ST. LOUIS — The Angels paid the price for what it took to win four straight games.
After continually using their best relievers to help them secure that winning streak, the Angels were left with few choices in what became an ugly 12-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.
They were in position to extend the winning streak after Logan O’Hoppe’s grand slam in the seventh gave them a two-run lead.
However, at that point they had only two available relievers who were even semi-fresh: right-hander Ian Anderson and left-hander Brock Burke.
Anderson had thrown only 11 pitches in a perfect inning Tuesday night, but he had never pitched on back-to-back days because he’d been a starter his entire career. He last pitched in the majors before undergoing Tommy John surgery two years ago.
Anderson gave up six hits – including two bunt hits – and walked one. He allowed the Cardinals to tie the game quickly in the bottom of the seventh.
Anderson left with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth, and the game still tied. Burke then walked in two runs, gave up a two-run single and then a three-run homer.
Anderson and Burke combined to allow nine runs, eight of them earned.
The Angels will now get a much-needed day off before their home opener Friday.
They can at least take solace in the fact that they won both of their series on this season-opening trip, going 4-2.
Their starters had five quality starts, including Yusei Kikuchi allowing three runs in six innings Wednesday.
Mike Trout began to show signs of life, hitting his first homer of the season in the first inning. He doubled and hit a fly out to the warning track Tuesday.
O’Hoppe also provided the Angels briefly with a highlight-reel moment.
The Angels had just fallen behind 3-1 after Kikuchi gave up a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, Jorge Soler lined a single into center. Yoán Moncada reached base on an infield hit with a bouncer off the glove of first baseman Willson Contreras. Nolan Schanuel was then hit by a pitch, loading the bases.
O’Hoppe swung at the first pitch from right-hander Sonny Gray, a letter-high sinker. O’Hoppe pounded it into the first row beyond the fence in right-center for his second career grand slam.
It was the first time the Angels hit a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh or later since Jo Adell did it Aug. 17, 2021.
More to come on this story.