LOS ANGELES ANGELS NOTES:
LEADING OFF: Today, the Angels play the fifth (3-1) of seven games on a road trip against the Texas Rangers (3-1) and Kansas City Royals (June 16-18)…Halos went 5-1 on last homestand against the Chicago Cubs (3-0) and Seattle Mariners (2-1)…LAA was 3-4 on last road trip against the Chicago White Sox (2-1) and Houston Astros (1-3).
SHO BUSINESS: During last series at Texas, Shohei Ohtani batted .583 (7/12) with six runs scored, one double, four HR, eight RBI, seven walks and a 2.367 OPS.
4+ HOME RUNS & 7+ WALKS IN A FOUR-GAME SERIES (since 1901 – Sportradar) Hank Greenberg, DET (Sept. 18-19, 1940 vs. Phi. A’s) Ralph Kiner, PIT (Aug. 3-5, 1951 vs. Phillies) Shohei Ohtani, LAA (June 12-15, 2023 at Rangers)
TODAY’S TRANSACTIONS: Today the Angels recalled INF Michael Stefanic from Triple-A Salt Lake…Stefanic had a Salt Lake franchise record 62 game on-base streak snapped last Friday…In a corresponding move, INF Gio Urshela (left pelvis fracture) was placed on the 10-day injured list.
LEAGUE LEADER: As a pitcher, Shohei Ohtani leads the Majors in opponent batting average (.178) and ranks third in strikeouts (105)…With the bat, he also leads the Majors in total bases (165), slugging percentage (.620) and OPS (1.002), is tied for first in home runs (22) and XBH (38) and is fourth in RBI (54).
SHO OFF: Last night, Shohei Ohtani made the start on the mound for the Angels while also leading the American League in home runs as a batter…It was his first start of 2023 while leading the league in homers… In 2021 he made 14 pitching starts with at least a share of the MLB home run lead, and became the first player with multiple pitching starts in a season while leading Majors in homers since Babe Ruth in 1919.
HEATING UP: Angels have won nine of last 11 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).
HIGH WATER MARK: At 39-32, Angels have matched season-high at seven games over .500; were 38-31 on Tuesday…This is also the first time the Angels are seven games over .500 this late in a season since finishing the 2015 season with an 85-77 record…With a win today, LAA would move to eight games over .500 for the first time since May 26, 2022 (27-19).
RECENT ROSTER MOVES: Yesterday, the Angels recalled LHP Kolton Ingram from Double-A Rocket City and recalled INF Andrew Velazquez from Triple-A Salt Lake…Ingram’s first appearance would mark his MLB debut…In corresponding moves, INF Zach Neto (left oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list and RHP Jimmy Herget was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake following Wednesday night’s game.
VS. KANSAS CITY: Angels lead the season series 2-1 after taking two of three from Royals from April 21- 23 at Angel Stadium…Since 2018, Angels hold a 19-9 record vs. KC…Last year, the teams split the season series 3-3.
THE INJURED LIST: Halos currently have 12 players on the injured list and have used the IL 18 total times this year.
THE DRAGON: Over his last 11 games, Chris Devenski has tossed 13.0 scoreless innings and has stranded 15 of 16 (94%) inherited runners…In that span, he’s allowed two hits with four walks with 14 strikeouts.
CATCHING ON: This season, Angels catchers rank second in the Majors with an .817 OPS and are third in the Majors with 12 home runs.
PLAY FROM AHEAD: Halos have held leads in 57 of 71 games played this year.
ESTÉVEZ ENDING: This season, Carlos Estévez is pitching to a 1.80 ERA (30 IP – 6 ER) and has converted all 18 of his save opportunities (the 18 saves are a new career high)…He is the first Angels pitcher to convert his first 18 save opportunities of a season since Lee Smith set the Club record with 19 consecutive successful save chances to start the 1995 campaign.
IT HAS HAPPENED!: Tuesday night, Zach Neto recorded the Angels first sacrifice bunt since the penultimate game of the 2022 season (Max Stassi – Oct. 4, 2022 at Oakland)…The streak of 69 games without a sacrifice set a new franchise record (previous was a 66-game streak from May 30 – Aug. 13, 2019).
ROBBED: Mickey Moniak robbed Ezequiel Duran of a home run in Tuesday night’s game at Texas…According to Sports Info Solutions, the Angels lead the Majors with five HR robberies this season…Moniak is tied with Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Luis Robert Jr. for the individual lead in HR robbing catches this year, with
two each.
‘PEN PALS: Angels bullpen was charged with six runs (five earned runs) across last two games…Over the previous nine games, Halos bullpen had worked 37.0 innings, allowing two earned runs (0.49 ERA).
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – LHP PATRICK SANDOVAL
3-6, 4.52 ERA
Has allowed two-or-fewer earned runs in seven of 12 starts this season
- TODAY’S GAME: Making 13th start of the season and seventh on the road…Is in fifth Major League season with Angels…Made third Opening Day roster (also, 2020 & 2022).
- LAST TIME OUT: Charged with the loss in last start on Saturday vs. Seattle after tossing 5.0 innings and allowing five earned runs on 10 hits with no walks and eight strikeouts.
- LOOKING TO SNAP THE STREAK: Has been losing pitcher in each of last five starts…Longest streak for an Angels pitcher since Ricky Nolasco matched the Club record with seven consecutive losing starts in 2017.
- GET SETTLED: Has yielded 10 of 36 runs (28%) on the season in the first inning.
- IN THE ARSENAL: This season, has thrown sliders 31.8% of the time, with opponents batting .258 (23/89) against the pitch…He throws changeups 26.7% of the time and is holding opponents to a .211 (19/90) average with 24 strikeouts.
- VS. KANSAS CITY: Today marks first career appearance vs. Royals…Kansas City is the only American League team he is yet to face in career (excluding Angels).
- AT KAUFFMAN STADIUM: Today marks first career appearance at The K…Will be 14th active A.L. ballpark with a pitching appearance…Only other A.L. park he is yet to pitch in is Rogers Centre (TOR).
- 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, leads the American League with a 0.52 HR/9 innings rate.
- GOOD NIGHT: This year, has a 3.82 ERA (37.2 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.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS NOTES:
SKID HITS NINE: The Royals suffered a 7-4 loss Wednesday night vs. Cincinnati to mark their 9th consecutive defeat and third straight series sweep, falling to 32 games under .500 (18-50), matching their lowest point from 2022, which came when they ended the season 65-97…the Royals seek a win tonight to avoid falling to 33 games under .500 for the first time since ending the 2019 season 45 games under (59-103)…Kansas City’s 9-game losing streak is its longest in two years, since the Royals lost 9 straight games from June 23-July 1, 2021, and it’s tied with the Tigers—who lost 9 straight from June 2-11—for the 3rd-longest skid this season, behind the A’s 11-game losing streak from May 17-28 and the White Sox 10-game losing streak from April 19-29.
The Royals have been swept eight times—all 3 games—2nd most this year behind the A’s, who’ve been swept nine times…Kansas City’s eight sweeps in series of at least 3 games are its most since 2021 (11).
The Royals had 15 hits Wednesday night—1 shy of their season high—and five different players had multi-hit efforts, including a career-high-tying 4 hits by Edward Olivares and 3 hits by birthday boy Bobby Witt Jr., making him the eighth Royal (10th time) with a 3-hit game on his birthday and the youngest to do so (23).
Despite Kansas City’s 15 hits Wednesday night, the offense scored just 4 runs, marking just the eighth 9-inning game in franchise history in which the Royals scored 4 runs or fewer on 15 hits or more, and the first in 13 years, since Aug. 27, 2010 at Cleveland, when they scored 4 runs on 16 hits…the Royals stranded 14 baserunners—1 shy of their season high—including multiple baserunners in 5.0 of 9.0 innings.
ROSTER MOVE: The Royals today recalled infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor from Triple-A Omaha…Taylor, 24, was acquired by Kansas City last August in the three-player trade that sent Whit Merrifield to Toronto…Taylor hit .304 (73-for-240) with a .409 on-base percentage and .872 OPS in 62 games with the Storm Chasers, ranking 3rd in the International League with 50 runs and 34 stolen bases and tied for 4th in hits…Taylor would become the second Royal to make his big league debut this season, following Austin Cox on May 4 vs. Baltimore.
In a corresponding move, infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton was optioned to Triple-A Omaha.
RISPY BUSINESS: The Royals went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position in Wednesday’s 7-4 loss to the Reds, continuing a season-long struggle in big moments…their .221 average in scoring position for the season ranks 28th in the Majors, ahead of only Detroit (.214) and San Diego (.199), and that includes a 10-for-64 (.156) skid with just 3 extra-base hits and 21 strikeouts in scoring situations during their current 9-game losing streak.
OFF BEAT: The Royals enjoyed their ninth off day yesterday and their fifth consecutive Thursday off…but those breaks, which have come often of late, are about to become very scarce, as tonight begins a stretch in which the Royals will play a game on 23 of the next 24 days, a run which will end with the All-Star break… their only break in the schedule over the next 24 days will come on Monday, June 26, following their next trip.
The Royals are 0-8 in games following an off day this season and have been outscored 49-24 (-25).
LEADS LOST: The Royals led 1-0 Tuesday night before Cincinnati’s 5-run 2nd inning, which led to Kansas City’s 24th blown lead loss of the season, which are now tied with St. Louis for the most in the Majors…the Royals have held a lead in 27 of their last 39 games (69.2%) since the start of May, but they’re 11-28 during that stretch with 16 blown lead losses, including 5 blown lead losses during their current 9-game losing streak.
The 24 blown lead losses through 68 games are two-thirds of the way to matching their 36 from last year.
The Royals are 5-20 when scoring in the 1st inning with 10 consecutive losses—including 3 of their last 4 games since last Sunday—and have not won when scoring in the 1st since May 10 vs. the White Sox.
TRIPLE THREAT: The Royals had 2 triples Wednesday night, their most in a game since last Sept. 3 in Detroit… they now lead the Majors with 18 triples this season, 2 more than Arizona and Philadelphia (16), and 6 more than Cleveland (12), the next closest American League team…Bobby Witt Jr. and Edward Olivares are tied for the American League lead with 4 triples, 1 ahead of Nicky Lopez, who has 3…Kansas City led the Majors with 38 triples last season for the first time since 2009 (51), and their 2,220 triples since 1969 are by far the most in the Majors, 133 more than Pittsburgh (2,087) and 294 more than Detroit (1,926), the next closest AL team.
WHAT A RELIEF!: Taylor Clarke worked around 2 hits and a walk in the 7th Monday night to extend his scoreless streak to 16.0 innings over 15 outings, a stretch in which opponents are batting .200 (11-for-55)…it’s the longest scoreless streak of his career, is tied with Bobby Miller for the longest active streak in the Majors and is the longest by a Royal since Brady Singer’s 18.2-inning scoreless streak from April 10-May 28 of last season.
VS. ANGELS: The Royals are hosting the Angels at Kauffman Stadium this weekend, after losing 2 of 3 in Anaheim in April…these two teams split the season series, 3-3, last year, as the Royals snapped a streak of three consecutive season series losses from 2018-19 and 2021, during which they went 5-14…the Royals are seeking their first season series win over the Angels since 2017, when they went 6-1, and would have to sweep this weekend to do so.
The Royals are 3-9 vs. American League West teams this season—in which they’ve been outscored 80-35 (-27) and have lost all four series.
ROYALS ON THE MEND: Center fielder Kyle Isbel, who has missed the last six-plus weeks with a strained left hamstring, continued his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha last night and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run, while playing 7.0 innings in center field…left-handed pitcher Angel Zerpa, who has been on the 60-day Injured List since March 15 with left rotator cuff tendinitis, began a rehab assignment last night with Double-A Northwest Arkansas…Zerpa allowed 1 hit and 1 walk with 1 strikeout in a scoreless 1st inning, during which he threw 26 pitches, including 14 strikes.
The Royals announced on Wednesday that Vinnie Pasquantino will have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder and will miss the rest of the season…he and Kris Bubic, who had Tommy John Surgery in April, are two Royals who have been ruled out for the rest of the season.
The Royals currently have a season-high 11 players on the Injured List, including six players who were on the Opening Day roster…as of this morning, only five teams in the Majors have more players listed on the Injured List: the Dodgers (13), Reds (13), Yankees (12) and Tigers (12)
TONIGHT’S STARTERS: RHP BRADY SINGER (4-5, 6.58)
BRADY SINGER is making his 14th start of the season and 77th of his career tonight vs. the Angels…it’s his 2nd start vs. the Halos and 1st since April 12, 2021…Singer is in his fourth season in the Majors and was selected by Kansas City in the 1st round (18th overall) of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Florida.
LAST START: Singer suffered his 5th loss in Kansas City’s 6-1 defeat in Baltimore last Saturday, in which he was charged with 4 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks in 4.1 innings, with 4 strikeouts…he allowed 3 walks and 2 run-scoring hits in a 39-pitch 1st inning, before retiring 11 of 13, a stretch in which the Orioles scored their 3rd run on a solo HR by Gunnar Henderson…Singer yielded back-to-back hits with 1 out in the 5th— including an RBI single by Austin Hays—before exiting in favor of Austin Cox, who struck out the next two batters to leave the inherited runner stranded at second.
I’M STILL STANDING: Following a breakout season in 2022, Brady has struggled through ups and downs this year, as he’s been charged with 4 earned runs in 7 of his 13 starts, something that happened in only 5 of his 24 starts last season…the Royals, predictably, are 1-6 in games that he allows at least 4 earned runs…but on the flip side, he’s held opponents to 2 earned runs or fewer in his other 6 starts, in which the Royals are 5-1…after going 2-4 with an 8.82 ERA (33 ER in 33.2 IP) and 7 HR allowed in his 1st 7 starts, he’s 2-1 with a 4.11 ERA (14 ER In 30.2 IP) with only 2 homers allowed in his last 6 starts…the Royals are 6-7 in his 13 starts overall.
WALK THIS WAY: Brady has recorded at least 5.0 innings without issuing a walk in 13 of his 37 starts since last season—including 4 such starts this year—matching Kevin Gausman, Aaron Nola and Jameson Taillon for the 2nd-most such starts in the Majors during that time, trailing only Corey Kluber (15)…but on the flip side, Singer has issued multiple walks in 8 of his 13 starts this season, matching his total of multi-walk starts from all of last season, when he made 24 starts…he’s walked 26 batters in 64.1 innings this year for a 3.64 BB/9, up from his 2.05 BB/9 last season.
CALL ME MAYBE: In 37 starts since his recall on May 17 of last season, Brady has induced a called strike on 703 of 3,517 pitches (20.0%), 4th most in the Majors behind Logan Webb (732), Aaron Nola (728) and Gerrit Cole (727)…Singer’s rate of 20.0% called strikes since May 17, 2022 leads the Majors (min. 2,500 pitches), ahead of Sonny Gray (17.6%), and since his 2020 debut season, Singer’s called-strike rate of 20.7% ranks 2nd in the Majors (min. 5,000 pitches), trailing only Adam Wainwright (21.0%).
CAN’T TOUCH THIS: Singer has recorded 402 strikeouts in 410.1 innings since his 2020 debut for an 8.8 K/9, which is the best rate in Royals history among pitchers who’ve started at least 70 games, ahead of Ian Kennedy (8.4), Jakob Junis (8.1) and Danny Duffy (8.1)…his 402 strikeouts are the most by a Royal through 79 career appearances, 3 more than Jakob Junis’ 399…to keep his lead through 80 career outings, Singer needs 2 strikeouts today to pass Steve Busby (403) and 5 to pass Junis (406).
DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’: Singer has had success in his career following a Royals loss, and he’ll attempt to be the stopper again tonight after Kansas City’s 7-4 defeat on Wednesday…in 48 career outings following a Royals loss, Singer is 17-12 with a 3.88 ERA (109 ER in 252.2 IP), and all 4 of his wins this year have followed a Royals loss.
CALLING ALL ANGELS: In his only previous start vs. the Angels on April 12, 2021, Brady suffered a 10-3 loss in which he was charged with 4 runs (1 ER) on 7 hits and no walks in 5.0 innings, with 6 strikeouts…Singer has had tough luck against the entire American League West division, which he’s 1-9 against in 14 career outings (13 starts) with a 4.98 ERA (40 ER in 72.1 IP), including 0-2 in 2 starts this season.
WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T GO HOME?: Singer is 2-3 with a 6.18 ERA (27 ER in 39.1 IP) in 8 starts at Kauffman Stadium this year, but has fared much better in his 4 most recent starts, during which he’s 1-0 with a 3.54 ERA (8 ER in 20.1 IP)…although the Royals have lost 5 of Singer’s last 7 starts in Kansas City, they are 22-20 in his 42 career starts at home, and Brady’s 15 wins in this ballpark since 2020 are the most in the Majors
