker quickly grounded out for Houston. Yainer Diaz grounded out to Zach Neto. Brice Matthews short hopped Josh Lowe for two bags, although one of the bags was initially ruled to be the result of an error on Lowe. About the beginning of the fourth inning the scorers changed this to a double with no error. Jeremy Pena singled to Oswald Peraza. It could have been worse. Yordan Alvarez then grounded out to Peraza to end the inning.
Inning 3
Mike Trout singled past Jeremy Pena. Nolan Schanuel singled on a liner to center. Jorge Soler flied out to left center and Mike Trout chose not to risk being thrown out at third. Yoan Moncada lined out to right. Jo Adell flied out to Jose Altuve. I guess you can’t score every inning.
Isaac Paredes lined out to center field. Jose Altuve smashed a one hopper to Zach Neto who threw him out. Carlos Correa knocked one off the glove of Neto for a single. Cam Smith flied out to shallow center to end the inning.
Inning 4
Josh Lowe doubled and Logan O’Hoppe struck out to put a man on second with one out. Oswald Peraza also struck out. Zach Neto grounded out. Oh well.
Christian Walker flied out to center field. Yainer Diaz hit one up the middle that took a crappy bounce off the second base bag for a single. He advance to second on a passed ball to Logan O’Hoppe. The defense was boom or bust today my friends. Brice Matthews struck out and Jeremy Pena flied out to right field.
Inning 5
Mike Trout led off once again. He homered! 5-1 Angels.
Nolan Schanuel walked on five pitches. Jorge Soler hit into a double play. Then Yoan Moncada struck out.
Yordan Alvarez homered to make it 5-2 Angels. Isaac Paredes popped out to third and Jose Altuve got an infield single to Zach Neto. Chase Silseth came in to replace Yusei Kikuchi on the mound. Carlos Correa lined out to center field. Cam Smith was batting while Jose Altuve stole second and reached third on a throwing error by Logan O’Hoppe. Smith line out to Schanue3l to end the fifth inning.
Inning 6
Jo Adell flied out to right field foul territory. Josh Lowe popped out to third. Logan O’Hoppe bounced one through to the right for a single. Roddery Munoz came in to face Oswald Peraza. Logan O’Hoppe advanced to second on a wild pitch. Peraza walked. Zach Neto grounded out to short.
Ryan Zeferjahn came in to pitch. Christian Walker flied out and Yainer Diaz grounded out. Brice Matthews struck out. Quick inning.
Inning 7
Mike Trout led off the inning yet again. This time he flied out to Cam Smith. His OPS is clear down to 2.445. Nolan Schanuel walked. Jorge Soler walked on four straight pitches. Yoan Moncada came up, whereupon the Astros brought in Steven Okert to pitch. Moncada grounded into a force out. Jo Adell struck out.
Jeremy Pena popped out to short. Yordan Alvarez flied out to right. Isaac Paredes struck out looking. Thank you Zeferjahn.
Inning 8
Mike Trout didn’t lead off this inning. Josh Lowe struck out. Logan O’Hoppe popped out to short. Oswald Peraza struck out swinging. I think this was the first inning all season that the Angels couldn’t muster up a base runner.
Sam Bachman came in to pitch the eighth. He struck out Jose Altuve. He walked Carlos Correa. He struck out Cam Smith. He walked Christian Walker. Ironic! He struck out Yainer Diaz.
Inning 9
Zach Neto contributed a homered to left center to make it 6-2 Angels. Mike Trout walked. Nolan Schanuel lined a single to center field. Jorge Soler struck out. Yoan Moncada hit a fly ball out to left field. Jo Adell also struck out. Oh well.
Jordan Romano came in to pitch the ninth inning. He was throwing the ball all over the freakin’ place but Joey Loperfido swung at them anyway and struck out. Jeremy Pena flied out to right. Yordan Alvarez struck out swinging. Game over.
Shufflebot may show up earlier than we had any right to expect tomorrow. As a warmup, Hugo Ball says “Get dancing.”
Cover Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
