Left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson threw 6 1/3 innings for the Angels, but gave up his first career grand slam, as the Pirates secure their eighth home win of the season.
The 34-year-old pitcher is in his second year with the Angels. He gave up six hits, four earned runs, and three walks while striking out five Pirates in a 4-1 loss.
Anderson suffered another loss (2-4) in Pittsburgh due to the Angels’ lack of offensive production.
Edward Olivares hit a grand slam off Anderson in the 3rd, giving the Pirates momentum.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Keller silences the Angels on the road
Right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller (3-3) had a fantastic game against the Halos and secured his third win of the season.
He pitched a complete game, allowing only five hits and one earned run, while also striking out four hitters. However, in the top of the 6th, Keller made one bad pitch that Zach Neto took advantage of, hitting a solo home run to center field (408 feet).
Mickey Moniak was the only Angels hitter with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 against Keller.
However, the Angels missed out on a big scoring opportunity in the top of the 4th inning due to some bad base running. With a runner on first, Moniak hit a double to right field, but Schanuel, who was on first, attempted to run all the way home and was thrown out. This costly mistake prevented the Angels from scoring any runs in what could have been a productive inning.
Keller (3-3) allowed only one run in the fifth inning on Neto’s solo shot. He threw 109 pitches and got 14 outs on ground balls, completing his second career game. However, Keller has been struggling recently as he has given up 11 runs and 16 hits in his last three starts.
Taylor Ward had a bad night, going 0-for-4, and his batting average has dropped to .271. Los Angeles have lost 14 out of their last 17 games.
Logan O’Hoppe, who missed the last game due to a bruised right hand, returned to action and went 0-for-3 against Keller.
Grand Slam shuts down the Halos
In the bottom of the third inning with no outs, Anderson encountered some trouble and as a result, Olivares hit a grand slam to left center, which measured 424 feet. This marked Anderson’s second grand slam that he has allowed in his career.
Olivares’ grand slam was the only runs scored off Anderson (2-4) in 6 and 1/3 innings, but unfortunately, the left-handed pitcher lost his fourth consecutive decision. Anderson gave up a total of six hits, while managing to strike out five and walking three.
In his six starts this season, he has pitched a total of 7.0 innings and delivered four quality starts. Moreover, in three of those six starts, he has allowed only one or fewer earned runs.
Andrew McCutchen, who is a five-time All-Star, had a double and a walk while going 1-for-3.
Despite a strong pitching performance, Anderson couldn’t secure a win as the Pirates didn’t provide him with enough run support.
Angels lose their 23rd game of the season
The Angels have been struggling with losses at the beginning of the season. After the 4-1 loss to the Guardians, Ron Washington expressed that his team is still in the process of learning how to win games. He understands that with a young ball club, there are bound to be some learning curves. Nevertheless, it’s still early in May, and there is plenty of time for improvement.
“We have to start taking ourselves out of innings.” Angels manager Ron Washington said.
Washington is hoping to improve their performance once they have their players back in good health. Unfortunately, Anthony Rendon is still unable to play due to a high-grade partial tear in his left hamstring. Although he has not set a date for his return, he did confirm this news last week.
The Angels will have a tough time gathering more hits and wins in the next few weeks. They have two more games against the Pirates and then will return home to Southern California for a four-game home stand against the Kansas City Royals.
Los Angeles is tied for last place in the AL West division with 12 wins, alongside the Houston Astros.
The Angels will send Patrick Sandoval to the mound in Pittsburgh as they try to end their losing streak.
