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The Angels’ Jared Walsh, left, is tagged out at home plate by Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado as Walsh tried to score on a single by Brandon Marsh during the first inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Houston Astros on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve (27) is congratulated in the dugout after his solo home run during the first inning of a game against the Angels on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Houston Astros on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Houston Astros starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi throws to an Angels batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani follows through on a single during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Houston Astros on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani drops his bat as he singles during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Houston Astros Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani heads home to score against the Houston Astros on a single by Jared Walsh during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, right, scores past Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado on a single by Jared Walsh during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani scores against the Houston Astros on a single by Jared Walsh during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani is greeted by teammate Mike Trout (27) as he returns to the dugout after scoring a run against the Houston Astros in the first inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Houston Astros starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi walks back to the mound after the Angels’ Anthony Rendon scored on a passed ball charged to Astros catcher Martin Maldonado during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Angels’ Jared Walsh, left, is tagged out at home plate by Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado as Walsh tried to score on a single by Brandon Marsh during the first inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Houston Astros starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi throws to first base against the Angels in the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 08, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani at bat against the Houston Astros in the third inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 08, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Anthony Rendon reaches first base after a passed ball by Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws to a Houston Astros batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Houston Astros’ Aledmys Diaz follows through on his solo home run during the fourth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Angels on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Houston Astros’ Aledmys Diaz celebrates a home run against the Angels in the fourth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 08, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Houston Astros’ Aledmys Diaz celebrates his solo home run with teammates in the dugout during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Angels on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Houston Astros’ Aledmys Diaz celebrates his solo home run with Jose Siri (26) during the fourth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Angels on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve hits an RBI groundout against the Angels in the fifth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 08, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Houston Astros’ Jose Siri scores from third base after a ground ball from Jose Altuve during the fifth inning of the team’s game against the Angels on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker catches a pop fly from the Angels’ Anthony Rendon during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman celebrates a home run against the Angels in the sixth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 08, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman (2) smiles in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Angels’ Brandon Marsh breaks his bat as he pops out during the sixth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Houston Astros on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Angels’ Brandon Marsh breaks his bat as he pops out during the sixth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Houston Astros on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado points to relief pitcher Bryan Abreu after Abreu struck out the Angels’ Tyler Wade to end the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Jeremy Pen, right, of the Houston Astros celebrates his first MLB home run with Jose Altuve against the Angels in the seventh inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 08, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Jeremy Pena of the Houston Astros celebrates his first MLB home run with Alex Bregman against the Angels in the seventh inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 08, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman drives in a run with a single during the seventh inning of the team’s game against the Angels on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The Houston Astros’ Kyle Tucker follows through on a three-run home run during the seventh inning of the tema’s game against the Angels Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Kyle Tucker, right, of the Houston Astros celebrates a three-run home run with Aledmys Diaz against the Angels in the seventh inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 08, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pena signals to the dugout after sliding safely into second base with a double during the seventh inning of the team’s game against the Angels on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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Angels relief pitcher Jaime Barria steps off the mound after giving up a home run to the Houston Astros’ Kyle Tucker, left, during the ninth inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. Angels relievers were tagged for 11 runs in a 13-6 loss. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Niko Goodrum and Jeremy Pena of the Houston Astros celebrate a 13-6 win against the Angels in the ninth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 08, 2022 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM — Joe Maddon warned that there might be moments like these hours before the Angels’ 13-6 loss to the Houston Astros on Friday night.
In his pregame press conference, the Angels manager said that immediately after the shortened spring training, he would not use his relievers on back-to-back days, so “you might find a matchup you don’t like. That’s just the way it’s going to roll for a little bit.”
Maddon had used his top three – arguably his top four – setup men in trying to secure a victory on Opening Day, so in the second game he was left with his closer and the bottom half of his bullpen, and they never got anywhere near the closer.
Relievers Oliver Ortega (two runs), Mike Mayers (three), Jimmy Herget (four) and Jaime Barria (two) combined to allow 11 runs in the final five innings, including four homers. The Astros scored eight runs in the seventh.
While a game that bad is never to be expected, Maddon also knew he was using his weakest part of the bullpen.
“We didn’t have the same bullpen (as on Opening Day),” Maddon said. “We tried to piece it together that way, and it just did not want to work. They got us.”
Angel Stadium was filled with 42,719 fans on a Shohei Ohtani bobblehead night, and they left with nothing to celebrate besides their new memorabilia.
Although the Angels’ bullpen let the game get away at the end, in the first half of the game the Astros’ defense was the difference.
Left fielder Michael Brantley made a perfect throw to nail Jared Walsh at the plate in the first. Third baseman Alex Bregman made a diving stop of a chopper by Tyler Wade in the second inning. In the fourth, just after a leadoff double by Jose Rojas, Brandon Marsh was robbed of a hit on a diving catch by center fielder José Siri.
Siri then started the top of the fifth by using his speed to create the tie-breaking run.
Siri led off against Ortega with a bloop single. He then stole second and took third on a fly ball to right field. José Altuve then hit a bouncer directly to third baseman Anthony Rendon, who took a look at Siri and threw to first. Siri went back to the bag when Rendon looked at him, but the moment he turned away to throw to first, Siri bolted home. With Siri running at an elite 31.2 feet per second, first baseman Walsh rushed and made a bad throw home, allowing the run to score.
“I thought he did everything right,” Maddon said of Rendon. “I was surprised that Siri broke. With an accurate throw (from Walsh) I think he would have been out. You got a left-handed first baseman that has to make the more difficult throw.”
Ortega then gave up a homer to Bregman in the sixth, opening the floodgates. Mayers started the seventh and didn’t retire any of the three hitters he faced.
While the bullpen had a bad night, starter Reid Detmers could have saved them a little work if he’d been more efficient. Detmers gave up a pair of solo homers, to José Altuve leading off the game and to Aledmys Diaz in the fourth. He needed 29 pitches to get out of the first, which didn’t bode well for him on a night when he was limited to around 80 pitches because of the shortened spring.
It took Detmers 75 pitches to get 12 outs.
“I felt good,” Detmers said. “I just wasn’t I wasn’t attacking very well, leaving pitches up and away. Fastball command was not very good. Obviously, when that’s not very good, it’s gonna be hard to pitch.”
Detmers left in a 2-2 game, the Angels having scored both of their runs in the first inning.
Shohei Ohtani led off the game with his first hit of the season, a single. An out later, Rendon singled. Jared Walsh then dropped a single into left, driving in Ohtani. Rendon then scored on a passed ball.
Marsh then poked a single into left and third base coach Phil Nevin put the pressure on left fielder Michael Brantley by sending Walsh. Brantley made a perfect throw and Walsh was out by a foot.
“They have notoriously good defense,” Maddon said. “They played well against us, so we have to pick up our game. We have to pitch a little bit better. We have to get more consistent offense. Things everybody wants to do, but they’ve come out of the chute playing well. Give them credit.”
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