The Angels treated a packed Angel Stadium, with 44,714 fans, to a thrilling game, although they fell short of a win. Despite trailing by four runs early on, the Angels staged a remarkable comeback, tying the score in the sixth and seventh innings. Logan O’Hoppe's grand slam in the sixth leveled the game, but the team couldn't quite take the lead.
“We know who we are,” O’Hoppe confidently stated. “It’s going to take for everyone else to see. … We know we’re capable of doing that tonight. We’re capable of finishing the job when we get in situations like that going forward.”
The Angels' inability to seal the deal was largely due to the struggles of José Soriano, their usually reliable multi-inning reliever. Soriano, who had been dominant in his season debut, surrendered single runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. Jarren Duran, a local talent from Cypress High and Long Beach State, delivered the decisive blow with an eighth-inning homer off Soriano's 99.4-mph fastball.
The Red Sox's victory ended the Angels' four-game winning streak, but Manager Ron Washington praised his team's resilience. “They showed what they’re made of,” he said. “The game wasn’t over till the ninth inning, and I guarantee a lot of people thought it was over after they scored four runs. I’m proud of how those guys continued to have good at-bats. We just came up short.”
Despite falling behind 4-0 early, the Angels fought back, with their first hit coming in the fourth inning. They managed to tie the game at 1-1, but the Red Sox quickly regained the lead. A critical error by the Red Sox's center fielder and third baseman allowed the Angels to load the bases, setting the stage for O’Hoppe’s game-tying grand slam.
The momentum seemed to be in the Angels' favor, but the Red Sox consistently responded each time the Angels scored. “We couldn’t put a shutdown inning from the sixth inning on,” Washington lamented. “If we could have shut down two of those innings, it might have been a different game.”
Starting pitcher Griffin Canning had a rough outing, giving up four runs, including three homers in the second inning. Canning acknowledged his struggles, particularly with his fastball, which has shown a slight dip in velocity compared to last season.
“I would like to throw harder,” Canning admitted. “But it’s early. I’m trying to find the feels that I want to have. Just stick with the process and go from there.”
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