-
Angels infielder Matt Duffy forces out the Houston Astros’ Michael Brantley at second base, but he was unable to complete a double play during their season opener on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws the first pitch of the game during the first inning of their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani can’t beat out the throw to Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel after hitting a ground ball in his first at-bat Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate in the first inning of their season opener on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani reacts after striking out during the third inning of their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate during their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate during the first inning of their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
The Angels’ Matt Duffy throws to first after forcing out the Houston Astros’ Michael Brantley at second base during their season opener on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani throws to the plate during their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani hands the ball to Angels manager Joe Madden after being replaced during the fifth inning of their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani looks back as he walks off the field after being replaced during the fifth inning of their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angel relief pitcher Austin Warren throws to the plate during their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angels center fielder Mike Trout throws the ball to the infield as left fielder Jo Adell backs him up during their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angel relief pitcher Austin Warren throws to the plate during their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
The Angels’ Matt Duffy, top left, chases after a throw from the outfield as the Houston Astros’ Yuli Gurriel slides in to second base during the sixth inning of their season opener on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angel right fielder Brandon Marsh fields a ball Angel left fielder Jo Adell fails to catch a home run off the bat of the Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman, not pictured, during their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
The Angels’ Mike Trout is called safe after Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel pulls his foot off the bag to make a catch during the seventh inning of the season opener on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
The Angels’ Mike Trout beats the throw to first base as the Houston Astros’ Yuli Gurriel pulls his foot from the bag while taking the throw during the seventh inning of their season opener on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angel left fielder Jo Adell fails to catch a home run off the bat of the Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman, not pictured, during the eighth inning of their season opener on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A fan catches a home run ball hit by the Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman as Angel left fielder Jo Adell fails to catch it during the eighth inning of their season opener on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
The Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman, right, is congratulated by third base coach Gary Pettis after hitting a home runs against the Angels during the eighth inning of their season opener on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angel right fielder Brandon Marsh fields a deep fly ball during the eighth inning of their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. The Astros won, 3-1. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
The Angels’ Brandon Marsh, right, gets a high-five from teammate Shohei Ohtani after Marsh scored from first base on a triple by teammate David Fletcher during the eighth inning of their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. The Astros won, 3-1. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani reacts after hitting a foul ball during their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
The Angels’ Mike Trout slides in to second base as the Houston Astros’ Jeremy Peña turns a double play to end their season opener on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. The Astros won, 3-1. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angels star Mike Trout (27) gets high-fives during the team introductions before their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Fans cheer while the Angels’ starting lineup is introduced before their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Angels manager Joe Maddon, right, puts his arm around center fielder Mike Trout during team introductions before their season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A C-17 Globemaster flies over the stadium during the national anthem before the Angels’ season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster, out of March Air Force Base, does a flyover as part of Opening Day ceremonies before the Angels’ game against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A C-17 Globemaster flies over the stadium during the national anthem before the Angels’ season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Former Angels outfielders Tim Salmon, right, and Garret Anderson take turns throwing out ceremonial first pitches before the team’s season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Fans celebrate while the starting lineup is announced as the Angels take on the Houston Astros in their season opener on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Longtime Angels fan Mark Guess of Amarillo holds his grandson Kierren Osborne of San Clemente, hoping to see their favorite players at the Angels’ Opening Day game against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Sara Naito, 4, makes her way into Angel Stadium before the Angels’ Opening Day game against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
James Scharton, dressed as a hot dog, waits to enter Angel Stadium before the Angels’ Opening Day game against the Houston Astros on Thursday. Scharton said he lost a bet and had to wear the costume to a game last year. Now he says he wears it all the time. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
An Angels fan shows off a homemade light-up Shohei Ohtani sign she made as she enters Angel Stadium before the Angels’ Opening Day game against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
The Ninomiya family, from left, Masa, Yuki, 9, Michiko, and Genki, 5, traveled from Atlanta to see Angels star Shohei Ohtani in the season opener against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Noah Rodriquez holds up a stuffed trout for the Angels’ Mike Trout before their Opening Day game against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Shohei Ohtani fans of all ages wait to get a glimpse of the Angels’ two-way star before the Opening Day game against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
A Shohei Ohtani fan holds up an enlarged photo of the Angels’ two-way star before the Opening Day game against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Noemi Kelsey takes a group photo before the Angels’ Opening Day game against the Houston Astros on Thursday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Dodgers fan Michael Martinez stands motionless as Angels fans, including his girlfriend, Melissa Rios, to his right, make fun of him while waiting to enter Angel Stadium before the Opening Day game against the Houston Astros on Thursday. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
ANAHEIM — While pitching is usually the focus of most discussion about why the Angels haven’t won in recent years, their 3-1 loss to the Houston Astros in Thursday night’s season opener was a reminder of another issue.
“We’ve not done well in this division primarily because we haven’t hit well in this division against good pitching,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said.
Last season, the Angels had an OPS of .556 against the Oakland A’s and .634 against the Astros, far below their season average of .717.
For much of last season, their lineup was without two of their big three hitters: Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon. They opened this season with both of them in the lineup, behind Shohei Ohtani.
It was all set for the Angels to bring a sellout crowd of 44,723 at Angel Stadium a rousing night, with Ohtani on the mound and at designated hitter – debuting the Ohtani Rule. It ended up as a disappointment, with Houston lefty Framber Valdez dominating them for most of the night. The Angels produced just four hits. Ohtani, Trout and Rendon combined to 1 for 11.
Rendon narrowly missed a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh, before hitting into a double play. Ohtani was hitless in four at-bats, including a fly ball to right that got the crowd on its feet when he represented the tying run in the eighth.
“Just got a little under it,” Ohtani said through his interpreter.
It was the second of Ohtani’s two at-bats he had after he was done pitching, thanks to the new rule that allows him to be treated as two people, essentially, in the lineup.
On the mound, Ohtani struck out nine in 4-2/3 innings and he allowed one run. Ohtani and the Angels’ other starting pitchers began the season on a tighter pitch count than normal because of the shortened spring training. Ohtani made the most of his 80 pitches.
The only run he allowed was in the third inning, when Michael Brantley blasted a double off the right field fence and then scored on Alex Bregman’s single into left.
Ohtani responded to that with his best inning of the game, striking out the side on 14 pitches in the fourth.
“Shohei showed once again nothing’s too quick for him,” Maddon said. “Nothing’s too big for him. I thought he looked really good.”
Ohtani also came out throwing harder than he had most of last year. His fastball was 97-99 mph in the first inning. Last season, Ohtani typically started out throwing 94-95 and he cranked up the fastball when he needed it.
He said he might try to go for some extra velocity more often this season.
“It’s going to be a long season so I don’t know if fatigue will play into it, but I’ll try to pick my spots,” he said through his interpreter.
When Ohtani left the game as a pitcher, the Angels trailed 1-0. The Astros added a couple of insurance runs with back-to-back homers by Bregman and José Alvarez against Ryan Tepera in his Angels debut in the eighth.
The Angels scored once in the eighth, but couldn’t do anything else, starting the season with a loss, but leaving their manager undeterred.
“I thought it was a wonderful night,” Maddon said. “Of course we wanted to win. We didn’t. I like my team. I like our team a lot, not a little bit. It’s gonna be just fine. We keep playing with that kind of zeal we’re gonna get our hits. We’re gonna make the plays. We’re gonna pitch. I like my group a lot.”
from Signage https://ift.tt/MKOR2rg
via Irvine Sign Company
