\n Sports
\n \u00b7
\n 6 min read\n <\/p>\n
\n Jose Soriano\u2019s historic start and Chris Sale\u2019s rare struggles highlight a 6-2 Angels victory, with Atlanta\u2019s key hitters searching for answers ahead of the next game. <\/p>\n
The Atlanta Braves found themselves facing a formidable challenge on Monday night at Angel Stadium, as the Los Angeles Angels delivered a statement win, defeating the Braves 6-2 in a game that showcased the brilliance of Angels pitcher Jose Soriano and exposed some early-season vulnerabilities for Atlanta\u2019s rotation and lineup. The April 7, 2026, matchup was expected to be a test for both teams, but the narrative quickly shifted as Soriano\u2019s historic start and Chris Sale\u2019s rare struggles became the focal points of the evening.<\/p>\n
Coming into the contest, the Braves were riding the momentum of a strong 6-2 start to their season, boasting the best ERA in Major League Baseball despite a depleted rotation. Manager Walt Weiss had recently described Chris Sale, the veteran left-hander, as \u201csick as a dog\u201d just five days prior, yet Sale took the mound determined to anchor a staff missing key arms, including Spencer Strider due to an oblique strain. Sale\u2019s velocity was on full display early, touching 97.5 mph in the first inning, and he opened with a warrior mentality that Weiss had praised before the game.<\/p>\n
Despite giving up a leadoff home run to Zach Neto on a 95.3 mph fastball, Sale responded with authority, striking out the side in the first frame. The Angels\u2019 lineup, however, came prepared with a collective approach. Jo Adell, who struck out in the opening inning, later explained, \u201cHe\u2019s a strikeout pitcher, and there\u2019s a lot of swing and miss on all of his stuff. And so we were just trying to tunnel the zone and find pitches that we thought we could hit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sale\u2019s command, which had been a stabilizing force for Atlanta, began to waver dramatically in the fourth inning. After hitting Jorge Soler with a slider to start the frame, Sale allowed a single to Adell, then walked Jeimer Candelario and Logan O\u2019Hoppe on a combined nine pitches, forcing in a run and giving the Angels a 2-1 lead. Sale\u2019s frustration was palpable as he paced behind the mound, visibly searching for answers. Next, he hit Yo\u00e1n Moncada with another slider, forcing in a second run, and then Bryce Teodosio grounded an RBI infield single. Incredibly, the Angels scored three runs in that 28-pitch inning without recording a single hard-hit ball or Sale recording an out.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on his performance, Sale was candid and self-critical. \u201cJust bad command,\u201d Sale said after the game. \u201cKind of one of those rare nights where it\u2019s going left, it\u2019s going right, and just kind of standing out there not really knowing how to fix the problem I was having. I didn\u2019t help myself at all.\u201d Sale refused to cite his recent illness as an excuse, adding, \u201cThere\u2019s no leeway. I expect to do well every time I step foot [on the mound]. I know those are unrealistic expectations, but I can\u2019t find a single person in this room that would be okay with going out there and doing what I did tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manager Walt Weiss, while acknowledging the disappointment, emphasized that such nights are rare for a pitcher of Sale\u2019s caliber. \u201cHe\u2019s like a lot of the great ones and he\u2019s harder on himself than anybody,\u201d Weiss remarked. \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019s going to beat himself up a little bit because that\u2019s just who he is. But I can\u2019t wait to see him pitch again the next time out.\u201d Sale finished his outing with six earned runs allowed on five hits over four-plus innings, recording seven strikeouts and two walks, with 51 of his 77 pitches going for strikes.<\/p>\n
The short start by Sale put immediate pressure on an Atlanta bullpen that has already been stretched thin during a grueling 13-game stretch without an off-day. Relievers Joel Payamps, Aaron Bummer, and Osvaldo Bido combined for four innings of one-run relief, doing their best to keep the Braves within striking distance. Mauricio Dub\u00f3n added a solo home run in the ninth inning, but it proved to be little more than a consolation as the Angels\u2019 lead remained secure.<\/p>\n
On the other side, it was Jose Soriano\u2019s night to shine. The Angels\u2019 starter was dominant from the outset, pitching eight innings of three-hit baseball and striking out 10 Braves batters. Soriano\u2019s performance was not only pivotal in securing the win but also historic, as he became just the fourth pitcher in Angels franchise history to meet certain statistical thresholds in each of his first three starts of a season. His emergence as an elite talent in the league is quickly becoming one of the top stories of the young MLB season.<\/p>\n
Even Braves manager Walt Weiss, known for his reluctance to praise opposing players, couldn\u2019t help but acknowledge Soriano\u2019s display. \u201cIt\u2019s some of the best stuff you\u2019ll see in this league. You hate giving credit to opposing pitchers, but sometimes you have to. That was big-time stuff right there,\u201d Weiss admitted postgame.<\/p>\n
The defeat dropped Atlanta\u2019s record to 6-5, a sharp contrast to their early 6-2 surge. Key hitters such as Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. continued their early-season struggles, with Riley failing to record a hit in Monday\u2019s contest. The Braves\u2019 offense, which had been a strength during their hot start, sputtered against Soriano\u2019s blend of velocity and command.<\/p>\n
For the Angels, the victory not only showcased Soriano\u2019s potential but also demonstrated the lineup\u2019s ability to capitalize on opportunities, even when the hits weren\u2019t coming hard or fast. The fourth inning rally, built on patience and timely execution, underscored the team\u2019s depth and discipline at the plate. As Adell explained, the team\u2019s approach was simple but effective: \u201cWe were just trying to tunnel the zone and find pitches that we thought we could hit.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the loss, the Braves now face the challenge of bouncing back in the second game of the series, scheduled for Tuesday evening. The pressure is on for Atlanta to rediscover their form, both on the mound and at the plate, as they look to avoid a prolonged slump. Meanwhile, the Angels will aim to build on their momentum, buoyed by Soriano\u2019s breakout and a lineup that\u2019s finding ways to win, even against some of the league\u2019s toughest pitching.<\/p>\n
As the dust settles on a night that featured both a pitching masterclass and a rare off-night for one of the game\u2019s fiercest competitors, both teams are left with plenty to consider. For the Braves, the hope is that Sale\u2019s struggles are indeed an outlier, while for the Angels, the sky may be the limit if Soriano continues to dazzle. The series continues, with all eyes on how each side responds to a night that won\u2019t soon be forgotten in Anaheim.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sports \u00b7 6 min read Jose Soriano\u2019s historic start and Chris Sale\u2019s rare struggles highlight a 6-2 Angels…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":259168,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164],"class_list":["post-259167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259167"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259167\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}