Soriano deals, but leaves start early in Angels’ blowout win
Jack Janes
Host · Writer
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Right-hander José Soriano’s night was cut short despite delivering a strong performance that he can build off of.
He tossed five shutout innings on three hits and two walks while striking out five to help lead the Angels to an 8-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night, but left the game after only throwing 76 pitches.
Soriano got drilled by a 98 mph comebacker in the right side of his chest in the second batter of the game, and although he stayed in the game, he said his chest got tight between innings and then his legs began to feel sore as he used his legs more to put less stress on his chest.
“We wanted to kind of be cautious to him," Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. "I mean, it was smoked right off his, I think it was his chest, his right side. Didn't want to take a chance, gave us five good innings, and I felt like that was the right time to get him out of there.”
Soriano said he feels good and expects to make his next start.
Heading into Saturday night’s affair, Soriano held a ghastly 5.28 ERA in his previous eight starts after starting the season allowing only one run in his first six starts.
It was a different recipe for Soriano in this one.
He normally relies on his heavy sinker to induce groundballs, throwing it 26% of the time, which is more than any other pitch he has. But on Saturday, he only threw it seven times.
It was Soriano’s “secondary” offerings that did the heavy lifting.
The splitter led the way, getting used 34% of the time. Hitters swung and missed at it 31% of the time, and Soriano used it to get hitters to chase out of the zone.
The second-most-used pitch was his knuckle curve, which he induced four swing and misses on seven swings while also landing it for a called strike five times.
Soriano lowers his ERA on the season to 2.79.
"Just take the good things from today and take it to the next outing," Soriano said. "I don't have to think about what happened in the last month. Just take the good things and do it again."
Offensively, the Angels erupted in the late innings.
The Angels entered the sixth inning holding onto a 1-0 lead from Nolan Schanuel hitting a firm groundball that Rays shortstop Taylor Walls couldn’t handle to score Jo Adell for the game’s first run in the fourth inning.
In the sixth, Adell and Schanuel hit consecutive singles and reached scoring position after a wild pitch. Rookie Denzer Guzman then came up with a huge two-strike, two-out single up the middle to score two runs. Donovan Walton followed with an RBI double to make it 4-0.
The Angels added four more in the seventh when Jose Siri launched a two-run home run over the trees beyond the center field fence. Then, Guzman came up with another two-strike, two-out single to score Adell, and Walton singled in Schanuel.
"He's a very talented guy," Suzuki said of Guzman. "Very confident, confident in his abilities, and it looks like he's just kind of settling in nicely with the guys."
The Angels’ lineup combined for 15 hits, with Adell adding his second four-hit game of the week.
"All the way through the lineup, everybody was convicted in a plan and really found a way to execute all the way through," Adell said. "So there were really no holes all the way through. This is one of the most complete games I've been a part of. I think, just offensively, defensively, pitching is awesome."
Left-hander Samy Natera Jr, left-hander Brent Suter and right-hander Kirby Yates combined for four scoreless innings.
The Angels’ bullpen now has a 2.81 ERA in the Angels’ last 20 games.
"Samy Natera, that was pretty awesome," Suzuki said. "He came in, attacked, a lot of confidence. And then, with Suter and Yates to follow, veteran guys who could come and attack, throw strikes, make them swing the bat. It was a good, complete game."
