Anderson stumbles in rough outing vs. Blue Jays

August 15th, 2024

ANAHEIM -- Veteran southpaw has been as consistent as it gets for the Angels this year.

But even he isn’t immune from a rough outing here and there. He struggled for the first time in over a month in a 9-2 loss that completed a three-game sweep by the Blue Jays on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium. Anderson struck out eight over 5 2/3 innings but allowed a season-high seven runs on six hits and four walks to fall to 9-11 with a 3.30 ERA in 24 starts.

Anderson hadn’t allowed more than four runs in a start since giving up six to the Tigers on June 30. He’s only allowed more than four runs in a start twice this year, including his tough showing against Toronto.

“Not good,” Anderson said. “But I felt a lot better than it looked and worked out. It sounds stupid to say, but I feel like I pitched better than the outcome. Essentially, like if I take how I pitch today most games, I'll end up being OK. It just seemed like untimely pitching. When they had hits, they were all at the right times.”

It started innocently enough with an out on the first pitch of the game and a 1-2-3 inning. But that was as easy as it would get for Anderson. He promptly surrendered a two-run homer in the second to Ernie Clement on a first-pitch changeup after issuing a one-out walk.

In the third, the lefty was hurt by an RBI single from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has been the hottest hitter in baseball over the last month. Guerrero's hit scored Daulton Varsho from second after he doubled with two outs.

With how the Angels have been faring offensively, the Blue Jays essentially put it away with three runs in the fifth to take a six-run lead. Varsho plated all three runs with one swing of the bat, smacking a three-run blast on a first-pitch cutter over the middle. It marked just the third time Anderson allowed multiple homers in a start this season.

“The first one wasn't really too much of a missed location,” Anderson said. “It was an 0-0 changeup in the zone. But the one to Varsho hurt in that situation. Maybe [should've been] a little more down. Obviously, the two homers are big, and then double down the line, but I feel like for the most part, the balls weren’t really smoked. Just found good spots.”

He went back out for the sixth, but it was more of the same, giving up a leadoff triple to Clement and a run on a sacrifice fly to Leo Jiménez before hitting Addison Barger with a first-pitch fastball and walking George Springer on five pitches. That was it from Anderson, who threw 98 pitches.

“When he left something up over the plate, they weren’t missing it,” said manager Ron Washington. “They know he's a change of speed master and they were in the box not jumping out there. It was waiting to see the ball and swinging. They had a good approach against him tonight.”

Anderson didn’t get much help from the offense, as the Angels didn’t score until the fifth inning on a solo homer from Matt Thaiss off right-hander José Berríos. It was the second homer of the year for Thaiss, who went 2-for-3 and is having a quality season as a backup catcher.

“I've been very impressed because Matt comes out every day and works,” Washington said. “That's the kind of guy you need when you give your front liner some time off.”

The Angels were without catcher Logan O’Hoppe, shortstop Zach Neto and right fielder Jo Adell, as Washington wanted them to get some much-needed rest ahead of Thursday’s off-day. Last week, the Angels had a long road trip through New York and Washington D.C., that featured a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. Neto pleaded via text message to Washington to be in the lineup, but Washington believed it was the best decision for the club in the long term.

“I just wanted to give them the opportunity to get today and tomorrow,” Washington said. “Neto is the only one that complained. He wrote me a long note about how he doesn't need a day off and wanted to grind with everybody else. But a day off is not going to stop him from grinding and doing what he's doing. Sometimes, you just got to take it out of their hands.”