LOS ANGELES ANGELS NOTES:
LEADING OFF: Today, the Angels play the first of three games on a road trip against the Colorado Rockies (June 23-25)…Halos went 0-2 on last homestand against the Dodgers…LAA was 5-2 on last road trip against the Texas Rangers (3-1) and Kansas City Royals (2-1).
EXTRA ROAD SHO: Shohei Ohtani enters play today with an active streak of nine consecutive road games with an extra-base hit…The streak is an Angels franchise record (previously an eight game streak by Bobby Bonds in 1977) and is the longest in the Majors since San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez had a 12 game streak in 2009.
WHAT PART OF ‘RADO?: The Angels are right in the heart of Denver for a three game series against the Rockies…Marks first visit to Coors Field since 2020…Angels are 14-4 (.778) all-time at Coors Field…The .778 winning percentage is the highest for the Halos at any ballpark.
VS. ROCKIES: Tonight is the first of three games this season for the Angels against the Rockies…Halos lead the all-time series 30-12…This is the first series between the Clubs since July 26-28, 2021 when the Angels took two of three games at Angel Stadium.
SHO OFF: On Wednesday night vs. Dodgers, Shohei Ohtani made his 15th career pitching start while also leading the Majors in home runs as a batter…In 2021, he became the first player with multiple pitching starts in a season while leading Majors in homers since Babe Ruth in 1919.
LEAGUE LEADER: As a hitter, Shohei Ohtani leads the Majors in home runs (24), total bases (175), XBH (41), slugging percentage (.616) and OPS (.993) and is tied
for first in RBI (58)….On the mound, he also leads the Majors in opponent batting average (.179), ranks third in strikeouts (117) and is seventh in WHIP (1.04).
PLAY FROM AHEAD: Halos have held leads in 60 of 76 games played this year (79%).
ESTÉVEZ ENDING: This season, Carlos Estévez is pitching to a 1.74 ERA (31 IP – 6 ER) and has converted all 19 of his save opportunities (the 19 saves are a new career high)…He has tied Lee Smith’s Club record from 1995 with 19 consecutive successful save chances to start a season…Estevez played seven seasons with the Rockies and ranks sixth with 163 career games pitched at Coors Field.
HEATING UP: Angels have won 11 of last 16 games… The stretch includes a five game win streak from June 4-9, which matched the longest win streak of season (also won five straight from April 30-May 5). HR PACE: Shohei Ohtani has 24 home runs this season, which ties his own Club record from 2021 through 76 team games.
STARTING STRONG: Angels starting pitchers have allowed two-or-fewer runs in seven straight starts… Over that span (since June 14), the rotation leads the A.L. and ranks second in the Majors with a combined 1.64 ERA (44 IP – 8 ER).
INTERLEAGUE PLAY: LAA owns a 270-231 (.539) all-time Interleague record (9-8 in 2023)…The 270 all-time Interleague wins are third most all time behind Red Sox (299) and Yankees (293).
HOME RUN #150: On Saturday at Kansas City, Shohei Ohtani recorded his 150th career home run and became the fastest player in Angels history to reach the mark and is also the fastest Japanese-born player to reach 150 MLB HR…Among players with 150+ HR and 75+ SB, only Willie Mays, Jose Canseco and Alex Rodriguez reached both milestones in fewer games than Ohtani (ESPN Stats & Info).
CATCHING ON: This season, Angels catchers rank third in the Majors with a .771 OPS and are tied for third in the Majors with 12 home runs.
THE INJURED LIST: Halos currently have 13 players on the injured list and have used the IL 19 total times this year.
HISTORIC SPAN: During the Angels last road trip, Shohei Ohtani became the first player since 1957 to record 2+ doubles, 6+ home runs and 10+ walks in a seven game span…Two players did it during the 1957 season: Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams.
UNIQUE STREAK: Shohei Ohtani recorded an extra-base hit, walk and run scored in six straight games from June 12-17…The only other players to do so are Babe Ruth (7 straight games in 1921) and Barry Bonds (6 straight games in 1997).
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – LHP PATRICK SANDOVAL
4-6, 4.08 ERA
Pitched 7.0 scoreless innings in last start on June 16 at Kansas City
- TODAY’S GAME: Making 14th start of the season and eighth on the road…Is in fifth Major League season with Angels…Made third Opening Day roster (also, 2020 & 2022).
- LAST TIME OUT: Earned the win in last start on Friday at Kansas City after tossing 7.0 scoreless innings and allowing four hits and four walks with six strikeouts…Marked first scoreless start of the season and snapped streak of five consecutive starts with a losing decision.
- GET SETTLED: Has yielded 10 of 36 runs (28%) on the season in the first inning.
- IN THE ARSENAL: This season, has thrown sliders 30.3% of the time, with opponents batting .258 (24/93) against the pitch…He throws changeups 26.6% of the time and is holding opponents to a .204 (20/98) average with 26 strikeouts.
- VS. COLORADO: Today marks first career appearance vs. Rockies…Colorado is one of four teams (excluding Angels), he is yet to face in career (also, Cubs, Brewers and Pirates).
- AT COORS FIELD: Today marks first career appearance at Coors Field.
- INTERLEAGUE PLAY: In 17 career Interleague games (13 starts), is 3-7 with a 4.62 ERA (78 IP – 40 ER)…This year, is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA (11 IP – 3 ER) in two starts against N.L. opponents.
- HOME OPENER: Started Angels Home Opener on April 7 vs. Toronto…Tossed 6.0 innings and allowed one earned run…Marked second time starting Angels Home Opener (also, 2020 vs. Seattle).
- LEFT IN THE PARK: Has not allowed a home run to a left-handed batter since Aug. 13, 2021 (Kyle Tucker, HOU)…Allowed just eight total home runs last season (all to right-handed batters)…Since start of 2022, ranks second in the American League with a 0.53 HR/9 innings rate.
- GOOD NIGHT: This year, has a 3.22 ERA (44.2 IP – 16 ER) in night games, compared with a 5.54 ERA (26 IP – 16 ER) in day games….Last season, was 4-4 with a 2.50 ERA (72 IP – 20 ER) with 75 strikeouts in his 13 night starts, compared with a 2-5 record and 3.29 ERA (76.2 IP – 28 ER) in his 14 day games.
- WINNING STREAKS: Loss on April 20 at Yankees snapped streak of three straight winning decisions (dating back to last season), which was longest streak of career.
COLORADO ROCKIES NOTES:
HOMECOMING
- The Colorado Rockies return home for a nine-game homestand against the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers, their longest homestand of the season.
- The Rockies are coming off of a 2-8 road trip to Boston (2-1), Atlanta (0-4) and Cincinnati (0-3), their first of two 10-game road trips this season (also: Aug. 4-13).
- The Rockies have dropped eight in a row after winning each of the first two games of their road trip in Boston … the eight-game losing streak is tied for their longest of the season (also: April 11-19) … the Rockies and the A’s are the only teams with multiple losing streaks of at least eight games this season.
- Wednesday’s game marked the end of a stretch of 33 games in 34 days for Colorado, beginning on May 19 … the Rockies went 10-23 through the stretch, including 3-13 in their stretch of 16-straight days with a game from June 6-21.
HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIDE
- The Rockies are hosting the Los Angeles Angels at Coors Field for the first time since Sept. 11-13, 2020, the first time with fans in the stands since May 8-9, 2018.
- The Rockies are 12-30 all-time against the Angels, a .286 winning percentage that is their lowest against any single opponent (second lowest: Atlanta, 93-136, .406).
- The Angels are the first American League opponent the Rockies have hosted at Coors Field this season … have gone 6-9 in Interleague play this season, all in American League ballparks … five of the Rockies’ next six home series will come against AL clubs: Los Angeles-AL (June 23-25), Detroit (June 30-July 2), New York-AL (July 14-16), Houston (July 18-19) and Oakland (July 28-30).
BIG MAC
- 3B Ryan McMahon has slashed .366/.453/.713 with seven doubles, two triples, eight home runs and 22 RBI over his last 26 games since May 25 … over that span, ranks among NL leaders in total bases (72, 1st), OPS (1.166, 1st), hits (2nd), average (2nd), OBP (2nd), home runs (T-2nd), extra-base hits (T-2nd) and RBI (3rd).
- Had a career-best 11-game hitting streak June 8-19 … recorded is ninth career multi-home run game on Sunday at Atlanta, surpassing Ellis Burks for the 12th-most in franchise history.
- On the season, McMahon’s 35 extra-base hits and his 20 doubles are both tied for the fifth-most in the National League.
- McMahon’s 2.6 WAR (Baseball Reference) leads all players with at least 50% of their games at third base … his 10 defensive runs saved are tied for the most among third basemen (Sports Info Solutions).
MR. JONES
- INF/OF Nolan Jones has been deemed as retaining rookie-eligible status for the 2023 season after it was determined that he did not exceed 45 days on the Cleveland active roster in the 2022 season.
- Jones has reached base safely in a career-long 15 games, tied for the second-longest active streak in the Majors … is slashing .385/.492/.712 through this stretch.
- He has reached safely in 23 of his 24 starts since his recall on May 26 … in 25 games overall, is slashing .349/.429/.616 with eight doubles, five home runs and 14 RBI … ranks third in the NL in OBP, tied for fourth in batting, fifth in slugging and sixth in total bases since joining the club on May 26.
- On Tuesday, Jones fell a triple shy of the cycle, going 4-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, one home run, two RBI, one walk and one stolen base … became the first player in franchise history to reach base five times in a game while recording three extra-base hits, including one home run, and steal a base.
EASY E
- Ezequiel Tovar was reinstated from the paternity list yesterday … the 21-year-old has hit safely in six straight (.333, 8-for-24) and in 15 of 17 in June (.299, 20-for-67) … was batting .198 through April 28, but has hit .284 (48-for-169) in 46 games since.
- Tovar’s overall 1.3 WAR is tied for the second-best among NL rookies behind Corbin Carroll (3.8) … his 1.1 defensive WAR is the best among all rookies, tied for seventh among all players in the NL … seven defensive runs saved are tied for third-best among all shortstops.
THIS ‘N THAT
- The Rockies have allowed 19 home runs over their last seven games, their most in a seven-game span since Aug. 30-Sept. 6, 2020 … surrendered at least three home runs in five-straight games June 16-20, the longest streak in franchise history.
- Colorado has used 46 total players so far this season, tied for the second-most in the Majors behind the Angels (48 players) … 12 different pitchers have made a start for Colorado, their most since 2021 and tied for the fourth-most starting pitchers used in the Majors this season.
- The Rockies have homered three times in a game in back-to-back games for the first time this season and for the first time in consecutive road games since Aug. 25-27, 2021.
ROCKIES STARTING PITCHER – #21 KYLE FREELAND LHP
DENVER KID
- Kyle Freeland will make his 16th start of the season today, his ninth at Coors Field.
- The 30-year-old Denver native graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, 15 minutes south of Coors Field … selected in the first round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft (eighth overall), the third player in University of Evansville history to be drafted in the first round.
- The Rockies announced on April 19, 2022 that they agreed to a five-year contract extension with Freeland covering the 2022-26 seasons … the extension includes two arbitration years and three years of free agency.
LAST TIME(S) OUT
- Has lost four consecutive decisions through his last six starts, compiling a 6.83 ERA (29.0 IP, 22 ER) through this span with 41 hits, 10 walks and 12 strikeouts.
- In his last starts, was hit for seven earned runs, matching a season high, through 4.1 innings at Atlanta on June 15 … eighth career start allowing seven earned runs or more … also matched a season high with nine hits allowed.
- Prior to his start against Atlanta, had allowed three earned runs through 12.0 innings over two starts with two walks and six strikeouts.
BY THE NUMBERS: THIS VS. THAT
Season K/9 BB/9 HR/9
2021 7.83 2.83 1.49
2022 6.75 2.73 0.98
2023 5.60 2.46 1.34
Career 6.59 2.82 1.42
SUPPORT SYSTEM
- Has averaged 3.25 runs of support, the fourth-lowest mark among qualified NL pitchers … has received runs of support in just three of seven road starts, the fourth-lowest mark in the Majors.
- 4.15 RSA since 2020 is the fifth-lowest among qualifying pitchers … 4.70 career RSA is the third-lowest in franchise history (min. 50 GS).
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
- Gone 3-2 with a 3.19 ERA (42.1 IP, 15 ER), 11 walks and 36 strikeouts in eight home starts.
- Is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA (21.0 IP, 3 ER) over his last four home starts and 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA (27.0 IP, 6 ER) over his last five
- Career record of 31-26 (Rockies 50-36) with a 4.62 ERA (455.2 IP, 234 ER) in 86 appearances (83 starts) at Coors Field … ERA sixth all-time at Coors Field among pitchers with at least 40 starts, 31 wins tied for fourth with Jon Gray and Jason Jennings.
DONUT
- Has six games this season in which he has tossed at least five scoreless innings, tied for the second-most such games in a single season in franchise history … his next game of five-plus scoreless innings will tie him with Ubaldo Jiménez in 2010 for the most in franchise history.
- His seven quality starts this season lead the club and are tied for 15th in the NL.
