LOS AANGELES ANGELS NOTES:
LEADING OFF: Happy 29th Birthday to Shohei Ohtani!… Today, the Angels play the third (0-2) of five road games on the final road trip of the first half against the Padres (0-2; July 3-5) and Dodgers (July 7-8)…Halos went 3-4 on last homestand against the White Sox (2- 2) and Diamondbacks (1-2).
TODAY’S TRANSACTIONS: Today the Angels recalled RHP Zack Weiss from Triple-A Salt Lake…In a corresponding move, RHP Gerardo Reyes was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake following last night’s game.
THE INJURED LIST: Angels currently have 14 players on the injured list and have used the IL a total of 21 times this year for 20 different players…The 14 players
currently on the IL are tied with the Red Sox and Dodgers for the most in the Majors.
LEAGUE LEADER: As a hitter, Shohei Ohtani leads the Majors in home runs (31), total bases (217), XBH (51), slugging percentage (.658) and OPS (1.045) and is tied for the MLB lead in triples (5)…On the mound, he ranks second in the Majors in opponent batting average (.189) and is third in strikeouts (132).
REID THIS: Sunday was the fifth straight game for Reid Detmers with 8+ strikeouts and two-or-fewer runs allowed…The only other player in Angels history with such a streak was Nolan Ryan (seven games; his final three games in 1972 and first four in 1973).
ESTÉVEZ ENDING: This season, Carlos Estévez is pitching to a 1.85 ERA (34 IP – 7 ER) and has converted all 21 of his save opportunities…He holds the franchise
record for consecutive save chances converted to begin a season (previously Lee Smith converted his first 19 chances in 1995)…The only player in Angels history with a longer save streak without a blown save at any point in a season is Francisco Rodriguez (25 game streak in 2008 and a 22 game streak spanning 2005-06).
STARTING STRONG: Since June 13, the Angels rotation ranks fourth in the Majors with a combined 3.72 ERA (113.2 IP – 47 ER).
VS. SAN DIEGO: Today is the third (0-2) and final meeting this season between the Angels and Padres… Only previous time the Angels were swept by San Diego in a three game series was July 18-20, 1999 at Angel Stadium…The clubs are facing off for the first time since 2021 when the season series was split 2-2 (1-1 at each ballpark)…Angels lead the all-time series 21-20 (11-9 at Petco Park).
INTERLEAGUE PLAY: LAA owns a 272-237 (.534) all-time Interleague record (11-14 in 2023)…The 272 all-time Interleague wins are third most all time behind Red Sox (299) and Yankees (294).
WINNING MONTHS: Angels secured a winning record for June (14-13), after going 15-13 in May and 15-14 in March/April (15-13 in April)…Halos have a record
above .500 in three straight months for the first time since May – July 2019.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – LHP PATRICK SANDOVAL
4-7, 4.57 ERA
Has allowed three-or-fewer earned runs in 10 of 15 starts this season
- TODAY’S GAME: Making 16th start of the season and ninth on the road…Is in fifth Major League season with Angels…Made third Opening Day roster (also, 2020 & 2022).
- LAST TIME OUT: Took the loss in last start Thursday vs. White Sox after tossing 5.0 innings and allowing seven earned runs on eight hits with two walks and eight strikeouts…Six of the seven runs came in the 3rd inning.
- BACK IN THE WIN COLUMN: Earned the win on June 16 at Kansas City after tossing 7.0 scoreless innings…First scoreless start of the season and snapped streak of five straight starts with a losing decision.
- GET SETTLED: This season, of 46 runs allowed, 12 (26%) have come in the 1st inning and 15 (33%) in the 3rd.
- IN THE ARSENAL: This season, has thrown changeups 26.0% of the time and is holding opponents to a .200 (21/105) average with 29 strikeouts…Throws sliders 29.4% of the time, with opponents batting .269 (29/108) against the pitch.
- 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 0.55 HR/9 innings rate.
- GOOD NIGHT: This year, has a 3.44 ERA (49.2 IP – 19 ER) in night games, compared with a 6.39 ERA (31 IP – 22 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.
- VS. SAN DIEGO/AT PETCO PARK: Today is second career appearance (first start) vs. Padres…Is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA (3 IP – 0 ER)…Earned first win of Major League career in only previous game vs. Padres on Sept. 23, 2020 at Petco Park, after tossing 3.0 scoreless innings in relief allowing two hits and no walks with five SO.
- INTERLEAGUE PLAY: In 18 career Interleague games (14 starts), is 3-7 with a 4.66 ERA (83 IP – 43 ER)…This year, is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA (16 IP – 6 ER) in three 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).
- 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
SAN DIEGO PADRES NOTES:
On Independence Day, Musgrove bests Ohtani as Padres take series
- Joe Musgrove got the win (now 7-2) after going 7.0 innings with 1 run allowed on 3 hits with 11 strikeouts and just 1 walk… it was Joe’s 5th career outing in which he went as many innings (7.0) with as many strikeouts (11) and his 1st time since July 29, 2021 vs. COL.
- Both Manny Machado and Jake Cronenworth had 3-hit games, and Cronenworth had 2 doubles and a homer off Shohei Ohtani, becoming the 1st player to ever have a 3 XBH game against him…Xander Bogaerts hit a 2-run home run in the 6th before Cronenworth’s solo shot, as the Padres went back-to-back for the 3rd time in the last 4 games.
- Last night, Petco Park welcomed 44,725 patrons, the 35th sellout of the season…in the last 2 days, Petco Park has seen 89,826 fans through the gates.
Padres looking for their 1st sweep at Petco this year
- San Diego has not swept a team in a series longer than 2 games so far this year (only sweep was their 2-games vs. San Francisco in Mexico City from April 29-30)… the Friars’ last sweep at Petco Park was from June 20-22 vs. Arizona…they also haven’t had a winning streak longer than 3 games in 2023 (done 4x, last from June 7-10).
Padres go back-to-back in 3 of their last 4 games for 1st time in team’s history
- The Padres hit back-to-back homers on Saturday, July 1 @ Cincinnati (Juan Soto and Manny Machado) and then again the next day on Sunday (Ha-Seong Kim and Fernando Tatis Jr.)…San Diego against went back-to-back for the 3rd time in the last 4 games with Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth in the 6th inning, making it the 1st time in club history that they had back-to-back homers in 3 games in any 4-game span within the same season…they’re the 1st team do have such a 4-game stretch this year and the 1st to do so overall since the Atlanta Braves from June 12-15 last year (Elias).
San Diego hurler’s 39 quality starts lead the National League
- With Joe Musgrove going 7.0 innings with 1 run allowed yesterday, it was his 7th quality start and a National League-leading 39th overall from San Diego starters…Musgrove ranks behind just Blake Snell and Michael Wacha’s 9 quality starts for the most on the staff (today’s starter, Seth Lugo, has made 6 QS so far).
- Yesterday’s win broke up a streak of 3 straight quality outings that the Padres had lost (are 23-16 overall when their starters are quality).
Padres 87 extra-base hits off southpaws ranks T-2nd in MLB
- The Padres 86 extra-base hits vs. LHP rank tied with the Phillies for the 2nd most of any team in the big leagues, behind just teh Nationals’ 89 XBH…they have hit a 35 homer runs off left-handed pitchers this year, the 4th most in the Majors.
- The Friars are .500 this year (15-15) when facing a lefty starter and they’re just 25-31 when facing a right-handed starter.
Mud’s tradeversary
- On July 5, 1987, in one of the bigger trades negotiated by former Padres’ General Manager Jack McKeon, the Padres acquire third baseman Chris Brown and pitchers Mark Davis, Mark Grant and Keith Comstock from the Giants for pitchers Dave Dravecky and Craig Lefferts and outfielder Kevin Mitchell.
STARTER – SETH LUGO #67
Lugo set for 2nd career app, 1st career start vs. LAA
33-year-old Seth Lugo’s lone appearance vs. LAA came in a relief role last sesaon on June 12, tossing 1.1 scoreless/hitless innings and earning a hold in the Mets’ 4-1 win on June 12, 2022 @ Angel Stadium.
Lugo allows 1 unearned run, strikes out 6 in 3rd career start vs. CIN
Lugo left last Friday’s contest at CIN with the game tied 1-1, having allowed just the 1 unearned run across 6.0 IP, striking out 6 and walking 0 in SD’s eventual 7-5 defeat…he lowered his ERA vs. CIN to 0.92 in his 16 career appearances (3 starts) vs. the Reds, which is his lowest ERA against any club he’s made at least 3 appearances against.
Limiting the free passes
Lugo has walked 2-or-fewer in 10 of his 11 starts in ’23, including 4 starts with 0 free passes (4/2 vs. COL, 4/27 @ CHC, 6/25 vs. WSH and June 30 @ CIN)…the 4 starts with 0 walks allowed over 5.0+ IP is T-4th most among all NL pitchers this season..he ranks in the 93rd percentile in BB%, and his 5.0 BB% is the 2nd-lowest in his career, trailing only 2019 (5.1%).
The IL stint
Lugo was placed on the 15-day IL on May 18 after straining his right calf attempting to cover first base in his 8th start of the season on May 16 vs. KC…reinstated Tues, June 20.
Pitch counts
Among all qualifying pitchers from Opening Day through May 3, which were 6 starts for Lugo, his 98.3 pitches per game were T-5th most in the Majors with Zack Wheeler…in his 5 outings since May 10 @ MIN, he’s averaged 74 pitches thrown.
Inside the curve
Just like in 2022, Lugo again ranks in the 99th percentile in curveball spin rate, averaging 3,239 rpm, but opponents are hitting .309 against it compared to the .159 clip against it last season…he is averaging 61.4 inches of vertical drop on his curve – which is the 5th-highest vertical drop – and an average of 7.8 inches and 15% more drop – of all ML curveballs.
Interleague
In his 37 career Interleague appearance (9 starts), Lugo has gone 7-6 with a 3.95 ERA and .236 AVG against…has made 2 Interleague starts so far this season (May 10 @ CIN and May 16 vs. KC), going 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA and .281 AVG against.
