Angels observations: Poor defense overshadows Canning’s start, Ohtani’s leadoff homer in loss to Rays
Angels pitching coach Matt Wise, left, talks with starter Griffin Canning, center, and catcher Max Stassi during the first inning.
(Steve Nesius / Associated Press)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Whenever the topic of pitching has come up this year, Angels manager Joe Maddon has usually espoused the importance of defense, too.
One of Maddon’s most common refrains: “We need to catch the ball.”
On Friday night, failing to do so cost his team in a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
In a series-opener at Tropicana Field, the Rays (46-31) scored all four of their runs in two half-innings. And both times, the Angels (36-39) failed to catch a ball they should have, leading to a fourth-straight loss and inauspicious start to a difficult seven-game road trip.
“We had a tough day in the outfield today,” Maddon said.
Here are three observations from the game.
Defensive miscues
Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon reaches for a ball hit by Tampa Bay’s Kevin Kiermaier that went for an infield single during the sixth inning.
(Steve Nesius / Associated Press)
Starting pitcher Griffin Canning had already surrendered two baserunners in the bottom of the first when Wander Franco sent a routine line drive into left field.
Taylor Ward, playing left in place of the injured Justin Upton, made a bad initial read on the ball but was still in position to get his glove to it. However, he couldn’t reel it in, the ball instead bouncing off his mitt as one run scored.
“On that, I got myself in a bad position right off the start,” Ward said. “It carried a little more than I anticipated, just kind of kept going. I tried to stab at it and missed it.”
Austin Meadows drove in two runs in the next at-bat, dumping a single into center that erased the Angels’ early 2-0 lead — built on solo home runs by Shohei Ohtani and Anthony Rendon in the top of the frame — and gave the Rays a 3-2 edge.
The Angels tied the game at 3-3 in the third, but went behind for good after another sloppy inning in the bottom of the seventh.
After walks by reliever José Suarez put runners on first and second, Meadows hit a one-out pop -up into shallow left. Ward, third baseman Rendon and shifted shortstop José Iglesias all converged on the ball. All three seemed to be within range of catching it as well.
But the ball dropped anyway, miscommunication leading all three players to pull up on the play.
Ward, who said postgame he should have caught the ball, eventually fielded it and appeared to have a chance at forcing the lead runner out at third. But after delaying for a split-second, his throw back into the infield was too late.
Maddon came out to argue that the umpires should have called for an infield fly rule, but also to no avail.
“It’s a play we should have made,” Maddon said. “To me it was in an area that could have, should have been called an infield fly … But obviously, it was a big play in the game.”
Indeed, the Rays took the lead in the next at-bat when newly inserted reliever Steve Cishek plunked pinch-hitter Brandon Lowe with the bases loaded to force in the winning run.
Iglesias turned a double-play on a line drive up the middle to end the inning without any more damage, but the Angels offense failed to generate another baserunner against the Rays bullpen the rest of the game.
Maddon said Tropicana Field’s domed roof can be “problematic” for outfielders. Ward, who was playing his first career game in the stadium, agreed.
But, Ward added, “I don’t want to make any excuses. I should have caught both those baseballs.”
Canning recovers for five innings
Highlights from the Angels’ 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.
It took Canning 32 pitches to get through the three-run first. Of the nine batters he got to two strikes, only five recorded an out. And he retired the side in order only once in five innings.
Yet, the right-hander managed to complete five innings, limiting the damage to just the three first-inning runs (only two of which were earned) to lower his season ERA to 4.95.
“That’s the kind of game that’s normally gotten away from him, we’ve seen that in the past,” Maddon said. “But he was able to reign it in and ended up giving up five innings. He kept getting stronger.”
Instead of leaning on his usually strong mix of sliders and curveballs, Canning opted for more changeups against the Rays lefty-heavy lineup. It didn’t lead to many strikeouts, but did help him keep his pitch count under control after the long opening inning.
After working around a leadoff single in the second, he got a key eight-pitch third inning before stranding two more batters in the fourth and another in the fifth -- his third-straight outing completing at least five innings.
“That third inning was when it clicked,” Canning said. “That inning was big for me to keep momentum on our side and work a little bit deeper into the game.”
Ohtani’s leadoff homer
Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani circles the bases after hitting a solo home run in the first inning Friday.
(Steve Nesius / Associated Press)
It only took three pitches for Shohei Ohtani to record another career first on Friday.
Batting leadoff after Upton (right low back strain) was placed on the injured list earlier in the day, Ohtani crushed his first career leadoff home run — and 24th of the season, one behind Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the MLB lead — deep to right to begin the game. Ohtani’s blast left the bat at 116.1 mph and banged off the catwalk hanging high above the outfield stands.
According to MLB’s Statcast system, it traveled a projected 453 feet.
Maddon’s judgment?
“That’s wrong,” he said. “There’s no way that’s 453. I’ve been here many times. I have never seen that, in a game or in batting practice.”
With Upton now out for at least the next week, Maddon will have to find a new leadoff hitter.
Friday was only Ohtani’s second time hitting in the top spot this year — a move Maddon made in part because the Rays were using an opener and he wanted the left-handed Ohtani and Jared Walsh to hit sooner — but could be something the manager considers moving forward.
“I did like it,” Maddon said.
Ohtani reached base in the third inning by bunting for a single and finished the night batting .269 with an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .996.
Maddon also confirmed that Ohtani’s next pitching start would come on Wednesday in New York against the Yankees.
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