Mike Trout is out and Anthony Rendon is back in for Angels, who lose to Mets
The Angels halted a franchise-record 14-game losing streak Thursday with a victory over the Boston Red Sox, a triumph so significant shortstop Andrew Velazquez likened it to a win in the playoffs.
Their reward? Spending this weekend paired opposite a New York Mets team that came in with the third-best record in baseball and a 6½-game lead sitting atop the National League East.
Having still lost 18 of 22 entering Friday, the Angels fell 7-3, all of their offense coming on two Brandon Marsh homers.
“We played a whole new squad today,” Marsh said. “So it was a completely different matchup, completely different lineup. It changes every day. We’ve got to come back in with the same mentality [Saturday]. Just be ready to go.”
The Angels again played without Mike Trout, who has been dealing with a groin issue that surfaced Tuesday. Interim manager Phil Nevin indicated afterward that the three-time MVP continues to improve.
Angels’ Shohei Ohtani hit a two-run homer and pitched a 101-mph fastball to help the Angels end 14-game skid in the 5-2 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Trout worked out on the field Friday afternoon and could return to the lineup Saturday, when the Angels and Mets meet in the second game of their series.
The Angels did welcome back third baseman Anthony Rendon, who was activated from the injured list after sitting out 13 games because of wrist inflammation.
Rendon batted third, after Shohei Ohtani and before Jared Walsh. He finished hitless in three at-bats with a walk.
Any leftover good feelings from Thursday’s victory disappeared quickly as pitcher Jhonathan Diaz struggled from the start.
Recalled from triple-A Salt Lake earlier Friday and making his fourth big league appearance — and third start — this season, Diaz had seven of the 11 batters he faced reach base.
He needed 41 pitches — 20 of them balls — to collect only five outs, the Mets scoring three times before Diaz was replaced by Archie Bradley in the second inning.
Mark Canha had a two-run double and Tomas Nido a run-scoring single off the glove of Velazquez as multiple “Let’s go Mets” chants had to be drowned out by boos from Angels supporters.
Trailing 3-0, the Angels came right back in the bottom of the second to pull to within one on Marsh’s fifth homer of the season and first since May 7.
After Walsh singled and Max Stassi struck out, Marsh faced a full count against New York starter Tylor Megill. He then launched a Megill sinker 449 feet to right-center, the longest home run at Angel Stadium this season. The ball left Marsh’s bat at 108 mph.
Shortstop Andrew Velazquez was on the bench for the start of Wednesday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox, a spot the switch-hitter will find himself in more often.
Megill, who was born in Long Beach, attended Los Alamitos High School, Cypress College and Loyola Marymount before being drafted out of Arizona by the Mets in the eighth round in 2018.
The Mets moved ahead 4-2 in the fourth on a two-out, solo home run by leadoff hitter Brandon Nimmo against Andrew Wantz.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Angels wasted a scoring opportunity after a leadoff walk by Stassi was followed by a bunt single by Marsh.
But Jo Adell struck out against Megill and Tyler Wade rolled into a double play against David Peterson.
New York then opened up its lead with three runs off Jimmy Herget in the sixth. Nimmo had a two-run double and Canha an RBI single as again the chants of “Let’s go Mets” reemerged.
Marsh and the Angels did answer back against Peterson in the bottom of the sixth. Marsh hit his second homer — a solo shot to right — for his first career multihomer game.
This one traveled only 363 feet but left the bat at 107.9 mph.
“It’s pretty cool,” Marsh said. “But what’s more important is getting the win. We’ll bounce back and get back to work [Saturday].”
Now trailing 7-3, the Angels had their final scoring opportunity in the eighth when the first two hitters — Walsh with a single and Stassi with a walk — reached against Joely Rodriguez.
But Rodriguez struck out Marsh before Adam Ottavino came in to get Adell to ground into a double play.
Short hops
To make room for Rendon and Diaz on the roster, the Angels optioned infielder Jack Mayfield and outfielder Dillon Thomas to Salt Lake. ... The Angels are scheduled to wear their new beach-themed City Connect Series uniforms for the first time Saturday night.
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