Offense stays hot, Mayers and Watson struggle again, and others observations from the Angels 9-8 win over the Rangers
The Angels once led the Texas Rangers by as many as eight runs on Wednesday. Entering the eighth, they were up by six.
Then, they almost blew it, surrendering five runs in the eighth before closer Raisel Iglesias rescued a victory with a four-out save.
In the end, their 9-8 triumph was much closer than it should have been. But for a team that entered the day six games under .500 and was looking for only its second three-game winning streak of the season, any kind of win will do for now.
“Regardless of how we won it, we won it,” said Angels manager Joe Maddon, who earned the 1,300th victory of his managerial career. “There’s times more recently where we took that game and lost it. So I gotta see that as being a positive.”
Here are three observations from Wednesday afternoon:
Offense, Canning help build early lead: It didn’t take long for the Angels (22-27) to pull ahead. After starter Griffin Canning stranded a leadoff single with three strikeouts in the top of the first, the lineup plated five early runs in the bottom of the inning.
Justin Upton opening the scoring with his second leadoff home run in as many days. Then with two outs, Jared Walsh drew a walk, Juan Lagares and Jose Rojas hit back-to-back singles (Rojas’ drove in a run), and Taylor Ward launched a three-run blast to left.
It was the start of a three-hit, five-RBI day for Ward, who drove in two more runs during the Angels’ four-run fifth inning and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
Lagares and Rojas also had multiple hits. And the only Angels starter who didn’t get at least one, catcher Drew Butera, contributed a sac bunt.
For the first time this season, the Angels have scored six or more runs in three consecutive games.
“It’s really fun to get the lineup going like we’re doing,” Ward said. “We have a lot of great hitters on this team. I wouldn’t be surprised if we could continue to do that.”
Canning, meanwhile, finished his six-inning start with three runs, two walks and seven strikeouts.
The Rangers (22-29) were able to consistently make hard contact, but it only translated into four hits. Canning also found success with his curveball, mixing it in more often and getting a whiff or called strike 39% of the time.
Canning now has a 3.60 ERA in the month of May (and a 5.40 mark for the season) and has pitched at least five innings and yielded three runs or fewer in four of his last five starts.
“Most guys will say the same thing: Being consistent is the hardest thing,” Canning said. “I think that’s what separates the really good pitchers ... I’m working on that, just trying to be as much of the same guy each start.”
Watson, Mayers struggle again: Maddon has made it clear he thinks the best version of the Angels is one with relievers Tony Watson and Mike Mayers succeeding in crucial innings.
On Wednesday, they did not.
Each pitcher recorded only one out in the eight inning, combining to give up five runs and allow the Rangers to storm back into the game.
Watson was tagged with the first four runs, giving up a two-run homer to Joey Gallo and back-to-back singles in the next two at-bats.
Mayers couldn’t bail him out, surrendering a pair of doubles that allowed both inherited runners to score as well as another that was charged to himself.
It was a continuation of recent struggled for both pitchers.
After giving up only one run in his first 11 appearances this season, Watson has not been charged with seven earned runs in his past 5 1/3 innings.
Mayers, meanwhile, has seen his ERA rise from 2.51 on May 2 to 5.48 following Wednesday. He’s given up at least one run in three of his last four outings.
“Those guys are really big in our bullpen,” Maddon said. “We cannot get where we want to be without them. They have to pitch.
“They’ll be back out there. I’m certain there are better moments ahead. I have a lot of faith in these guys. I do. I know we haven’t pitched to the level we’re capable of, but you’ve just gotta keep trying to put them on the right guys.”
Iglesias saves the day: One reliever who has been pitching well of late is Iglesias, who converted his sixth straight save opportunity Wednesday in dominant fashion.
After stranding the potential tying run at second base in the eighth inning, Iglesias worked around a leadoff infield single in the ninth with three straight strikeouts to end the game.
Iglesias’ ERA dropped to 4.82, dipping below 5.00 for the first time since opening day.
So far in May, he has given up just four runs with 14 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings.
“Iglesias picked everybody up,” Maddon said, adding: “Hopefully we’re going to garner some momentum from just winning and getting a better feel about ourselves because of that.”
Angels announce Mickey Callaway has been terminated
The Angels announced Wednesday they are “ending Mickey Callaway’s employment” with the club effective immediately after the pitching coach was placed on the ineligible list by Major League Baseball following an investigation into sexual harassment claims against him.
The league said Callaway, who had been suspended since February, will remain on the ineligible list through at least the end of the 2022 season.
Mickey Callaway placed on MLB’s ineligible list following sexual harassment investigation by MLB
Major League Baseball announced Wednesday that suspended Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway has been placed on the league’s ineligible list through at least 2022.
Callaway had been under investigation by the league since February, when he was suspended following a report by The Athletic in which he was accused of making inappropriate advances toward at least five women in the sports media industry over the course of about five years, when he worked for the Angels, the New York Mets and Cleveland Indians.
In a statement, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said: “My office has completed its investigation into allegations of sexual harassment by Mickey Callaway. Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Callaway violated MLB’s policies, and that placement on the Ineligible List is warranted.”
Callaway, 46, was accused of sending the women, who spoke to the Athletic on the condition of anonymity, unsolicited electronic messages containing comments on their appearance and shirtless photos of himself. One of the women accused him of requesting nude photos in return. Another said he offered to provide her with information about the Mets if she met him for drinks. The story also described an in-person incident when Callaway allegedly thrusted his crotch in one of the women’s faces.
All of the accusers described feeling uncomfortable with the interactions, especially given the power imbalance between Callaway and themselves.
Callaway denied the accusations.
In Callaway’s absence, former bullpen coach Matt Wise was tabbed as the Angels’ interim pitching coach and has served in the role throughout the season.
Here is MLB’s full release:
Chris Rodriguez and Max Stassi headed for rehab assignment; José Iglesias out of Wednesday’s lineup
Angels right-hander Chris Rodriguez and catcher Max Stassi are going to have rehab assignments with Triple-A Salt Lake before they return to the MLB roster.
Rodriguez, a rookie reliever who had a 2.30 ERA in his first eight games this season, has been on the injured list since May 6 with right shoulder inflammation.
Stassi has been out since May 14 with a concussion, his second IL stint this season. After starting on opening day, he’s had just 29 at-bats this season.
There is no set MLB return date for either player yet. Rodriguez is expected to throw for Salt Lake on Friday.
In other injury news: Shortstop José Iglesias wasn’t in the Angels’ starting lineup on Wednesday because of a hamstring issue he sustained during Tuesday’s win. He is considered day-to-day.
Here’s the full lineup:
Angels didn’t need Jo Adell’s bat in rout over Rangers
Highlights from the Angels’ win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.
An ear-piercing crack of the bat sent another Jo Adell drive deep into the Las Vegas night and left Russ Langer, the longtime radio voice of the triple-A Aviators, a bit confused.
“There is the 10th home run of the year by Jo Adell,” Langer said as Monday’s blast cleared the left-field wall at Las Vegas Ballpark and landed on the roof of the Golden Knights’ practice facility, “and what he’s still doing playing for the Salt Lake Bees, I don’t have any idea.”
Nor do plenty of Angels fans who wonder why the hot-hitting outfield prospect remains at triple A while star center fielder Mike Trout is sidelined by a right-calf strain for two months and the team is stuck in last place.
Adell, 22, entered Tuesday with a .270 average, 1.063 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 10 homers — six in the last week — and 19 RBIs in 17 games.
But there are other numbers causing the Angels to proceed with caution: Adell had 27 strikeouts and six walks in 81 plate appearances through Monday, a reflection of his tendency to chase pitches outside the strike zone.
Shohei Ohtani’s next mound start moved to Thursday night
Shohei Ohtani will make his next start on the mound Thursday night at Oakland, the team announced, a day earlier than the two-way star was tentatively scheduled to pitch.
Ohtani gave up two earned runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking two in his previous start, a 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians last Wednesday.
The right-hander’s average fastball velocity was just 91.3 mph, a significant drop from his season average of 96.6 mph, and Ohtani said through his interpreter afterward that “my body was just feeling really heavy and sluggish.”
“Starters have ups and downs throughout the year from a velocity standpoint,” Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. “The thing that’s impressive about Shohei is that even with a little less velocity, he can still compete, he still has weapons.”
Ohtani threw a light bullpen session on Tuesday. Manager Joe Maddon said Ohtani is “feeling pretty good,” but added that the slugger, who did not start as the designated hitter in Sunday’s game against Oakland, could get a little more rest moving forward.
“Everyone is concerned about fatigue based on one game where he didn’t throw 100 mph,” Maddon said. “We’ll see what this next game looks like and how he feels, but we’ve already discussed with him the potential for giving him a little more time before and after [he pitches], based on how this looks. We talked earlier in the year about how, as the season progressed, we would be more aware of giving him some days off.”
Justin Upton to bat leadoff again for Angels vs. Rangers
Manager Joe Maddon will keep Justin Upton in the leadoff spot and Juan Lagares in the cleanup spot for Tuesday night’s game against the Texas Rangers in Angel Stadium after using the same alignment in Sunday’s 6-5 win over the Oakland Athletics.
Sunday marked the first career start in the leadoff spot for Upton, who had two singles and a game-winning sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, and the first career start in the cleanup spot for Lagares, who singled and scored in three at-bats.
Anthony Rendon will look to shake a two-week slump in which the third baseman has hit .167 (six for 36) with a .469 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, no extra-base hits and one RBI in 11 games since being activated off the injured list on May 14.
Not since the legendary Babe Ruth has a player dominated on the mound and at the plate like the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani.
Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney, who is looking for his first win since April 9 and has given up nine earned runs and 15 hits, including four homers, in 8 1/3 innings of his last two starts, will oppose Rangers lefty Hyeon-Jong Yang.
ANGELS LINEUP
LF: Justin Upton, DH Shohei Ohtani, 3B Anthony Rendon, CF Juan Lagares, SS Jose Iglesias, 1B Jared Walsh, RF Taylor Ward, C Kurt Suzuki, 2B David Fletcher, LHP Andrew Heaney.
RANGERS LINEUP
SS Isiah Kinter-Falefa, 2B Nick Solak, 1B Nate Lowe, CF Adolis Garcia, LF Willie Calhoun, DH Khris Davis, RF David Dahl, 3B Charlie Culberson, C Jose Trevino, LHP Hyeon-Jong Yang.
Betting lines and odds for Angels vs. Rangers on Tuesday
The Angels come into their series against the Texas Rangers with the worst ERA in MLB. They will look to Andrew Heaney to get things sorted out Tuesday.
Though Heaney’s 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings is on pace to be the best mark of his career, the team has lost each of his past five starts. His ERA has climbed to 5.31 after allowing at least four runs in three of those starts.
Former Korean Baseball Organization standout Hyeong-Jong Yang gets his third career start in the United States. In his first two, he gave up a combined three runs across innings against the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees, with the team going 1-1 in those starts while only giving him a combined three runs of support.
The Rangers are on a three game winning streak, taking three games from the Houston Astros.
The Angels have the top home over rate in the American League with 17 of their 25 home games having gone over. The Angels are also 4-10 on the run line and 5-9 straight up while covering just two of their six games on the run line against Texas.
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