ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels entered the second game of their three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers looking to rebound after dropping Friday’s opener. Before first pitch, however, their plans changed when José Soriano was scratched from his scheduled start amid uncertainty surrounding Monday’s MLB Trade Deadline.
That forced the Angels into a bullpen game, with Brent Suter making the start. Suter entered Saturday with a 1-2 record and a 4.26 ERA. While he has primarily pitched in relief this season, the veteran has experience as both a starter and opener during his 11-year major league career.
Despite a strong effort from the pitching staff, the Angels fell 3-1, extending their losing streak to five games.
The Angels wasted little time getting on the board. Mike Trout singled to open the bottom of the first, and Jorge Soler followed with an RBI double. Trout raced home from first base, giving Los Angeles an early 1-0 lead.
After the game, Angels manager Kurt Suzuki praised Trout’s instincts on the bases.
“He runs the bases as good as anybody I’ve ever been around,” Suzuki said. “Obviously he’s fast, but it’s not just speed. It’s technique and the way he goes about it. It’s fun to watch.”
Suter followed with two scoreless innings, although Milwaukee made him work. The Brewers loaded the bases in the second after three walks, but the veteran escaped the jam without allowing a run.
The Angels then turned to newly recalled right-hander Brett Kerry, who delivered a clean inning in the third before surrendering a game-tying solo home run to Jake Bauers in the fourth. It was Bauers’ 20th homer of the season.
Kerry settled down immediately afterward, finishing four innings while allowing just the lone run against one of baseball’s top offenses.
Suzuki was impressed by the rookie’s composure throughout the outing.
“I thought he was awesome,” Suzuki said. “We saw him earlier in the year in Arizona, and he knows how to pitch. He throws strikes, attacks the zone and mixes in his pitches. Four innings gave us a chance to win.”
Suzuki also pointed to Kerry’s demeanor as another encouraging sign.
“Nothing really rattles him,” Suzuki said. “I think that’s a good thing for him. The way he handles himself on the mound and in the dugout, everything is very thorough.”
Veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud echoed that praise.
“He did great,” d’Arnaud said. “He moved his fastball in and out, was able to throw his slider and changeup to both sides. After the home run, he made the adjustment and got a couple more outs after that. I think he did a great job.”
Outside of Bauers’ home run, Kerry limited a Brewers club that entered the night with one of the National League’s best records. It marked an encouraging performance for the right-hander in just his second major league appearance this season.
The Angels’ offense, meanwhile, struggled to generate much after Soler’s first-inning RBI. Milwaukee’s pitching staff kept Los Angeles off the scoreboard over the final eight innings, turning the game into a pitchers’ duel.
Suzuki credited the Brewers’ staff for making life difficult on the Angels’ hitters.
“The Brewers can really pitch,” Suzuki said. “They’ve got some good arms over there. They know how to mix and match, and we had a tough time mustering anything up.”
d’Arnaud offered a similar assessment.
“They can pitch, they can play defense, they can hit,” d’Arnaud said. “They’re a first-place team, a playoff team. They did a tremendous job today.”
The game remained tied until the top of the eighth, when Brice Turang lined an RBI single off Samy Natera Jr. to put Milwaukee ahead 2-1.
While the hit proved to be the difference, Suzuki didn’t fault Natera’s execution.
“He was electric tonight,” Suzuki said. “He was well-rested, and we felt like he gave us the best chance. Turang battled with two strikes, put the bat on the ball and drove in the run. Good pitching, good at-bat. They just got the better end of that one.”
Milwaukee added an insurance run in the ninth when Cooper Pratt delivered an RBI single, extending the lead to 3-1. Kirby Yates retired the first two hitters quickly before running into trouble late in the inning.
The Angels were unable to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth as Milwaukee secured the victory. Natera Jr. was charged with his first loss of the season.
Los Angeles will look to avoid a series sweep on Sunday. The Brewers are scheduled to send Jacob Misiorowski (11-4, 1.58 ERA) to the mound, while the Angels are expected to counter with Walbert Ureña (6-7, 2.70 ERA).