Jose Suarez extends surge, but Angels’ bats remain cold in loss to Astros

Suarez pitches five innings of one-run ball, but Taylor Ward’s leadoff homer is all the Angels can do against Astros starter Yusei Kikuchi and a trio of veteran relievers in a 3-1 defeat.

Sep 20, 2024 - 14:00

Jose Suarez extends surge, but Angels’ bats remain cold in loss to Astros

The Angels’ Taylor Ward, left, celebrates with teammate Logan O’Hoppe, center, as Ward returns to the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of their game against the Houston Astros on Thursday night in Houston. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)

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HOUSTON — Jose Suarez showed more promising signs in his return to the starting rotation, but the Angels were once again plagued by poor run support in Thursday night’s 3-1 loss to the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Jon Singleton provided the decisive margin with a two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning off Ryan Miller.

“Singleton won the battle,” Angels manager Ron Washington said after Miller’s 79-mile-per-hour sweeper was poked to left field.

Singleton’s opposite-field hit scored Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker, who had both walked. The Angels intentionally walked Victor Caratini with two outs to load the bases, which made it more likely for Singleton to get a pitch in the zone.

Nonetheless, the frustration was again primarily with a lack of offense. Since the All-Star break, the Angels rank last in MLB in batting average (.216) and are second-to-last in OPS (.644), and they’ve scored the third-fewest runs in baseball (215) over those 57 games.

That trend continued in Houston. Taylor Ward blasted his 25th home run of the season and his fifth leadoff blast (all of those in the past 19 games), tying him for fifth-most in MLB. However, that was the only offense the Angels could muster versus Astros starter Yusei Kikuchi and a trio of veteran relievers in Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu, and Josh Hader. Los Angeles struck out 11 times while walking only once and went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.

“We had some more opportunities to maybe scratch a run, here and there,” said Washington, whose team squandered a one-out Zach Neto double in the top of the eighth when Nolan Schanuel and Brandon Drury each grounded out. “We just couldn’t do it, and they got us in the [bottom].”

With Thursday’s loss, the Angels (62-91) had a two-game winning streak snapped, while the AL West-leading Astros (83-70) moved closer to clinching a fourth straight division title. They lead Seattle by five games with nine to play.

Hitting aside, there was plenty to like for the Angels. Making his second start of the year – both against the Astros – Suarez again kept them off-balance with five innings of one-run ball (none earned). The 26-year-old gave up three hits and two walks while striking out five, and he’s lowered his ERA from 8.15 to 6.08 since rejoining the Angels on Sept. 9.

In 12 September innings since being recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake, Suarez has allowed just that one unearned run while striking out 14 and allowing only eight hits.

“It’s confidence, 100 percent,” said Suarez, speaking through a translator, of what has changed. “Throw the baseball and don’t think too much. I don’t lose my focus.”

“He was able to take the adversity that happened to him and make it work in his favor,” said Washington, whose team designated Suarez for assignment in June. “Now, he’s pitching with intent.”

For Suarez, who hasn’t given up an earned run against a strong Astros lineup featuring the likes of Alvarez, Tucker, and Alex Bregman, it’s a confidence builder.

“It’s a good team full of great hitters,” Suarez said. “But you have to attack and execute your pitches, and I was good at that today. I was attacking with my fastball, sweeper, changeup, and slider. It was all working.”

In 2021 and 2022, Suarez posted a combined 3.86 ERA in 207.1 innings, with 34 of his 45 appearances coming as a starter. But he missed much of 2023 with shoulder problems, and he struggled in a relief role to start 2024 – which led to his demotion.

But after returning to health, he’s now seemingly returning to form, as well. Suarez said he expects to get another start before the season ends, and it will be one more opportunity to make an impression on the Angels before 2025.

“He battled,” Washington surmised of Suarez’s latest showing. “He used his changeup quite a bit. He pitched out there tonight, and to get through that lineup … it was stressful. It wasn’t easy. It might have looked easy, but it certainly wasn’t.”