The Los Angeles Angels suffered a heavy defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers, losing 15-2 in their first Cactus League game of the season on March 2, 2024. The match took place at Tempe Diablo Stadium, where a sellout crowd of 9,631 witnessed the one-sided affair.
Pitching Struggles for the Angels
The Angels’ pitching staff faced significant challenges right from the start. Right-hander José Soriano struggled, allowing four runs while recording only two outs. Soriano gave up three singles, all ground balls, and issued two walks alongside two strikeouts. He threw 31 pitches in just the first inning before being pulled with two outs remaining. Manager Kurt Suzuki commented on Soriano’s performance, stating, “His stuff was good. He gave up some ground balls with two strikes that found holes. It’s one of those days where you really can’t control some of that stuff. But I thought overall he looked good.”
Left-hander Mitch Farris faced six hitters in the second inning, retiring just one and allowing five runs on four hits. Following him, left-hander Sam Aldegheri conceded one run over 1.1 innings, while left-hander Sammy Natera Jr. gave up a run on three consecutive hits at the beginning of his inning. Natera managed to strike out the next three batters to limit the damage. Right-hander Najer Victor pitched a scoreless inning, averaging 97 mph with his fastball. Victor, currently in minor-league camp, is preparing to pitch for Great Britain in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Minor league right-hander Keythel Key ended the game by allowing four runs in the ninth inning.
Offensive Highlights and Defensive Lapses
Despite the overall loss, there were some bright moments for the Angels’ offense. Outfielder Jorge Soler made an impact in his first plate appearance of the spring, hitting a double off the left-field fence. He also recorded an infield single, hitting a ball at 103 mph down the line, which the third baseman managed to stop with a dive.
Outfielder Jo Adell fell just short of a two-run home run when Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez dropped the ball, allowing Adell to reach second base on a two-base error. Zach Neto successfully challenged a strike call in the first at-bat of the Angels’ spring campaign, though he still struck out in both his appearances. Catcher Logan O’Hoppe contributed by driving in a run with a single and was also hit by a pitch.
Defensively, the Angels faced some difficulties as well. Third baseman Yoán Moncada was unable to make a play on a ball hit to his backhand, which was ruled a double. He also made an error by bobbling a routine ground ball.
The Angels will look to rebound in their next game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, with right-hander Alek Manoah set to take the mound. The game is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. PT on March 3, 2024, at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.
