Canning's start spirals in tough loss to Braves

ANAHEIM -- It’s been a tough season for Angels right-hander Griffin Canning and it hit a low point on Saturday night, when he gave up a career-worst seven runs in 4 1/3 innings to the Braves. It topped his previous high of six runs allowed, which he had done six times, including on three occasions this year.

Canning was hit hard, surrendering eight hits, including two homers and a double in an 11-3 loss at Angel Stadium. Canning fell to 4-11 with a 5.41 ERA in 25 starts, as he’s given up an American League-high 80 earned runs this year. He’s been healthy and durable, which has helped a thin rotation, but it’s been an otherwise frustrating and inconsistent year for Canning.

“It’s a tough game and it’s a good lineup that hits any mistakes,” Canning said. “They had a good approach. It's been really tough. It’s not fun to go out there and be putting the team down, especially against a guy like Chris Sale on the other side. But I’m trying to stay optimistic and keep working.”

Canning’s season has been a bit of a roller coaster, as he had a 7.45 ERA through his first six starts before righting the ship at the start of May and registering a 3.48 ERA over his next 11 outings through the end of June. But since the calendar turned to July, Canning has posted a 7.09 ERA over his last eight starts.

He had been pitching a bit better recently since working to fix his mechanics in early August and he had a 3.75 ERA in 12 innings over his last two outings. But Canning clearly didn’t have it against Atlanta, getting hit hard from the jump.

After facing just three batters, Canning already found himself in a 3-0 hole, as he gave up a double to Michael Harris II, a single to Austin Riley and a three-run homer to Marcell Ozuna on a 2-2 slider that hung over the middle of the plate. It’s been an issue for Canning this year, allowing a combined 26 runs over 25 opening frames this year.

“To lead off the game, I was happy with where the changeup was,” Canning said. “It was just a good piece of hitting. I fell behind Riley and Ozuna fouled off a couple two-strike pitches before I made a mistake. So I don’t know what the first inning thing has been this year.”

He gave up another run in the second, keyed by a stolen base from Whit Merrifield with two outs and an RBI single from Harris. He faced the minimum in the third and fourth innings, including inducing a double-play grounder to end the third. But things got ugly in the fifth and the Angels couldn’t recover.

It started with a leadoff homer from Merrifield on a 3-2 fastball on the inside part of the plate. It broke a streak of 10 straight starts without allowing more than one homer and was a harbinger of things to come, although much of the damage occurred after Canning left the game.

Canning, though, gave up a single to Harris and walked Ozuna with one out and was removed after having thrown 94 pitches. Reliever Mike Baumann came in, but scuffled, giving up a two-run double to Travis d'Arnaud on a ball that center fielder Kevin Pillar almost snared with a diving attempt. Instead, it hit off Pillar's glove and Ramón Laureano followed with a two-run blast to make it a five-run inning.

“If Pillar makes that catch, those five runs aren’t on the board,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “But it just got away from us.”

It was more than enough offense for Sale, as the Angels didn’t score against the NL Cy Young contender until the sixth. Pillar, who played with Atlanta last year, got the Angels on the board with an RBI double into the left-field corner before scoring on a wild pitch. But it was all they could muster against Sale, who was handed a nine-run lead and struck out 10 over six strong frames.

“He’s the type of pitcher that if he gets a lead, he knows how to take it to the house,” Washington said. “But I tell you what, if we could’ve held that game there and not give up those five runs in the fifth, it would’ve been a ballgame. That kind of guy, you have to stay in there and keep grinding until you get to the bullpen, but we couldn’t stay in there. We just couldn’t stop them.”