ANAHEIM — Just when it seemed the Angels were close to anointing Sam Bachman as the answer to their ninth-inning problems, he had a nightmare game.
The Angels were forced to stretch their relievers when starter Grayson Rodriguez left with back tightness in the third inning, and the group kept them in the game until Bachman let it get away in the eighth.
Entering in a tie game, Bachman gave up five runs in the Angels’ 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon, ending their four-game winning streak.
“Bach’s been so good for such a long period of time that for one start you can’t criticize him,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “It’s a tough day. You move forward.”
Bachman’s ERA jumped from 1.99 to 3.31 in a span of 31 pitches. He started the inning with a four-pitch walk, and then he gave up a two-run homer to Junior Caminero.
He allowed three more hits and another walk before finishing the inning. All the hits he allowed were on sliders and changeups.
“They were definitely sitting soft,” Bachman said. “Got to be more aggressive with the heater. I know the scouting report, and seemed like they were just sitting on the soft stuff, so I started using the heater towards the end and it made the secondary stuff better. Just got to know that going into it.”
Bachman had been so good lately that it was widely assumed he’d take over as the Angels’ closer after the struggles of right-hander Kirby Yates.
While the Angels (29-43) seemingly still have a question about the bullpen, they must also confront an issue with the rotation because of Rodriguez’s back.
“Not too concerning right now,” Rodriguez said. “I mean obviously I’m concerned because I came out of the game for it, but it’s just going to be something that we’re going to have to manage over the next couple days to be able to get back out there.”
Although back tightness could be minor, it’s concerning when it happens to a pitcher who had been out with various injuries from July 2024 until last month.
When the Angels acquired Rodriguez from the Baltimore Orioles, they were willing to take the injury risk because of how good he had been when he was healthy in his first two big league seasons.
In his sixth start with the Angels, Rodriguez got through the first two innings without issue, including a double play to escape a jam in the first. His fastball was 96-98 mph.
In the third, he walked the No. 9 hitter to start the inning. After striking out Rays leadoff man Yandy Diaz, Rodriguez hit Cedric Mullins with a pitch that skipped to the backstop.
Rodriguez looked uncomfortable enough to get athletic trainer Eric Munson to the mound. Rodriguez came out without even throwing a pitch to see if he could continue. Rodriguez said after the game that he felt something on the previous pitch.
“It’s frustrating anytime you got to come out of a game, especially when you were on the IL as long as I was here recently,” Rodriguez said. “I feel like I’m getting close. I feel like my stuff’s getting a little bit better. Obviously, I know I had runners on there in the third, but if I can stay in there, I like to think I’m one ground ball away from getting out of that. Got a double play in the first inning. Really wish I could have pitched deep today. It’s super frustrating.”
Rodriguez left with the bases loaded, and two of the runs scored on a single against right-hander Chase Silseth.
That put the Rays up 2-1. The Rays added a run when left-hander Drew Pomeranz gave up a homer to Ben Williamson in the fourth. Angels left fielder Wade Meckler ran into the fence chasing Williamson’s ball, and then left the game to be evaluated for a concussion.
“Just wanted to be safe,” Suzuki said.
The Angels got those runs back in the sixth, on a Donovan Walton homer and Jo Adell’s two-out RBI single. Adell hit a routine bouncer that skipped just past Caminero, the Rays’ third baseman.
Left-hander Brent Suter worked two scoreless innings before Bachman entered.
The Angels had a chance to get back in the game when they loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth, but Trey Mancini and Oswald Peraza both struck out.