Soriano showcases 'nasty stuff' in shutdown performance

CLEVELAND -- It was exactly the type of outing the Angels envisioned from right-hander José Soriano after he was moved back to the rotation this season on the heels of a breakout rookie year in relief.

After turning in the shortest start of his young career in his last outing against the Twins on Saturday, Soriano bounced back with a strong showing against the first-place Guardians on Friday night. He dazzled with six scoreless innings, scattering five hits and a walk, to pick up his first career win as a starting pitcher in a 6-0 victory at Progressive Field. Soriano entered with an 0-4 record and a 4.76 ERA in six appearances (four starts) this season and earned one win in relief last year in 38 appearances, so it was a memorable night for the 25-year-old.

“It means a lot to me because I started my career as a starter [in the Minors],” Soriano said through interpreter Manny Del Campo. “And all I want to do is win games as a starter so it means a lot to me. I feel comfortable [as a starter] because I help the team win more.”

Soriano lacked command against Minnesota but regained it against the Guardians and showed off his elite arsenal of pitches. Soriano's sinker averaged 98.3 mph and reached as high as 100.2 mph, while he also threw 35 knuckle curveballs and eight splitters. His curve helped him generate nine swings and misses, including two key strikeouts to end the second and fifth innings.

“He's throwing nasty stuff up there,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “I mean, 95 mph splits and his fastball has a ton of sink to it, even at 97 to 100. It is tough to get under that. We hit a lot of balls hard tonight. Some on the ground. But that guy's got plus plus stuff. He threw a really good game tonight."

Soriano’s better control was evident from the start, as he threw 14 of his 17 pitches in the first inning for strikes after landing just 11 of his 27 pitches for strikes in the first inning against the Twins. He also threw first-pitch strikes to 12 of the 24 batters he faced.

He cruised early but found himself in a jam in the second after a throwing error from Zach Neto. But Soriano recovered to strike out Gabriel Arias on three straight curves to escape trouble.

“Unbelievable,” said center fielder Mickey Moniak. “I think the one that stands out was after Neto and [Nolan] Schanuel couldn’t make the play and then Sori comes back with three straight curveballs to punch him out. That's just kind of the dominance that he has. He’s gross. You throw a 100 and have a curveball like that, the sky's the limit.”

He also navigated another rough spot in the fifth, when he loaded the bases with two outs after walking Steven Kwan. But he got ahead of Andrés Giménez with two quick strikes and put him away with a perfectly executed breaking ball to get out of the inning unscathed.

Soriano went back out for the sixth on 73 pitches and worked around a one-out single from Josh Naylor to get through the frame on 15 pitches. He was efficient, needing 88 pitches to get through six innings, but wasn’t called on for the seventh, as the Angels turned to lefty Amir Garrett, who threw a scoreless frame on his 32nd birthday.

“He was very efficient but we had him targeted for a specific amount and he surpassed that after he gave us six innings,” manager Ron Washington said of Soriano. “That was good enough. He deserves credit for everything he did out there tonight. Keeping a team like that off the scoreboard. That wasn't easy, but he got it done.”

Soriano’s start was backed by a solo homer from Nolan Schanuel in the third, an RBI double from Logan O'Hoppe in the fourth and a three-run blast from Moniak later that inning. The Angels tacked on another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly from Taylor Ward. Soriano outdueled right-hander Tanner Bibee, who was 2-0 with a 3.45 ERA, but was tagged for a season-worst six runs on eight hits over five innings.

Schanuel, who worked an 11-pitch at-bat to open the game and is hitting .388 over his last 13 games after a slow start, said it felt good to support Soriano and help him get his first win of the year.

“He was awesome,” Schanuel said. “You could tell he went out there and competed with fire.”