Angels pitchers Alex Cobb and Patrick Sandoval continue to impress
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Angels defeated the Cleveland Indians 4-2 Wednesday in a Cactus League game shortened to 7½ innings.
ON THE MOUND: Alex Cobb, making his second spring start, looked sharp over three-plus innings, giving up one run and two hits, striking out four and walking one, his two-seam fastball hitting 93-94 mph, a tick above the 92.5 mph he averaged last season. “The fastball life feels great right now, and I think it’s going to make all the off-speed pitches play a lot better, which is the recipe for success,” Cobb said. Left-hander Patrick Sandoval yielded two hits and struck out four in three innings and has thrown six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and five walks this spring.
AT THE PLATE: It was a productive outs-fest for the Angels, who scored two runs on sacrifice flies and one on a groundout before Jon Jay clubbed a solo homer to right-center field in the sixth. Leadoff man Luis Rengifo walked and scored in the first and singled and stole second in the fifth. Catcher Max Stassi started at designated hitter and doubled to right in the third. Manager Joe Maddon said Stassi, who is recovering from hip surgery, will catch in a game “very shortly.”
New Angels general manager Perry Minasian bolstered the roster during the offseason, but did not add a high-priced free agent or make a blockbuster trade.
EXTRA BASES: Rengifo, who has never played outfield in a regular-season game, started in left field, part of a plan to increase the versatility of a switch hitter who is already a solid middle infielder. “If he nails this stuff down, this guy becomes really valuable,” Maddon said. “You can start throwing around comparisons to Chone Figgins or Tony Phillips or Mark McLemore. It’s all within his abilities. A switch hitter who can play shortstop and do all these other things? That’s a pretty valuable player in this league.” … Shohei Ohtani will next pitch Saturday against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch.
UP NEXT: Angels right-hander Griffin Canning is scheduled to face San Francisco Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto on Thursday at noon PST at Tempe Diablo Stadium. TV: FSW. Radio: AM 830.
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