Things yet to click for Teheran with Angels

When the Angels signed Julio Teheran to a one-year deal this offseason, they were hopeful the veteran could help stabilize their rotation, as he had a career 3.67 ERA in nine years with the Braves.

But Teheran had a late start to the season after a bout with COVID-19 and has struggled so far, including again on Sunday in an 8-3 loss to the Dodgers at Angel Stadium. It sealed a three-game sweep in the Freeway Series for the Dodgers, as the Angels dropped 7-15 on the year, which ties a franchise worst for a 22-game start. It was the Dodgers’ first three-game sweep at Angel Stadium since Interleague Play began in 1997.

• Box score

"He just wasn't sharp and he'll be the first one to tell you that," Angels manager Joe Maddon said of Teheran. "He's still searching. Velocity ticked up to 91 [mph] but didn't have a lot of jump. Just got to keep throwing him out there, got to keep stretching him out and getting him back to where he had been. Because he's probably been more impacted by the late start than anybody, as far as I can see."

Teheran, making his third start, went 3 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk to fall to 0-2 with a 12.38 ERA. Teheran was lifted after throwing 60 pitches, as he walked Enrique Hernández with one out in the fourth and was replaced by Matt Andriese.

After the Angels took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single from Max Stassi, Teheran couldn’t come up with a shutdown inning. He was helped the inning prior by an outfield assist from Jo Adell to throw out Matt Beaty at second base before an injured Edwin Ríos could score from second. In the third, Teheran wasn’t as fortunate, starting out by giving up a solo homer to Keibert Ruiz in his first Major League at-bat. Three batters later, Teheran served up a two-run blast to Max Muncy on a 3-2 fastball.

"I made two mistakes," Teheran said. "At this level, when you make a mistake, they make you pay for it. Obviously, there were two homers, but other than that I felt I threw the ball well. It wasn't my best, but I went out there and competed."

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Teheran struck out Joc Pederson to open the fourth and didn’t seem pleased when he was removed from the game after his walk to Hernández. Andriese couldn’t stop the bleeding, giving up an RBI single to Mookie Betts, with the run getting charged to Teheran. Andriese then surrendered a three-run shot to Corey Seager that broke the game open at 7-2.

"I really thought Matty would have kept them down a little bit better than that," Maddon said. "Kind of felt good about it. They swing the bats well, they hit a couple mistakes."

Maddon was asked if the Angels are discouraged after their slow start to the truncated 60-game season and if there was any extra sting to getting swept by the rival Dodgers.

“I think our guys are fine,” Maddon said. “It's just that it's a different vibe in the ballpark, so it's going to feel that way even more. We've got to pitch. You don't win if you don't pitch. There's no way around it. We have to pitch better, starting and relieving. It always begins with that.”

The Angels were outscored by the Dodgers, 21-12, in the three-game series, with the Dodgers hitting seven homers, including four on Sunday. They play again at Dodger Stadium from Sept. 25-27 to conclude the regular season.

"I've seen them a lot over the past five years," Maddon said. "I know how good they are, played them in the playoffs often. Right now, they're better than us. There's no question. We have to get better. They primarily beat us pitching. They have a nice group on the field, but I like our group on the field, too. We'll play them again this year, see where we're at at the end of this season. Nobody's quitting here. We've got to keep fighting to get back to the point where we have been in the past.”