Pitching
https://www.mlb.com/gameday/823194/video/probable-pitchers-for-angels-at-giants-july-26-2026
Jose Soriano took the bump today and on the second pitch of the game to Luis Arraez, gave up a hard hit liner to left fielder Jose Siri, who quickly rifled the ball to second base to get the out. Good way to start the game defensively. Soriano threw a nasty 94-mph splitter low and away in the strike-zone to get the strikeout and out of the 3rd inning with runners on 1st and 2nd base. In the bottom of the 5th, with runners on 1st and 3rd and needing a double play to end the inning, Soriano induced a grounder with that same nasty splitter. Slightly different results. Arraez hit a grounder to Grissom, who threw over to Neto to get Cavanaghn out at second base, but Neto’s throw over to Schanuel couldn’t be scooped out of the dirt and Adames scored, 4-1 Angels. E-6, Neto’s 15th of the season. Angels defense taketh and giveth. Soriano’s night was done after 5 innings, giving up 3 hits, 3 walks, an earned run, and struck out 5 in 85 pitches. The Angels bullpen would need to pick up 12 outs to get Soriano his 9th win of the season. He did enough, even if pulled a bit early, to earn it.
Sam Natera Jr pitched the 6th and continued his recent relief dominance. The guy has been lights out the last 2 weeks and his numbers on the year prove he’s a reliever the Angels can rely on (https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/splits/_/id/5207461/samy-natera-jr).
Chase Silseth came in for the 7th. He’s a much better pitcher to start an inning than to come in with inherited runners. The 7th inning is Silseth’s best inning to pitch on the year and this game proved no different (https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/chase-silseth-681217?stats=splits-r-pitching-mlb&season=2026).
Ryan Zeferjahn, the Angels most reliable reliever on the year, was the set up man in the 8th inning. After giving up a leadoff single to Ramos, he struck out Eldridge and Devers before getting Scmitt to groundout. Zeferjahn has earned the set up man role out of the bullpen.
Sam, the Closer, Bachman? Looking for his third ever save, Bachman took the mound to close the game out. After walking the leadoff batter, Jesus Rodriquez, O’Hoppe visited Bachman to try to calm things down. It worked for a batter, as he got Adames to groundout. Despite the umpire giving Sam some strikes he didn’t throw, he still walked Cavanaugh on 6 pitches and was subsequently pulled for Mitch Farris. Susac lined one to Trout and Arraez came to bat, hitting a 2-run double to right field that Jo Adell couldn’t rob. 4-3 Giants. Farris had to earn his first ever save the really really hard way. He got Ramos on a strikeout looking. Thank you home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt and SF having no challenges twice when they needed it the most.
Carson Whisenhunt went opposite Soriano and you could tell why the Angels were -126 Vegas favorites to begin the game. 5 innings, 5 hits, 2 walks, 2 HRs, and 4 earned runs on 78 pitches.
Adrian Houser pitched a scoreless 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th inning to try to keep the Giants in the game.
Offense
Top of the 1st: Mike Trout hit a double to left field on a 2-2 84-mph changeup low in the strike zone, the classic Trout stroke we are all used to. Jorge Soler hustled to 1st base on a groundout to the shortstop to avoid the double play and get the RBI groundout. 1-0 Halos.
Top of the 4th: Jorge Soler rockets the first pitch of the AB, a four-seam fastball down the heart of the plate, to center for a 419′ solo HR. 2-0 Halos.
Jo Adell, not to be outdone, blasted an 81-mph changeup to center field with Nolan Schanuel on 1st for a 2-run HR. 4-0 Halos.
Top of the 7th: You have to get the runner home from 3rd base with no outs, end of story. Siri, O’Hoppe, and Neto all failed to do so, leaving Guzman stranded. Siri and Neto could not be bothered to run up the line on their groundouts. Guzman had done a job to get to 3rd and you just hope these are the things a young team learns to do to win.
Top of the 9th: Angels can’t get baserunners home from scoring position for the second straight game. Insurance runs are always nice.
The Bottom Line
Trout got his first 4 hit game in five years (since April 21, 2021). Soler and Adell power Angels offense with no doubt about it home runs.
Jose Soriano and the bullpen keep the SF batters at bay.
RoboUmps and full-time ABS might be here sooner than later.
Angels avoid the sweep in SF (last swept in SF in 2015, Giants have not swept an opponent all season), light up that Halo! Those 1961 LA Angels baseball caps never looked so good.
