BALTIMORE — After allowing 24 runs in the first two games of the season, the Angels put forth a dominant pitching performance in a 4-1 win over the Orioles Sunday.
Reid Detmers, Jose Soriano and Carlos Estevez shut down the red hot Orioles to salvage one game of the three game series.
Detmers gave the Angels their best start of the young season allowing one run in five innings with eight strikeouts. He earned the 13th win of his career and the Angels are 6-2 in his last eight starts dating back to 2023.
The only blemish on Detmers’ line was when he walked Gunnar Henderson in the second inning with the bases loaded to allow a run.
The story of the game was the dominant three innings of relief by Jose Soriano. When it was announced that Soriano didn’t make the rotation, some assumed he would be sent to Triple A to keep him stretched out to make potential starts later in the season.
Soriano has too good of an arm to not be in the major leagues and he proved that on Sunday. He pitched three shutout innings with two strikeouts and consistently painted the corner with 100-plus mile per hour fastballs.
The Angels offense struck first in the early innings and was dormant afterwards. Baltimore sent Yucaipa High School alumn Tyler Wells to the mound and he left a few pitches over the plate early in the game.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run home run 399 feet over the big left field wall at Camden Yards to give the Angels a 2-0 lead.
Zach Neto drove in a run with his first hit of the season to extend the lead to 3-0.
WIth runners on second and third, Orioles catcher James McCann attempted to pick off Logan O’Hoppe at third base, but the throw hit O’Hoppe and sprayed into left field which allowed the Angels to add another run.
Wells was very good from there and didn’t allow a baserunner for four innings. The 6-foot-8 righty had seen strikeouts with no walks.
Carlos Estevez relieved Soriano’s brilliant performance and pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his first save of the season.
The Angels will travel to Miami for a three game slate against the Marlins beginning on Monday. Chase Silseth will start game one for the Angels against Max Meyer for the Marlins.
