CLEVELAND — The Angels wasted a strong outing from starter Griffin Canning.
Although Canning gave up two runs in six innings, he was behind when he left the game. Reliever Matt Moore then gave up an eighth-inning two-run homer to seal the Angels’ 4-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday.
The Angels lineup was already short-handed with Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and Miguel Sanó on the injured list, but on Sunday they were also without Logan O’Hoppe because of a bruised hand and Luis Rengifo because of an illness.
The remaining players generated just one run, on a Jo Adell sacrifice fly in the second inning. Matt Thaiss was thrown out at the plate trying to score the second run of the inning.
The Angels were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position. The most frustrating of those outs was in the sixth. After Taylor Ward’s one-out double, Willie Calhoun hit a line drive that was snagged by leaping right fielder Ramon Laureano. Laureano, who regularly tortured the Angels with his defense when he was with the Oakland A’s, also made the first throw in the relay that got Thaiss at the plate.
With the loss, the Angels failed in their 11th consecutive opportunity to win a game that would clinch a series victory. The only series they have won this season was April 1-3 in Miami.
Earlier this week, they had a chance to take two of three from the Philadelphia Phillies. In that game starter Patrick Sandoval gave two runs, but the Angels were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and they lost 2-1.
This time, Canning gave up two runs, on one swing at the end of a 10-pitch duel against Guardians star José Ramirez.
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Canning cruised through the first five innings on just 62 pitches, pounding the strike zone and barely facing any trouble.
In the sixth, he gave up a one-out single just before Ramirez came to the plate. Ramirez fouled off a 3-and-2 changeup and then a slider. Canning then threw him a fastball, up and away, and Ramirez lifted it just a few feet beyond the top of the fence in right field.
It was still Canning’s best game of the season. It was the first time he’d finished six innings, and second time he’d allowed as few as two runs. He walked one and struck out five.
More to come on this story.