SAN DIEGO — Coming off two hectic games to start their series with the San Diego Padres, the Angels were quiet in the series finale Wednesday night.
Taylor Ward hit a solo home run with one out in the top of the second inning, but the Angels only put five runners on base in the rest of the game. Only one baserunner reached scoring position in this one.
The lone baserunner to reach scoring position was Matthew Lugo. His lead-off double in the fifth inning made him the first player in MLB history to have four or more extra base hits in their first 11 plate appearances of their career. Lugo’s four hits in his very young career are two homers, a triple and a double.
The usual suspect for the offensive struggles this season has been the strikeout. No team in baseball strikes out more than the Angels. But tonight was different.
The Angels only struck out seven times, which is a sizeable improvement for them. They just couldn’t string together any hits.
“We just couldn't get anything going,” manager Ron Washington said. “Especially the middle of our lineup, they just didn't get anything going tonight.”
Padres' pitching kept the Angels off balance all night, as the Angels recorded seven pop-ups and nine groundouts.
It was yet another game where the rotation kept the Angels in the ballgame. Right-hander Kyle Hendricks pitched a quality start, although it didn’t start like one.
Hendricks gave up back-to-back singles to Luis Arraez and Manny Machado in the first inning. Then, with two outs, Xander Bogaerts ended a nine-pitch at-bat by sending one to the seats beyond the left field wall for a three-run homer.
What seemed like the beginning of a disastrous start ended up being one of Hendricks’ better starts of the season. After that first inning, Hendricks only allowed two hits and a walk for the remainder of his start.
“I thought (Hendricks) was outstanding,” Washington said. “After he gave up the three runs in the first inning, then he settled in, and he put up five zeroes. Just left a changeup out over the plate on Bogaerts.”
Hendricks finished with six innings pitched, giving up three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk. He utilized his sinker and his curveball in this one to keep a potent Padres offense off balance.
“When the curveball's good, it makes a huge difference,” Hendricks said. “I just have to keep throwing it. It still makes my other two pitches better. But when it's good like today, when I'm really ripping it out front and I'm getting good depth on it, then I can get some actual swing and miss and some bad contact. Otherwise, it's just a show-me pitch when it's bad to make the other two better.”
The Padres added their other two runs in the eighth inning when what could have been an inning-ending double play tipped off the glove of Yoán Moncada and went into shallow left field. After Jake Cronenworth walked to load the bases, Brandon Lockridge hit a two-RBI single to put the finishing touches on this one.
The Angels lose this one 5-1 and are now 17-25.