OAKLAND — José Suarez continued his second half resurgence, bolstered by a new pitch.
Suarez pitched seven innings in the Angels’ 1-0 victory over the Oakland A’s on Monday night, making Luis Rengifo’s homer stand as the winning run.
The left-hander has not allowed an earned run in any of his three starts since the All-Star break, lowering his ERA for the season to 4.04. At the break, Suarez changed the grip to turn his changeup into two different pitches.
“This changeup has been a game-changer,” manager Phil Nevin said.
Since then, Suarez has allowed just one unearned run in 17-1/3 innings, with 16 strikeouts and five walks.
Suarez said pitching coach Matt Wise inspired the new changeup, which has more downward action and break. He still also throws his old changeup, which is harder and can stay in the strike zone.
“It helps me a lot because they have two different movements,” Suarez said through an interpreter. “My old one is more like a fastball, and this one has more movement.”
He added that he’s now “100 percent” confident when he’s on the mound.
Suarez has also started throwing his slider more often, which gives hitters even more to consider.
“From the side, I can’t tell if it’s a slider or a change,” Nevin said. “I’ve got to look at the board. When he’s throwing it the way he is, it’s got a lot of dive to it. It comes out like a fastball. His arm action’s really, really good. Same as his fastball and it just disappears. I’ve stood in on bullpens and I’ve seen it and it’s really made a difference for him.”
The A’s hitters faced Suarez just last week, but they didn’t fare as well the second time around. He gave up five hits and two walks in five innings last week, but this time he got through seven, allowing just two hits with two walks, and striking out eight to equal his career high.
Suarez retired the first six, with four strikeouts, before walking Stephen Piscotty to start the third inning. Jonah Bride then reached on an infield hit. Suarez gave up a one-out single to Elvis Andrus in the fourth, and then he retired the next nine consecutive hitters.
After Suarez issued a two-out walk to Seth Brown in the seventh, Nevin jogged to the mound. Although left-hander Aaron Loup was warming in the bullpen, Nevin just talked to Suarez and left him on the mound.
Suarez actually handed the ball to Nevin before the manager told him that he wasn’t done yet.
“He smiled and locked it back in,” Nevin said. “You could see his determination that last hitter.”
Suarez battled Piscotty through a six-pitch at-bat, finally striking him out on a 93.5 mph fastball, equaling his hardest pitch of the night on his 97th and final pitch.
Left-hander Aaron Loup worked a perfect eighth and then Ryan Tepera worked the ninth to pick up the save.
The Angels pitching had to be sharp because the Angels hitters came up mostly empty, as they have so often this season.
After Rengifo’s first-inning homer, the Angels didn’t even get another runner into scoring position until the sixth inning. That potential rally was scuttled quickly, when Rengifo hit into a double play.
Even though the Angels would certainly have preferred more runs, there was a nice storyline to Rengifo providing the only run on a night that Suarez pitched.
The two were both born in Naguanagua, Venezuela. Although Rengifo is a year older, the two started playing together when they were 5 or 6 years old, Rengifo said.
“He is like my brother,” Suarez said. “We grew up together. It feels great when he hits well and I pitch well and we win.”
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