Go beyond the scoreboard
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NEW YORK — The Angels capped off their first East Coast trip with a 9-3 loss to the Yankees on Thursday afternoon to finish 2-5 on their swing through Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium.
Patrick Sandoval gave up five runs on three hits and three walks in the first inning to put the Angels in a hole they were unable to climb out of. Logan O’Hoppe drove in two of the Angels’ three runs but left the game in the ninth inning with a shoulder injury. (More on him shortly.)
The Angels return to Anaheim for a seven-game stretch against two of the worst teams in the American League in the Kansas City Royals and the Oakland A’s.
The Angels will need to capitalize on these next few games, because the schedule after the homestand and through the month of May has them squaring off against several projected playoff contenders, including the Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins.
For now, here are three takeaways from this completed trip.
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Logan O’Hoppe’s injury looms large
(Mary Altaffer / Associated Press)
O’Hoppe was pulled from Thursday’s game after feeling a pop in the back of his left shoulder on a swing in his final at-bat. O’Hoppe singled, but he appeared to be in pain and upset as he got to first base.
“The hardest part is you do everything the past year or so so this wouldn’t happen, but you hope it’s nothing too serious,†he said.
Neither the Angels nor O’Hoppe know the severity of his shoulder issue. O’Hoppe will see a doctor when the team returns home. Manager Phil Nevin said after the game that it was a similar feeling O’Hoppe had on a swing in Monday’s win against the Red Sox, though he stayed in the contest that day.
O’Hoppe’s shoulder trouble is concerning not only because he is their best catcher but also because the Angels don’t have many other options.
Max Stassi is dealing with a hip injury and a family issue. Matt Thaiss recently cost the Angels a win because of two catcher interference calls. After that, they have Chad Wallach, who was on the taxi squad for the games in New York.
New York native Logan O’Hoppe grew up as a Yankees fan, and now he’ll be able to play in a stadium that holds a special meaning to him and his family.
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Prospect Zach Neto settles in
(Frank Franklin II / Associated Press)
Zach Neto is batting .136 (three for 22), but he did hit two doubles in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Yankees and has settled in as the Angels’ shortstop.
His potential (he batted .444 with a .937 OPS in double A) and the fact that he’s been holding his own at shortstop is the key takeaway. The Angels’ options at the position, when they were handling it by committee, included: David Fletcher, who was sent to triple A and removed from the 40-man roster, Luis Rengifo and Gio Urshela.
Those three were not bad options at shortstop, but all three are noticeably stronger elsewhere in the infield.
The Angels tied the score late, but manager Phil Nevin was ejected late for arguing a Mike Trout strikeout during a 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Yankees in New York.
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Pitching problems persist
(Mary Altaffer / Associated Press)
The Angels, unlike many teams in MLB, have a six-man rotation. Or at least a sixth man who can slot in when needed in order to maintain Shohei Ohtani’s five days of rest between starts. Though all the starters have had a history of success, José Suarez perhaps is the one to pay attention as the season moves past the first month.
Suarez has not been able to pitch more than 4⅓ innings in his three starts this season. Though Nevin reiterated his confidence in Suarez being able to find what made him strong the second half of last season, he’s also said that he can’t continuously burn the bullpen and that his starters need to pitch longer.
It’s probably fair to say it’s still early in the season, and that Suarez (and Tyler Anderson — who is on three-year, $39-million contract) can find length and some success. The next week’s worth of games could be telling.
But time is running out to show improvement. The Angels’ other options to fill one spot in the rotation include Tucker Davidson, Chase Silseth (who is in triple A) and perhaps Jaime BarrÃa.
The food in the visitors’ clubhouse at Yankee Stadium is a favorite among players and coaches throughout MLB. They have chef Miguel Ramirez to thank.
