Angels Run Into Alfonso Soriano’s Bat, Lose 11-3

Going into this game there might have been hope. Not hope for the season but hope that with Jered Weaver on the hill, the Angels could pull out a win and be in line to split the series against the New York Yankees.

Aug 14, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher (23) speaks with starting pitcher Jered Weaver (36) and catcher Chris Iannetta (17) on the mound against the New York Yankees during the second inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Then Jered Weaver was introduced to Alfonso Soriano in the first inning who promptly put a fastball down the middle over the fence with the bases loaded. An inning later and that score was multiplied thanks in part to a double by Soriano that knocked in two. By the end of the second inning,  the score was 8-0 Yankees and Soriano already had six RBI.

Ouch.

The injured Angels that featured an infield that included Andrew Romine and Grant Green put up a bit of a fight early on. They scored two runs in the third thanks to a pair of RBI singles from Mike Trout and Josh Hamilton. Trout would then knock in another one in the fifth. But like the story has gone for most of the Angels season, missed opportunities and poor pitching couldn’t keep the Angels in the game and things seemed over before they had hardly begun.

By the time Jered Weaver left the game, he had given up 9 earned runs. Strangely, the last time Weaver gave up 9 earned runs in a game was August 17th of last year (almost a year ago today) against the Tampa Bay Rays. His ERA shot up from 2.87 this year to 3.49 after tonight.

With the 11-3 lost, the Angels are now 13 games below .500. The last time the Angels this far under .500 in August was 1999.

Tomorrow C.J. Wilson takes the hill in hopes of stealing a win for the Angels in the businessman special (10:05 PST start time).