TEMPE, Ariz. -- Garrett Richards has looked sharp all spring, but he admitted that Monday wasn't his best day.
Richards uncharacteristically struggled with his command in the Angels' 4-3 win over the Reds at Tempe Diablo Stadium, issuing five walks over 3 2/3 innings in his fourth Cactus League start. The 29-year-old right-hander gave up two runs on three hits and struck out two in the outing.
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"Garrett had trouble with his release point," manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think his stuff was electric. He started the game off really strong, had trouble with his command. Still, he bounced back, finished strong and got to the pitch count we wanted."
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The Angels had hoped Richards would be able to get through five innings on 75 pitches, but he hit his pitch limit before completing the fourth.
"I'm not worried about it," Richards said. "I know it's not going to be that way every time out. I got my pitches in today. I came out of it good. I made some really good pitches. I made some bad pitches. It's part of the game. I've got to overcome some adversity. This was a good one to kind of learn from and move forward with, but definitely not my best day."
Richards has now allowed four runs over 12 2/3 innings (2.84 ERA) with seven walks and 14 strikeouts this spring. The Angels have not yet announced their Opening Day starter, but Richards, arguably the club's most talented pitcher, would be the logical choice.

Trout's new headwear
Michael Trout, who was struck on the helmet by a pitch on Sunday, wore a protective face guard on his batting helmet on Monday.
"I was thinking about it before, but that sealed the deal," said Trout, who will try out the look before deciding whether to use it full-time.
Kinsler goes deep
Ian Kinsler led off Monday's game with his first home run of the spring, drilling a 1-0 pitch from Homer Bailey just inside the left-field foul pole to give the Angels an early 1-0 lead. The veteran second baseman added a single in the third inning and is now batting .381 this spring.

The Ohtani brief
Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4 with a pair of groundouts, a well-struck lineout to left field and a strikeout on Monday. He is now 2-for-18 this spring. "He just missed a couple pitches, but it's just some timing," Scioscia said.
Camp game
The Angels have a break in their Cactus League schedule on Tuesday, but they will stage an intrasquad scrimmage at 10 a.m. PT at Tempe Diablo Stadium that will feature a matchup between Tyler Skaggs and Nick Tropeano.
Chris Young (strained right calf), Jefry Marte (right groin tightness), Nolan Fontana (right shoulder inflammation) and Ohtani are expected to hit in the game. The game will be open to the public and admission is free.
Up next
Following Tuesday's off-day, Matthew Shoemaker will make his fourth start of the spring as the Angels face the Indians at Goodyear Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. PT, and the game can be viewed on MLB.TV.