OC Register: Sloppy sixth inning sinks Angels in loss to White Sox

[AngelsWin.com]

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  Chicago White Sox’s Jose Abreu is welcomed in the dugout after scoring during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, July 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, right, celebrates his solo home run with third base coach Dino Ebel during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, July 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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  The Los Angeles Angels dugout welcomes Shohei Ohtani after he hit a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, July 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani watches his solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, July 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani watches his solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, July 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, July 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Kole Calhoun hits an RBI-double during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, July 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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  Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani watches a fly ball during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, July 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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  Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, July 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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  Chicago White Sox’ Jose Abreu rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, July 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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  Chicago White Sox’ Jose Abreu hits a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, July 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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  Chicago White Sox’s Kevan Smith gets hit by a pitch from Los Angeles Angels’ Hansel Robles with the bases loaded, scoring Jose Abreu, during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 23, 2018, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

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ANAHEIM — Jaime Barria’s night disintegrated quickly.

Barría was cruising along through five innings, but then back-to-back walks in the sixth opened the floodgates for an inning that sank the Angels’ in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.

Barría and the Angels had a 3-2 lead, built upon back-to-back doubles by David Fletcher and Kole Calhoun in the third and a Shohei Ohtani homer in the fourth.

Barría had thrown only 60 pitches when he took the mound in the sixth. His first fastball was 89 mph and Hansel Robles got up in the bullpen quickly. Barría ended up walking both Yoan Moncada and Yolmer Sanchez, with five of his seven fastballs to those two batters failing to crack 90 mph.

Barría had been throwing 90-92 earlier in the game, so it didn’t represent much of a drop.

Apparently, whatever Manager Mike Scioscia saw in those two walks was enough for him to go get Barría.

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He brought in Robles, who immediately gave up a ground ball through the left side, tying the game 3-3.

Robles would allow two more runs to score, on a sacrifice fly and by hitting Kevan Smith with the bases loaded, putting the Angels behind 5-3. All told, the Angels walked three batters and hit one in the inning, with only one hit that got out of the infield.

That inning was enough to spoil all that had gone right in the first five innings, from Barria’s solid work to an offense sparked by Fletcher.

Fletcher had gone through a 5-for-34 slump before having three straight multi-hit games. He had two hits on Saturday, three on Sunday and three more on Monday, including doubles in his first two at-bats.

In his first trip, he hit what looked like a routine grounder to shortstop, but the ball took a bad hop over the glove of Tim Anderson and Fletcher hustled all the way to second.

Calhoun then yanked a double into right field, driving in Fletcher an tying the game 1-1. Calhoun went to third on Andrelton Simmons’ fly ball to right, and then he scored on Mike Trout’s fly ball to center.

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Ohtani blasted his eighth homer of the season, drilling a 94 mph fastball 435 feet to straightway center field. It was his eighth homer of the season, all at home.

After that, though, the Angels offense didn’t manage much else.

In the fifth, they had an opportunity after Fletcher led off with his second double. They loaded the bases with two outs, but Albert Pujols grounded out.

In his first game back after 10 days on the disabled list with left knee inflammation, Pujols had a single in four at-bats. The Angels are hoping get improved production from Pujols after the refresh.

“It was needed for sure,” Scioscia said before the game. “This guy plays at 50 percent and does things that you shake your head at. He’s such a gamer. It got to the point it started to impact what he does in the batter’s box. We definitely wanted to get him at a higher level. He is now, and hopefully he’ll maintain it through the whole season.”

More to come on this story.

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