MLB Preview: Los Angeles Angels (56-51) at Atlanta Braves (67-37)

LOS ANGELES ANGELS NOTES:

LEADING OFF: Today, the Angels play the eighth (5-2) of nine games on a road trip against the Detroit Tigers (3-0), Toronto Blue Jays (1-2) and Atlanta Braves (1-0; July 31-Aug. 2)…Halos went 6-3 on last homestand against the Astros (1-2), Yankees (3-0) & Pirates (2-1).

TODAY’S TRANSACTIONS: Today, the Angels selected the contract of OF Jordyn Adams…He was the Halos first round selection (17th overall) in the 2018 Draft out of Green Hope HS (Cary, NC)…In a corresponding move, INF Michael Stefanic was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake following last night’s game and OF Jo Adell has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.

MORE MOVES: Earlier today the Angels traded LHP Tucker Davidson to the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations…Also, INF Jared Walsh cleared outright waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake

WINNING MONTHS: Angels secured a winning record for July (12-11), after going 14-13 in June, 15-13 in May and 15-14 in March/April (15-13 in April)…Halos have a record above .500 in four straight months for the first time since April – July 2015.

CONGRATS GUBIE: Congratulations to Angels broadcaster Mark Gubicza on being honored by the Southern California Sports Broadcasters as the 2022 Television Analyst of the Year…He will be honored alongside the 2023 honorees at a ceremony in January.

LONG TIME COMING: 14 years after being draft by the Angels, Randal Grichuk made his debut with the team last night and homered in the game…Per ELIAS, he’s the 14th player all-time to go 14+ seasons between being drafted and hitting his first HR with that team.

YEARS BETWEEN ANGELS DRAFT SELECTION & DEBUT
Player LAA Draft Year LAA Debut Span

1. Randal Grichuk 2009 2023 14 years
   T2. Martín Maldonado 2004 2017 13 years
   T2. Jim Barr 1966 1979 13 years

THE INJURED LIST: Angels currently have 17 players on the injured list and have used the IL a total of 26 times this year for 24 different players…The 17 players currently on the IL are the most in the Majors.

PUSHING 40: Shohei Ohtani is one home run shy from recording his second career 40+ HR season (he hit 46 HR in 2021)…Would become the third player in Angels history with multiple 40+ HR seasons, joining Troy Glaus (2000 & 2001) and Mike Trout (2015, 2019 & 2022).

LEAGUE LEADER: As a hitter, Shohei Ohtani leads the Majors in home runs (39), total bases (268), XBH (63), slugging percentage (.680) and OPS (1.087) and is tied for the MLB lead in triples (7)…On the mound, he leads the Majors in opponent batting average (.185), is tied for fourth in strikeouts (156) and is ninth in WHIP
(1.07).

BACK ON TRACK: Angels have won 10 of their last 13 contests and have the best record in the Majors since the All-Star Break.

BEST RECORDS SINCE THE ALL-STAR BREAK

1. Angels 11-5 (.688)
   T2. Cubs 11-6 (.647)
   T2. Orioles 11-6 (.647)
2. Astros 10-6 (.625)
3. Mariners 10-7 (.588)

HOME RUN LEADERS: Angels lead the American League and rank third in the Majors with 166 home runs this season…Only the Braves (200) and Dodgers (168) have homered more.

VS. ATLANTA: The Angels are making their second ever visit to Truist Park…Braves won two of three head-to-head games last season at the ballpark…Angels lead the all-time series 10-9 (5-5 in Atlanta).

SPARKPLUG: With Zach Neto in the starting lineup, the Angels have a 36-25 record, including a 14-4 record in his last 18 starts.

RECORD SETTING PACE: Shohei Ohtani’s 39 home runs through the first 107 team games of the season are the most in Angels history (Ohtani held the previous record with 37 HR through 107 (and 108) team games in 2021).

ESTÉVEZ ENDING: Carlos Estévez is pitching to a 1.88 ERA (43 IP – 9 ER) and has converted all 23 of his save opportunities this year…He set 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).

THE MICK: Since July 2, Mickey Moniak is batting .322 (29/90) with five doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI…He had his career-high 18-game hit streak snapped on Saturday at Toronto

STRANDED: Over the last four games, Angels are 2-for39 with runners in scoring position and have left 45 total runners on base…This is the first time Angels
had four consecutive games with 10+ runners left on base since Aug. 23-26, 2005…LAA has never had a five-game streak.

SO EXTRA: Following Sunday’s 3-2 victory in 10 innings at Toronto, the Angels have now won each of their last five extra-inning contests (started the year 1-4 through first five extra-inning games)…This is Halos longest extra inning win streak since a five-game streak from Aug. 4, 2012 – April 23, 2013.

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – LHP PATRICK SANDOVAL
6-7, 4.13 ERA
Has allowed three-or-fewer earned runs in 13 of 18 starts this season

• TODAY’S GAME: Making 19th start of the season and 11th on the road…Is in fifth Major League season with Angels…Made third Opening Day roster (also, 2020 & 2022).
• LAST TIME OUT: Got the win in last start on July 27 (Game 2) at Detroit after tossing 5.0 innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
• HAT TRICK SANDOVAL: Looking to win three consecutive starts for the first time in his career after securing wins in his last two starts on July 27 (Game 2) at Detroit and July 18 vs. New York (A.L.)…Has pitched to a 2.19 ERA (12.1 IP – 3 ER) with 11 strikeouts and a .167 (7/42) opponent batting average in that span.
• GET SETTLED: This season, 13 of 51 (25%) of runs have come in the 1st inning and 19 (37%) in the 3rd inning.
• IN THE ARSENAL: This season, has thrown changeups 25.9% of the time and is holding opponents to a .172 (21/122) average with 39 strikeouts…Throws sliders 29.9% of the time, with opponents batting .271 (35/129) against the pitch.
• LEFT IN THE PARK: Since start of 2022, leads the Majors (min. 240 IP) with a 0.55 HR/9 innings rate…Has not allowed a home run to a left-handed batter since Aug. 13, 2021 (Kyle Tucker, HOU).
• GROUND RULES: This year, ranks fifth in the American League (min. 90 IP) with a 51.3% ground ball rate… Since start of 2022, ranks fourth in A.L. (min. 240 IP) with a 49.0% ground ball rate.
• GOOD NIGHT: This year, has a 3.05 ERA (62.0 IP – 21 ER) in night games, compared with a 6.00 ERA (36 IP – 24 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.
• INTERLEAGUE PLAY: In 19 career Interleague games (15 starts), is 3-7 with a 4.50 ERA (88 IP – 44 ER)…This year, is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA (21 IP – 7 ER) in four starts against N.L. opponents.
• VS. ATLANTA: Making second career appearance against Atlanta…Is 0-1 with a 15.00 ERA (3.0 IP – 5 ER) and four strikeouts against Atlanta following only previous start on July 23, 2022.
• AT TRUIST PARK: Took the loss in only prior start at Truist Park on July 23, 2022 after pitching 3.0 innings and surrendering five earned runs on eight hits, with two walks, and four strikeouts.
• HOT SUMMER: Pitched to a 2.08 ERA (17.1 IP – 4 ER) and .153 opponent batting average (9/59) with 16 strikeouts in three starts in July…Holds a 3.63 ERA (79.1 IP – 32 ER) and .220 opponent batting average (65/296) with 93 strikeouts in the month of July in his career.
• 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.

ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:

Vs. Lefties
The Braves tonight are set to face LH Patrick Sandoval for Los Angeles, the first left-handed starter to pitch against Atlanta since the Phillies’ Ranger Suárez on June 20. Each of Atlanta’s last 31 games have come versus a right-handed starter. The Braves have made just 18 starts this season against lefties, tied with Tampa Bay for fewest in the majors, and Atlanta’s .722 winning percentage (13-5) is also tied with the Rays for best in the majors. Dating to the start of the 2020 season, Atlanta’s 81-44 (.648) record against lefties is the best in baseball.

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and Angels tonight continue a three-game series in what are the only scheduled meetings between the clubs this season…Atlanta and Los Angeles last met here at Truist Park last year.

• The Braves took two-of-three from the Angels last season, in what was their first series since 2017… This marks this first time in history that Atlanta and Los Angeles have met in consecutive seasons.
• Atlanta and Los Angeles have met just 19 times since the advent of interleague play in 1997, with the Braves going 9-10 (.473) against the Angels following last night’s loss…Neither club has ever swept the other, and the two have alternated series wins, two-games-to-one, in each of the six total series they have played.
• The Braves’ series versus the Angels here at Truist Park last year was the only set between the two clubs here since the stadium was built in 2017…Atlanta is 5-5 all-time in its home stadium against Los Angeles.
• RH Spencer Strider has never faced the Angels, but has pitched against five current members of Los Angeles’ roster…Those five are a combined 3-for-16 (.188) against him with 10 strikeouts… The 6-foot-0, 195-pound right-hander has made a career-most 21 starts for the Braves this season, going 11-3 with a 3.73 ERA (51 ER/123.0 IP) and 199 strikeouts.
• LH Patrick Sandoval has made one career start against Atlanta, here at Truist Park last season, and allowed eight hits and five runs over just 3.0 innings (15.00 ERA) to take the loss…The 6-foot3, 190-pound native of Mission Viejo, CA, is 6-7 over 18 starts for the Angels this season, pitching to a 4.13 ERA (45 ER/98.0 IP).

LOSS: Atlanta collected just four hits and one run in a loss, 4-1, to Los Angeles last night…The loss snapped the Braves’ three-game winning streak after a sweep Of the Brewers last weekend.

• Atlanta batted .406 (41-for-101) in the series against Milwaukee, with 11 homers and 29 runs scored…The Braves went just 4-for-30 (.133) with a homer last night.
• Matt Olson accounted for Atlanta’s only run with a solo homer in the fifth inning, the 200th home run of the season for the Braves…In doing so, they join the 2019 Minnesota Twins (209) as the only teams in MLB history to reach 200 home runs before August.
• Atlanta this season is the second-fastest, by games played (104), that any club has reached the 200 home run plateau in a single season…Minnesota did so in 103 games in 2019…For Atlanta, it bests the 2019 club that accomplished the feat in game No. 126.
• Michael Harris II went 0-for-3 to snap his majors-best 12-game hitting streak.

STRIDER STRIKEOUTS: Spencer Strider enters tonight’s start with 199 strikeouts on the season, most in the majors…No Atlanta pitcher has led the majors in strikeouts since John Smoltz in 1996 (276).

• Through 21 starts and 123.0 innings, he is on pace to fan 310 batters on the season…No pitcher has reached the 300-strikeout threshold since Justin Verlander in 2019…Smoltz’s 276 strikeouts in 1996 stand as the modern-era franchise record.
• Strider fanned 10 batters in his last start, July 26 at Boston, and has struck out at least 10 in each of his last four turns…It is the longest double-digit
  strikeout streak in franchise history…Since the date of his first major league start, May 30, 2022, he has 15 double-digit strikeout performances…That total is the most such games in the majors.
• Strider enters tonight’s game with 199 strikeouts… He is looking to break his own record of quickest to 200 strikeouts in a single season since the mound moved to its current distance in 1893, a mark he set last year when he recorded 200 strikeouts in 130.0 innings…He enters tonight’s start with 123.0 innings…Hall-of-Famer LHP Randy Johnson held the previous record, reaching 200 strikeouts in 130.2 innings in 2001.
• With one strikeout tonight, Strider will become the fifth pitcher since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893 to collect at least 200 strikeouts in his first two full major league seasons… The last to do so was Yu Darvish, who struck out 221 in 2012 and 277 in 2013…The others to accomplish the feat were Hideo Nomo, Dwight Gooden and Herb Score.
• Strider is also looking to become just the fourth Braves pitcher since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1983 to record multiple 200-strikeout seasons…Teammate Charlie Morton has two, while Phil Niekro had three and John Smoltz had five.

MATT OLSON: Had two of Atlanta’s four hits last night, going 2-for-2 with his 36th home run of the season…Olson’s 36 home runs are the most in the N.L. and trail just the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani (39) – who Atlanta will see this series – for most in the majors.

• Olson’s 36 on the season stand as the most before August in Atlanta-franchise history…Andrés Galarraga held the previous mark with 33…Olson is pacing for a franchise-record 56 home runs this season.
• In 36 games since moving out of the No. 2 spot in the batting order, Olson is hitting .328/.404/.803 with 18 homers (most in the N.L., tied for most in the majors) and 44 RBI (most in the majors).

A.J. MINTER: Was reinstated from the 15-day injured list prior to last night’s game and pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

• In his last 21 games dating to May 27, he has pitched
  to a 1.47 ERA (3 ER/18.1 IP) with 22 strikeouts
  and three saves.

Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #99 Spencer Strider RHP
2023 Record: 11-3, 3.73 ERA • 2022 Record: 11-5, 2.67 ERA
vs. RHB: .214 (49-229), 10 HR • vs. LHB: .212 (49-for-231), 8 HR
Home: 4-2, 4.45 ERA (32/64.2) • Away: 7-1, 2.93 ERA (19/58.1)

Tonight’s Game

• Strider is set to make his 22nd start this year and first of his career against LA (AL).
• Leads the majors with 199 strikeouts (TOR Kevin Gausman ranks second with 162).
• His 15 games with at least 10 strikeouts are the second most in MLB history (1901) through a player’s first 41 starts; trails only Dwight Gooden (17).
• His streak of four consecutive games with at least 10 strikeouts is tied with San Diego’s Blake Snell for the longest in the Majors; it is the longest active streak.
• Passed Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz’ (3) for the longest such streak in franchise history.
• Has struckout at least nine in seven consecutive starts, the longest streak in the majors this season.
• Strider broke his own record for longest such streak in the majors this season.
• Strider’s two seperate five and seven-game streaks of at least nine strikeouts are the longest in baseball this year.
• Strider now has nine double-digit strikeout effort this season; only Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz (12) has more in a single season in franchise history.
• Strider’s 11 wins are tied for the most in the majors.
• Joined Denny Neagle and Hall-of-Famer Greg Maddux as the only Atlanta-franchise pitchers to have at least 11 wins and two losses or less before the All-Star break.
• Leads all qualified starters with a rate of 14.56 strikeouts per nine innings this season.
• His swing and miss rate of 40.0% is the highest in the majors (among QS).
• Strider’s 52.3% rate of pitches in the zone is the fifth highest in the National League among qualifiers.

2023 Recap

• Strider’s 354 strikeouts through his first 40 career starts are the most by any pitcher since the mound was set to it’s current distance in 1893, credit ESPN Stats.
• Became the first Braves pitcher to enter the All-Star break leading the National League in Strikeouts with 166 since Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz in 1996.
• Strider passed Smoltz (149) for the most strikeouts before the All-Star break.
• Strider joined Cy Young award winner, Dwight Gooden as the only pithcers in the modern era to reach 300 strikeouts in their first 35 career starts.
• Through the 35 starts, Gooden recorded 302 strikeouts in 248.0 innings pitched while Strider logged 301 punchouts in 192.0 frames.
• His 136 punchouts are the mosth in Braves franchise history through a pitcher’s first 15 games to start a season…HOF’er John Smoltz struck out 125 in 1996.
• Struckout Nick Castellanos in the fourth inning on May 28 to become the fastest starting pitcher, by innings pitched (61.0), to reach 100 strikeouts in a season, since the mound was moved to its current distance in 1893…Strider bested his own franchise record, set last season in 64.2 innings. (Research courtesy of Elias)
• Struckout J.T. Realmuto to reach 300 on his career.
• Strider became the 13th player in major league history to record at least 300 strikeouts in 44 career appearances or less and first since Shane Bieber in 2018.
• Of the other 12 pitchers, Strider is the only one to have more than two relief appearances in his first 44 outings.
• Snapped a streak of 12 consecutive games with at least eight strikeouts on May 17.
• Tied Hall-of-Famers Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson for the seventh longest such streak in the live ball era.
• Only Hall-of-Famers Ryan, Johnson, Pedro Martínez and active pitchers Corey Kluber and Shane Bieber have longer streaks.
• Struck out 12 hitters on May 12 at Toronto, giving Strider nine games of at least 10 strikeouts; the most through a player’s first 41 appearances in franchise history(1901).
• The next closest were Brandon Beachy, Tommy Hanson, and Julio Teheran with three each in their first 41 outings.
• Tied with Noah Syndergaard, Kerry Wood, and Al Downing for seventh most in MLB history (dating to 1901) through a player’s first 41 games.
• Recorded a streak of nine consecutive games with at least nine strikeouts between 9/1/22-5/1/23; it is tied for third-longest such streak in the modern era (1900).
• Passed Hall-of-Famer John Smoltz for the longest streak in franchise history.
• Carried a perfect game into the seventh inning on April 24against Miami until he lost his bid on a Matt Olson error