'A lot of potential': Davidson grinds out 6 1/3 despite rough 2nd

ANAHEIM -- It's been a learning experience for Angels lefty Tucker Davidson since he was acquired from the Braves as part of the trade that sent Raisel Iglesias to Atlanta on Aug. 2.

Davidson set a career high by going 6 1/3 innings against the Astros, but he gave up seven runs on seven hits and two walks in a 9-1 loss on a hot Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium. He was hurt by a five-run second inning, but he settled down before giving up a two-run homer to Jose Altuve that knocked him out of the game with one out in the seventh.

"It was kind of a roller coaster of a day,” Davidson said. “It started out really good. The second inning was bad, and then I figured out how to get into the seventh, which I thought was big from a team aspect, because it helps the bullpen. I think the biggest thing is to minimize [damage] when I can, and I did that after the second inning."

Davidson, 26, has made five starts with the Angels since the trade, posting a 6.39 ERA with 15 strikeouts and 16 walks in 25 1/3 innings. He had been pitching better recently with a 3.00 ERA over his past three starts, but he was again hurt by command problems in Sunday’s series finale, as he walked two and hit a batter.

Interim manager Phil Nevin said the key for Davidson going forward is to trust his stuff in the strike zone, as he pitched much better when he was ahead in the count as the game went along.

"I thought overall, he was in the zone more, which is something that he's going to have to do,” Nevin said. “Walks are going to hurt you. It happened in the second, and it got [the Astros] going."

As Nevin noted, Davidson opened the second inning by walking Trey Mancini, and it immediately came back to haunt him, as he gave up a two-run homer to Kyle Tucker on a first-pitch breaking ball to give the Astros an early lead. After Davidson gave up a single to Yuli Gurriel, he hit Mauricio Dubón with a fastball to put two runners on with one out. It spiraled from there, as he gave up back-to-back doubles to David Hensley and Altuve to bring home three runs. But Nevin pointed out Hensley’s double was just in the right spot, as it got by third baseman Matt Duffy after a tricky hop.

“The second inning just got away from [Davidson],” Nevin said. “The walk and then the home run, and then he hit a guy. The grounder at third, it's not an easy play, and Duffy said it took an in-between hop. But if he touches third and goes to first, that inning could've been different. That ball wasn't hit hard. But [Davidson] gathered himself and had a nice run from the third to the seventh.”

To Davidson’s credit, he did help the bullpen by turning it around and pitching into the seventh despite his rough second inning. After Altuve’s double in the second, he retired 14 of the next 15 batters he faced until he gave up a leadoff single to Dubón in the seventh on an 0-1 fastball. Davidson got Hensley to ground out but then served up a two-run homer to Altuve on a 1-0 four-seamer that knocked him from the game.

"I didn't think Altuve's homer was going to get out, but it did,” Nevin said. “But [Davidson] threw the ball well, and there were a lot of good moments for him, but the second [inning] obviously wasn't. You see something there. A lot of potential. I like his stuff. I think each time out has been a learning experience for him, and he's gotten better. Overall, you saw a lot of potential with his arm. He's still growing and maturing as a player. He's someone very exciting for us."

Davidson threw 88 pitches (62 strikes) and had some success with his slider, throwing it 41 times and getting eight swings and misses with it. But he only registered two whiffs with his four-seamer and none on his curveball. He also mixed in 10 changeups, which is a pitch he has been working on recently.

“I threw some really good changeups and got a couple outs out of it,” Davidson said. “The ability to throw it, it really helps my fastball and slider. I also threw some good 0-0 curveballs, but the one to Tucker, I just laid it in there, and he was sitting on it.”