‘We keep coming at you’: Ohtani, Ward power 3rd straight win
News flash No. 2: The Angels, bored with not taking part in in any postseason video games since they’ve had Trout and Ohtani on the identical workforce, made a concerted effort over the winter to enhance the offense and protection round these two Major League luminaries whereas additionally beefing up their bullpen.
It won’t have been the largest blockbuster of an offseason for the Halos, however 4 video games into 2023, it’s working.
And on Monday night time in T-Mobile Park, in a 7-3 win over a Mariners workforce that completed forward of them final yr to grab an American League Wild Card spot, the Angels confirmed as soon as once more that they’ve a extra aggressive roster from high to backside.
They have gained three consecutive video games on the street, and new offensive additions Brandon Drury, Hunter Renfroe and Jake Lamb have been within the thick of a lot of Monday’s run-scoring motion. All three had hits, with Lamb doubling and singling and scoring twice and Drury singling in his first two at-bats and doubling in a run within the ninth.
Of course, it didn’t harm that Ohtani accounted for the deciding runs with a 431-foot, 110 mph two-run house run within the high of the fifth or that scorching Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer of his personal within the eighth for insurance coverage.
“We keep coming at you,” Angels supervisor Phil Nevin stated. “Some pretty good swings, a lot of good quality at-bats, and [11] hits again today. It’s not going to happen every night. We’re going to have to pitch.”
Starter Reid Detmers, whom the Angels hope can be an rising ace after a promising rookie yr in 2022, was a bit uneven, solely lasting 4 2/3 innings and giving up three runs (two earned) on 4 hits whereas placing out seven. But he rebounded from a 27-pitch first inning to get near qualifying for a win in his 2023 debut.
“The first was definitely a grind,” Detmers stated. “I felt like I was fighting my mechanics. But it was just the first-game jitters, so I’m not too worried about it.”
Nevin wasn’t both, saying he preferred what Detmers confirmed Monday. And the Angels preferred the remainder of the offensive onslaught, too.
Trout didn’t gentle up the stat sheet the best way he typically does, however he nonetheless reached base in all 5 of his plate appearances. He singled within the first, was hit by a pitch by Seattle starter George Kirby within the third, and walked thrice after that. He scored on Ohtani’s tie-breaking blast to proper heart, which got here on an 86 mph changeup from Kirby.
Super-utility man Luis Rengifo, beginning at shortstop with Anthony Rendon serving the primary sport of a four-game suspension and Gio Urshela shifting over to 3rd, continued the assault on Mariners pitching that he began final yr, when he slashed .301/.329/.658 with seven homers and 12 RBIs in opposition to them. Rengifo hit RBI singles in his first two at-bats after which labored a one-out stroll within the high of the eighth, scoring on Ward’s two-out shot over the center-field wall.
New lefty reliever Matt Moore entered the sport within the sixth inning after the Mariners had lower the Angels’ result in 4-3 on an Eugenio Suárez RBI single and pitched an ideal inning with a strikeout. Angels relievers Jimmy Herget, José Quijada and new addition Carlos Estévez mixed to close out Seattle over the past three innings.
In all, it was simply the best way the Angels drew it up once they entered camp with contemporary faces and renewed pennant hopes.
“Obviously the top of the lineup is as good as it gets,” Drury stated. “But I really feel prefer it’s actually been all that approach 1 by way of 9. I believe the depth of our lineup is absolutely, actually good.
“So I think this can be a pretty fun season.”
