Angels' Pivotal Pitching Choice Against Dominant Blue Jays
Angels Turn to Soriano in Crucial Matchup
The Los Angeles Angels are set to send Jose Soriano to the mound on Sunday afternoon, placing their hopes on the right-hander to prevent a potential three-game sweep by the Toronto Blue Jays, who are playing at home.
Soriano's Past Success Against Toronto
Although Soriano didn't get the win on April 22 in Anaheim, his strong outing contributed to the Angels' 7-3 victory over the Blue Jays in that series finale, helping them avoid a sweep. In that game, Soriano pitched five innings, allowing no runs and only seven hits. Throughout his career, he holds an impressive 0-0 record with a 3.09 ERA in three appearances, including two starts, against Toronto.
Recent Struggles and Soriano's Perspective
Despite his favorable history against the Blue Jays, Soriano (5-2, 1.74 ERA) has faced challenges in his last two starts, both resulting in losses to the Chicago White Sox. In a May 4 home game against Chicago, he gave up five runs, eight hits, and three walks over four innings in a 6-0 defeat. Reflecting on this performance, Soriano acknowledged the difficulty of facing the same team consecutively, noting, "It was just one of those days where you can't control the strike zone and they put good swings on it, too... But we have to continue to battle. I didn't have the result, but I battled to the end."
Blue Jays' Dominance in the Series
The Blue Jays have established their superiority by winning the first two games of the series, including a resounding 14-1 victory on Saturday. A decisive seven-run fifth inning sealed the deal, while the Angels compounded their difficulties with subpar fielding. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki commented on the Blue Jays' performance, stating, "It just seemed like everything they touched fell in... They do a good job of putting the ball in play and they found holes."
A Glimmer of Hope for the Angels
For the Angels, infielder Adam Frazier provided a brief highlight, doubling in the team's only run of the series as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning before pitching the bottom of the inning, where he conceded four runs. In another positive development, catcher Omar Martinez singled in his first major league at-bat as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning, having been called up from Triple-A Salt Lake to replace the injured Travis d'Arnaud.
Blue Jays' Pitching Strategy
The Blue Jays are expected to start with right-hander Spencer Miles (1-0, 3.50), followed by left-hander Eric Lauer (1-4, 6.03). Miles has a single career outing against the Angels, having thrown 1 1/3 scoreless relief innings in a 4-2 Toronto road win on April 21. Lauer, who allowed three runs in five innings in an April 22 start against the Angels, holds an 0-0 record with a 3.97 ERA in three career games, including two starts, against them.
Barger's Impressive Return for Toronto
Right fielder Addison Barger made a notable return to the Blue Jays' lineup on Saturday after recovering from a sprained ankle sustained on April 5. He made an immediate impact, drawing two walks and making an exceptional throw from right field to home plate, accurately catching Jorge Soler in the second inning after snagging Vaughn Grissom's line drive. Barger expressed his satisfaction, saying, "Throwing the ball from the outfield is one of my favorite things about the game." This throw, clocked at 101.2 mph, marks the hardest outfield assist in Major League Baseball this season and the hardest by a Toronto position player in the Statcast era (since 2015). Blue Jays manager John Schneider praised Barger's talent, noting, "He's got a great arm. People know that it's one thing to have a good arm. It's another thing to be accurate with it, too." Despite his defensive heroics, Barger went 0-for-3, bringing his season record to 1-for-22 (.045) in nine games. In a corresponding roster move, Toronto optioned outfielder Yohendrick Pinango to Triple-A Buffal
