Anderson dazzles in pitchers' duel; Angels fall short

ANAHEIM -- Tyler Anderson had another stellar start on Wednesday night. It just wasn’t enough to result in an Angels win.

In a classic pitchers' duel, the Angels lost 2-0. Brewers starter Freddy Peralta had an incredible outing, tossing six scoreless innings while striking out eight and allowing just three hits and two walks. Despite Anderson’s best efforts in a seven-inning, one-run outing, his first-inning trouble was all the Brewers needed to secure the win.

After loading the bases with one out in the first inning, Anderson allowed a run on a Rhys Hoskins sacrifice fly. For the rest of the game, Anderson was close to perfect. The crafty left-hander didn’t allow a run the rest of his outing and let just four runners reach via three hits and a walk.

“After that first inning, he spotted his fastball and kept them off the barrel. He was working fast and was very efficient,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “I just feel that he didn’t get a chance to win that ballgame.”

With his effort, Anderson moved his season ERA to 2.48, ninth-lowest among qualified starters. He became the 14th pitcher in franchise history with an ERA below 2.50 in his first 15 starts and the first to do so since Ohtani in 2022. Longtime Angel Jered Weaver did so three times in 2006 and 2011-12.

It’s also a massive year-to-year improvement for a starter who struggled with a 5.43 ERA in 27 games last season. For Anderson, returning to what made him successful in the past and changing his offseason routine helped spark this development.

“I think just getting back to myself and not chasing stuff I was chasing last year. And really for me, it’s my body,” Anderson said. “Last year, I wasn’t hurt, but my body didn’t feel good and I felt really tight and wasn’t able to get into the positions I wanted to get into. I just feel like I did a better job changing my offseason routine.”

On Milwaukee’s side, Peralta had a big rebound start following recent struggles. After posting a 3.61 ERA through his first 11 starts, Peralta struggled mightily in June. The Brewers’ ace allowed 12 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings -- good for a 7.90 ERA -- including a season-high six earned runs in his last outing against the Reds.

“I faced him quite a few times in my career and it feels like every time I see him pitch against my team, he always pitches really well,” Anderson said about Peralta’s outing. “This year, I think he’s probably pitching better than his numbers say. He had a great one tonight.”

The Angels are off Thursday before heading up the 5 freeway for a two-game series against the 46-30 Dodgers. The dominating storyline will be Shohei Ohtani facing off against his former team for the first time in a regular-season game. Ohtani’s six years with the Angels were some of the most dominant in Angels history.

Ohtani has captivated the baseball world as a two-way force -- doing something that hadn’t been done since Babe Ruth -- by putting up some of the best individual seasons of all time. Ohtani took home American League Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 but didn’t fully tap into his potential until 2021.

Ohtani was the unanimous 2021 AL MVP when he hit 46 home runs at the dish and posted a 3.18 ERA in 23 starts on the mound. He was nearly as good in 2022, when he had an .875 OPS and 2.33 ERA in 28 starts -- he finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting -- and second in MVP voting behind Aaron Judge.

2023 might have been Ohtani’s best season yet until injuries cut his season short. Through his last game on Sept. 3, Ohtani crushed 44 home runs, stole 20 bases and posted a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts. Despite missing the final month, Ohtani won his second unanimous MVP Award.

Ohtani signed a record-setting $700 million contract with the Dodgers last offseason and has more than lived up to the hype. While Ohtani won’t pitch this season, he’s still an NL MVP candidate with a .317/.388/.608 line, 20 home runs and 16 stolen bases. His 3.8 Wins Above Replacement are only bested by Judge, Gunnar Henderson, Juan Soto and Bobby Witt Jr.