The Los Angeles Angels played their home opener on Friday night, falling to the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 after the bullpen was unable to hold a 3-1 lead. Jumping on the first pitch he saw in his first at bat, Mike Trout sent a Chris Bassitt fastball 441 feet from home plate, giving the Angels an early 2-0 lead.

The Angels also got a solid outing from Patrick Sandoval, as the lefty finished 6 strong innings, allowing just one run. Sandoval is now 11th in the American League in ERA, posting a 1.64 mark through his first two starts. Building off a solid 2022 campaign, Sandoval looks ready to take another leap as a trusted top of the rotation arm for the Angels.

Leaving the game with a 3-1 lead, Sandoval handed the ball over to the bullpen. Right hander Jimmy Herget, who came on for Matt Moore, surrendered a three-run bomb to Bo Bichette with two outs in the 7th. This gave the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead, which proved to be enough, as the Angels were unable to punch back.

Now 4-3 on the season, the Angels are still tied with Texas atop the American League West after one week of play. While it is far too early to be looking at standings, the Angels recognize the significance of every game, especially after watching last season quickly transition from a promising start to another disappointing finish.

When asked Friday night about the loss, and specifically Bassitt’s outing after the first inning, Trout said, “Just keeping us off balance. Just making pitches. Just keeping us off balance with soft [stuff] away.”

Trout acknowledged that this was a tough loss, but added that he liked the way Patrick Sandoval battled. The Angels will look to bounce back on Saturday when Tyler Anderson takes the hill.