Cleveland takes the series with 3-2 win
Top 1st, 1-0 Cleveland: The Indians struck first with a two-out rally in the first. José Ramírez hit an infield single, stole second, then scored on an RBI double that Franmil Reyes grounded just inside the bag at third. Ohtani’s pitch velocities, especially with his fastball, were slower than usual for most of the inning, but he touched 93.7 and 93.8 mph with his final two fastballs of the frame.
Mid 3rd, 1-0 Cleveland: Shohei Ohtani’s fastball velocity remains down, but it hasn’t prevented him from getting outs. He has retired seven of his last eight batters, and has four strikeouts on the night. He’s at 47 pitches through three innings.
Bottom 3rd, tied 1-1: In his return to the lineup, David Fletcher got a triple (perhaps helped out by a misread from Josh Naylor in right) then scored on José Iglesias’ RBI double. Shohei Ohtani recorded the last out on a lineout to center, despite hitting the ball 110.1 mph.
Bottom 4th, 2-1 Angels: Jared Walsh gave the Angels their first lead of the night with a solo home run to right. The ball just barely cleared the yellow line halfway up the outfield wall. It was Walsh’s eighth of the season.
Top 5th, tied 2-2: After the Indians tied the game on a Jake Bauers solo home run, Shohei Ohtani got two outs in the fifth before Angels manager Joe Maddon decided to turn to the bullpen. Ohtani will stay in the game, however, moving to right field with his spot in the batting order due up fourth in the next inning.
Top 6th, 3-2 Cleveland: Shohei Ohtani returned to right field after his spot in the order did not come up in the fifth. Meanwhile, the Indians retook the lead after José Ramírez drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a grounder, stole third and scored on a Josh Naylor single that grazed off relief pitcher Tony Watson.
Bottom 6th, 3-2 Cleveland: After playing in right field the previous two innings, Shohei Ohtani did get his third and final. He reached base too, bunting against the shift, but was thrown out trying to steal second. Ohtani’s night is officially over, with Juan Lagares entering the game.
Top 7th, 3-2 Cleveland: Justin Upton kept the Angels within one with a stellar defensive play, throwing out Amed Rosario at the plate after catching a fly ball in left.
Final, Cleveland wins 3-2: The Angels failed to mount a rally, going down in four at-bats or less in each of the final five innings to fall to 18-24 on the season.
Shohei Ohtani to play both ways Wednesday; David Fletcher returns from injury
Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani will hit and pitch when he makes his sixth start on the mound this season in the Angels’ rubber match on Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians.
It will be Ohtani’s fourth time playing both ways in the same game this season.
Ohtani enters the game as MLB’s home run leader after hitting his 14th of the season on Tuesday. As a pitcher, the right-hander also has a 2.10 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings. While he has issued 20 walks, his .126 opponent batting average is the lowest in the majors among pitchers with 25 innings.
Ohtani was originally lined up to pitch in Tuesday’s game, but had his start pushed back a day after Angels manager Joe Maddon sensed fatigue in the 26-year-old following his previous start last week.
While that outing was his best of the season — a seven-inning, one-run, 10-strikeout gem against the Houston Astros — Ohtani acknowledged his body felt heavy and a little sluggish.
Whatever the case, Ohtani has caught fire offensively since the Angels’ off-day last Thursday. In his past five games, he has gone seven-for-19 with four home runs, seven RBI, a double and four walks (one was intentional).
In other roster news Wednesday: David Fletcher will be back in the lineup after missing the past three games with a hip issue ... Starting pitcher Alex Cobb (blister) is expected to come off the injured list tomorrow to start the first game of the Angels’ double-header against the Minnesota Twins. Griffin Canning will go in the second game ... Maddon said relievers Chris Rodriguez (shoulder inflammation) and Junior Guerra (groin strain) continue to progress, but he didn’t yet have a targeted return date for either ... Reliever Jaime Barria was optioned after pitching four innings Tuesday night. The Angels selected the contract of left-hander Dillon Peters in a corresponding move.
Final: Cleveland wins 6-5
Top 1st, 5-0 Cleveland: In the wake of Tuesday’s news that Mike Trout is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks with a right calf strain, Angels manager Joe Maddon pitching and defense will become all the more important for the team.
To that end, Tuesday’s first inning wasn’t very encouraging. Cleveland scored five runs on four hits (including a two-run home run and double), one walk, a passed ball and a two-part defensive blunder from second baseman Phil Gosselin, who booted a grounder that allowed one run to score then casually retrieved and threw to second base as another crossed the plate.
Bottom 1st, 5-1 Cleveland: Shohei Ohtani got the Angels on the board with his MLB-leading 14th home run of the season, a 440-foot blast to center that left the bat at 111.9 mph. It’s Ohtani’s fourth home run in the last five games.
Top 4th, 5-1 Cleveland: Andrew Heaney’s start didn’t last long Tuesday night. While he didn’t give up any more runs after the first, he did yield a pair of singles in the second and a leadoff walk in the fourth. After the latter, Angels manager Joe Maddon turned to the bullpen. He summoned Jaime Barria, who retired the next three batters.
Bottom 4th, 5-4 Cleveland: Shohei Ohtani didn’t hit a home run this time. But he did provide the Angels with a spark again. Ohtani singled to lead off the inning. Anthony Rendon followed with his own base hit. Then Justin Upton went yard, driving a three-run home run to right-center to make it a one-run game. It was Upton’s eighth home run of the year.
Bottom 5th, 5-4 Cleveland: After Jose Rojas doubled to lead off the fifth, the Angels had the tying run in scoring position. With two outs, and in a 3-0 count, Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked too. But the Angels couldn’t take advantage, as Anthony Rendon flied out to end the inning.
Bottom 7th, tied 5-5: Once down 5-0, the Angels have come all the way back to tie the game, pulling even on a solo home run from José Iglesias to lead off the seventh. A key: Jaime Barria’s four scoreless innings out of the bullpen. The right-hander gave up a lot of solid contact and struck out only one batter, but he also only issue one walk and benefitted from some sharp defense.
Top 8th, 6-5 Cleveland: With two outs in the eighth, Josh Naylor hit a high fly ball to right that just cleared the fence to put Cleveland back in front.
Final, 6-5 Cleveland: The Angels couldn’t rally again. After going down in order in the eighth (an inning that included a couple questionable third strike calls), they stranded a two-out walk from José Iglesias in the ninth. The Angels fall to 18-23 on the season.
Mike Trout placed on injured list with right calf strain; expected to miss 6-8 weeks
Angels star center fielder Mike Trout is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a right calf strain he suffered Monday night, dealing a major blow to a team that has already dealt with several key injuries in the season’s opening two months.
“I’m really crushed about it,” Trout said.
This is the first time since 2018 that Trout has gone on the injured list, and will likely be only the second full season in his career he will miss more than 30 games (he played 114 games in 2017 after suffering a torn ligament in his thumb).
In 36 games this season, the three-time MVP was hitting .333 and leading the majors in on-base-percentage (.466) and OPS (1.090). He also had eight home runs and 18 RBIs.
Betting lines and odds for Angels vs. Cleveland on Tuesday
The Angels look for three wins in a row on Tuesday against a Cleveland squad they’ve beaten that last four times when Andrew Heaney has started.
Six of Heaney’s seven starts have gone over the total this season. Even though he’s posting 12.25 strikeouts per nine innings, he has allowed six home runs in his past three starts, resulting in a 1-3 record with a 4.75 ERA.
The Indians give Zac Plesac the start, who has been great when he has not faced the Chicago White Sox, going at least six innings with 1.77 ERA in five starts.
The Angels rank last in team ERA and 27th in bullpen ERA. The Indians have the MLB’s best bullpen ERA, though the Indians have lost four straight while allowing seven runs in three of those losses.
The Angels are hitting .265 against right-handed pitching, which is the top mark for any team in the league and the over is 12-6 in their home games, the highest percentage of overs at home for any American League team.
VSiN, the Sports Betting Network, offers more expert sports betting content in a free daily email at VSiN.com/email.
Shohei Ohtani’s homer excites, but Mike Trout suffers injury in Angels’ win over Indians
There were conflicting emotions at Angel Stadium on Monday night.
After the first inning of the Angels’ series-opener against the Cleveland Indians, star center fielder Mike Trout was forced to exit the game with a right calf strain that he seemed to sustain while running the bases.
Minutes later, Shohei Ohtani took the major league lead with his 13th home run of the season.
Ohtani’s blast, a three-run shot to right field in the second inning, instantly electrified the partial-capacity crowd. It left the bat at 105.9 mph. It traveled a projected 431 feet.
And perhaps most impressively, it came on a 1-and-2 fastball that was about half a foot above the strike zone, Ohtani’s arms almost parallel to the ground as he made contact.
It was the two-way star’s third home run in the last four games and also raised his RBI total to 32, a team high and tied for fourth most in the majors. In only his 38 games as a batter this season, Ohtani has already almost doubled his home run total from 2020, when he hit just seven in 44 games.
Trout’s injury, however, created more future concern.
Mike Trout exits game with right calf strain
Mike Trout left Monday’s game with a right calf strain that he seemed to sustain while running the bases.
When he returned to the dugout, he was met by a trainer and proceeded back to the clubhouse.
With Trout out of the game, left fielder Juan Lagares moved to center and Jose Rojas entered the game in left.
Despite a recent one-for-19 slump, Trout still entered Monday leading the majors in on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.090). He also had eight home runs and 18 RBIs.
Final: Shohei Ohtani moves atop MLB’s home run leaderboard, Angels win 7-4
Live updates from Monday’s game:
1-0 Cleveland, top 1st: Patrick Sandoval’s first start of the season got off to a rocky start. His opening pitch of the night was a fastball over the plate. César Hernández sent it out of the park.
The left-hander also walked his next batter, but then escaped the inning without any further damage. The good news? He only threw 12 pitches, a key quick inning on a night he is expected to be limited to about 60-65 pitches total.
Tied 1-1, bottom 1st: The Angels quickly got back on level terms in the bottom of the first. Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout both drew walks, then advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Anthony Rendon tied the game with an RBI groundout.
6-1 Angels, bottom 2nd: The Angels had already taken the lead when Shohei Ohtani came to the plate in the bottom of the second, courtesy of a two-run double by Juan Lagares earlier in the inning. The two-way star simply busted the game open.
In a 1-and-2 count, Cleveland starter Sam Hentges threw a fastball close to a foot above the strike zone. Ohtani barreled it up anyway, launching a three-run home run into the right field seats. It was Ohtani’s 13th home run of the season, giving him sole possession of the major-league lead. It also raised his RBI total to 32, tied for fourth.
6-2 Angels, end 3rd: Cleveland got one run back in the third on an RBI single from José Ramírez, but Patrick Sandoval continues to pitch efficiently. He has only thrown 44 pitches through three innings.
6-2 Angels, mid 5th: Patrick Sandoval was able to work into the fifth inning in his first start of the season, but was removed after yielding back-to-back singles to begin the frame. Tony Watson stranded both base runners by striking out all three batters he faced. Sandoval’s final line: four innings, two runs, six hits, one walk, two strikeouts.
6-3 Angels, mid 6th: New Angels reliever Hunter Strickland entered the game to begin the sixth, but gave up a home run to Franmil Reyes in his first at-bat. The 452-foot blast makes it a three-run game.
Steve Cishek entered later in the inning and escaped a jam, stranding runners at second and third by getting René Rivera to pop out and end the inning.
6-3 Angels, mid 7th: Alex Claudio got the first two outs in the seventh (he also yielded a single) before Mike Mayers came in to get the third. The Angels still lead by three at the seventh-inning stretch.
7-3 Angels, end 7th: The Angels added onto their lead thanks to a Jared Walsh RBI double, but it could have been more. They had runners at second and third with no outs, only have three straight batters hit into unproductive groundouts.
7-4 Angels, mid 8th: Mike Mayers returned for the eighth inning and gave up a solo home run to Harold Ramirez. However, the right-hander didn’t allow anyone else to reach base in the inning.
Angels win 7-4: Juan Lagares had to exit the game to begin the ninth after running into the wall hard an inning earlier, but the Angels hold on to win nonetheless. Closer Raisel Iglesias picked up his seventh save and the Angels improved to 18-22.
Joe Maddon rolls out “American Legion week” as Angels begin a busy homestand
The Angels’ flight home from Boston on Sunday night took six hours. They landed after midnight. And, despite a winning ninth-inning comeback in their series finale against the Red Sox, manager Joe Maddon sensed his team needed a pick-me-up as they began a stretch of eight games (including a double-header on Thursday) in seven days.
So, he decided to bring back one of his favorite annual traditions a little earlier than usual.
Happy American Legion week.
The idea, as Maddon explained Monday with an American Legion flag in the background of his video conference with reporters, is “a tribute to our former selves, who would have a summer job, get up early, work all day … and then you play at 5 o’clock.
“You definitely didn’t take BP. You didn’t take ground balls. You didn’t stretch. You went out and played a game of baseball because you love to. I really like to get the guys reconnected with that, conceptually. I want them to come later. I want them to conserve their energy. That’s a big part of it: Just come out and play the game. Don’t overthink it.”
American Legion week has been a staple of Maddon’s past teams in Chicago and Tampa Bay. Typically, it’s something he waits until August to roll out, when the grind of a 162-game season really starts to take hold.
“But,” Maddon said, “coming off this trip we just had and having eight games in seven days, I felt it might be kind of interesting and fun to get it done now.”
In previous years, Maddon has used the week to encourage his players to streamline their behind-the-scenes work and focus on the bare essentials during their pregame routines.
“The method is becoming so involved to get ready to play a game of baseball,” Maddon said. “Sometimes, I think it gets a little bit overdone. I prefer simple methods over complex or complicated ones. I want the guys to come out there fresh every night, go play hard and see what happens. I really am anticipating a good surge of energy.”
The “American Legion” element is a nod to Maddon’s youth days, playing in American Legion leagues: “That’s some of the best times I’ve ever had playing baseball amateur-wise growing up.”
And Maddon said his major-league teams “have had a very good record” whenever he breaks the custom out (the Angels did a partial version of American Legion week last August, though the urgency of a 60-game season meant they could only cut back their work so much).
This year, “I pulled it out of the bag a little bit sooner,” Maddon said. “The pandemic doesn’t allow us to do anything, so at least we can pull out the American Legion week a little bit earlier.”
David Fletcher (hip) progressing; Juan Lagares gets start as Justin Upton sits
Second baseman David Fletcher was out of the Angels lineup for a second-straight day Monday with a hip injury. Angels manager Joe Maddon said he doesn’t know how soon Fletcher might return, but was told by the team’s training staff that likely won’t require an injured list stint.
Left fielder Justin Upton was also on the bench for a second-straight day, but for a different reason. After giving Upton an off day on Sunday amid recent struggles at the plate, Maddon opted to put Juan Lagares in left field on Monday.
Maddon said the move was simply to get Lagares, who hadn’t played since last Wednesday and has only made 22 plate appearances this season, some needed game action — not because of Upton’s performance this season.
“J-Up will be back out there tomorrow,” Maddon said. “I’ve already spoken to him about it. There’s nothing punitive going on. It’s about everybody … If we’re going to ask Juan to do some things, we definitely got to get him out on the field and get some at-bats and play some defense too.”
Albert Pujols is an established baseball great, but if he was willing to be a bench player for the Angels, why is he now playing for the Dodgers?
Still, Maddon acknowledged Upton is working through some things behind the scenes. Though Upton has seven home runs this season, he is only batting .195 with a .668 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.
“He’s in the cage all the time, he’s with the coaches all the time, constantly working,” Maddon said. “I’m just saying, he’s off a click. He feels really good about the work he’s done recently. So I do believe you’re going to see a very hot J-Up in the very near future.”
In other roster news: Maddon said Chris Rodriguez (shoulder inflammation) has not yet resumed pitching, but did throw from 100-feet recently without issue ... Max Stassi (concussion) had his “best day ... in a bit” on Sunday, according to Maddon, but it’s still unclear when the catcher will return.
Albert Pujols disputes claims he didn’t want to be a bench player, but says there’s “no hard feelings” with Angels
MLB veteran Albert Pujols talks to the media for the first time since signing a contract with the Dodgers.
While the Angels returned home Monday to open a 10-game homestand, their former first baseman was formally introduced by his new team across town.
On Monday afternoon, the Dodgers made their signing of Albert Pujols official. And during a video conference with reporters, his awkward departure from the Angels earlier this month remained a major topic of discussion.
“The organization made a decision, they were moving in a different direction, and I understand that,” Pujols said. “No problem, no hard feelings at all. It happens. It’s business. That was it. I’m just glad I got another opportunity to wear this Dodgers uniform.”
Pujols did acknowledge, “I was shocked, like everybody,” at the Angels’ decision to release him in the final season of a 10-year, $240 million contract.
He also insisted that he never demanded an every-day role with the Angels — disputing comments made by Angels manager Joe Maddon and club president John Carpino that Pujols didn’t want to be a bench player.
When diving deep into statistical analytics, Albert Pujols should have been having more success with the Angels. Will the Dodgers have more luck with him?
“My goal over the last two years was never to be an every day first baseman,” said Pujols, who had played in 24 of the Angels’ first 28 games because of injuries on the roster, but was released by the team, according to general manager Perry Minasian, in part to allow Jared Walsh to become the Angels’ primary first baseman.
“I told you guys in spring training, whatever role they have for me, I’m gonna go with ... I think there were a lot of things said out there, that, ‘he wanted more playing time, that he wanted to play every day.’ That never came out of my mouth. You guys asked me that question over and over, so many times, and I always told you, however the team needs me, I’m here for that. Whether it’s mentoring the young guys, whether it’s getting my at-bats out there.
“Listen, I had 80 at-bats this year. I never thought so early in April I’d have that many at-bats. I was excited with the playing time I got there. But I also understand they wanted to move in a different direction, and I respect that. I was in the organization for 9 ½ years, and there’s no hard feelings at all.”
Read more from Jorge Castillo on Pujols’ Dodgers introduction>>>
Betting lines and odds for Angels vs. Cleveland on Monday
The Angels start a three-game home series Monday against the Cleveland Indians, who are coming in after losing three games in Seattle.
The Angels (17-22) have their own problems, though they snapped a four-game losing streak with Sunday’s 6-5 win in Boston. They’re 6½ games behind the AL West-leading Athletics and in need of a winning series. Oddsmakers have made the Angels -150 favorites to win at least two games in this three-game set.
As for Monday’s game, the Angels are -140 favorites with Patrick Sandoval (0-0, 6.14 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) making his first start of the season after three appearances out of the bullpen. He is expected to be on a pitch count, so the Angels will also be relying on the bullpen, which is a little scary as it had a 5.05 ERA over the weekend. It used seven relievers in Sunday’s win.
Cleveland is having a surprisingly good season at 21-17 despite its recent losing streak. They’re second behind the White Sox in the AL Central and are in the wild-card hunt. They counter with lefty Sam Hentges (1-0, 3.29 ERA, 1.76 WHIP), making his second career start. He walked four Cubs in his first start, but pitched around them for 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under at 9 runs and shaded to the Over at around -125 instead of the standard -110.
VSiN, the Sports Betting Network, offers more expert sports betting content in a free daily email at VSiN.com/email.