CHICAGO -- In bounce-back fashion, the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Chicago White Sox, 1-0, to earn their first win of the season on Saturday afternoon at Rate Field.
Jose Soriano kicked off his 2025 campaign on a brilliant note, hurling seven innings of shutout baseball and allowing just two hits. He struck out five and walked two, needing just 73 pitches total as he earned the victory to improve to 1-0.
Seven shutout innings from José Soriano today pic.twitter.com/FxJMAK3QWN
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 29, 2025
From innings 2-7, Soriano faced just the minimum as he boasted his efficiency and nasty pitch movement. The 26-year-old, who worked a 3.42 ERA across 113 innings in 2024, is primed to be a key piece of the Los Angeles rotation moving forward.
Chicago starter Jonathan Cannon also delivered an impressive outing as he blanked the Angels across five innings and allowed four hits. Penn Murfee and Bryse Wilson backed him up with scoreless frames of their own out of the bullpen as the pitcher's duel headed to the eighth still scoreless.
It was a rough day for the trio of Mike Trout, Nolan Schanuel and Logan O'Hoppe, who finished a combined 0-12 with four strikeouts. Trout is still hunting for his first hit of the season early on.
Jorge Soler and Yoan Moncada finally helped the Halos break through to give Los Angeles the lead in the top of the eighth. Soler drew a two-out walk against right-hander Mike Cleavinger before advancing to third on a wild pitch.
Moncada then stepped up and managed to hit a comebacker off of Cleavinger that dribbled past the pitcher's mound, which allowed him to beat the throw for a go-ahead infield single.
The Halos take the lead! 😇 pic.twitter.com/AyVbtaEFYD
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) March 29, 2025
Soler, who reached base three times with a single and a pair of walks, avenged his 0/4 game on Opening Day. He presumes to be a major source of power in the cleanup spot for Los Angeles this season. The Ben Joyce and Kenley Jansen tandem had its chance to show out for the first time on Saturday as the duo each tossed a scoreless inning to prevent a late rally from Chicago. Jansen, with career save number 448, earned his very first as an Angel with a two-strikeout ninth.
Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Los Angeles will look to claim their first series victory of 2025 on Sunday morning as they play the White Sox in the rubber match.
Making his first start of the year for the Angels will be Jack Kochanowicz, who worked to a 3.99 ERA last year across his first 65 1/3 big league innings. He faces Chicago right-hander Davis Martin.
First pitch is scheduled for 11:10 a.m. PT.