You knew when Yusei Kikuchi threw over 30 pitches in the top of the first inning this was going to be a long game. Neither the Angels southpaw nor Logan Gilbert had any interest in pitch efficiency and the game turned into a LOBster fest on both sides.
Kikuchi escaped the jam in the first after allowing two. There was hope he could settle down. He did not.
But Vaughn Grissom hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first to punch in the red hot Zach Neto. Then Adam Frazier hurt his old team with an RBI single in the bottom of the second to tie the game.
That was the last time the Angels were really in the game. Everybody but Kurt Suzuki could tell Kikuchi simply did not have it tonight but he was left in long enough to cough up 3 runs in the top of the 5th. Josh Naylor is having a brutal year but he knocked in 3 runs on 2 hits through 5 innings.
To be fair to Kikuchi, Vaughn Grissom’s horrific defense set up that rally. What should have been a guaranteed out and likely double play turned into two bases when Grissom chucked the ball into center field. On the year he’s had his moments but I think it is clear Grissom is not part of the rebuild.
Down 5-2 the comeback seemed unlikely but the Angels kept getting men on base. Christian Moore stranded enough runners for a week and he consistently hit with two outs because Josh Lowe was in front of him.
The Angels stranded 14 runners on the night, prolonging the loss.
The highlight of the night was Denzer Guzman racking up 4 hits and scoring a run. Neto notched another 2 hits, scored a run, and took a walk but also collected K number 200. And Mo Baller added two hits and two walks. Baller is suddenly hitting well.
Final score 7-2 with a game time right about three and a half hours. That takes some doing in 9 innings nowadays.
