OC Register: Angels hitters come up empty against resurgent Chris Sale, drop 7th straight

[AngelsWin.com]

• 

  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Dillon Peters delivers to the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

• 

  Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale delivers to a Los Angeles Angels batter during the first inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

• Sound

  The gallery will resume inseconds
• 

  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Dillon Peters walks on the mound as Boston Red Sox’s Sam Travis rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

• 

  Boston Red Sox’s Sam Travis has his helmet removed by Mookie Betts to celebrate his two-run home run in the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

• 

  The Angels’ Mike Trout reacts to home plate umpire Brian O’Nora, who called Trout out on strikes during the first inning of the team’s game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, in Boston. Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon is at right. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

• 

  Boston Red Sox’s Sandy Leon receives congratulations in the dugout after he hit a solo home run in the fifth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

• 

  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Dillon Peters delivers to a Boston Red Sox batter during the first inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

• 

  Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale delivers to the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Show Caption

of

Expand

BOSTON — The Angels may have hoped that they’d see the Chris Sale who has uncharacteristically struggled this season.

Instead, they saw the version who has been one of baseball’s best pitchers throughout his career.

Whether it was the Angels’ slumping hitters or Sale being on top of his game again, the result was a 3-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. It was the Angels’ season-worst seventh straight defeat.

While pitching has been the Angels’ main problem throughout the streak, they happened to get a solid outing from Dillon Peters on a night that the hitters could do nothing with Sale.

Sale, who brought a 4.68 ERA into the game, blanked the Angels on two hits over eight innings. Sale, who came into the game averaging a major-league best 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings, struck out 13 and didn’t walk any.

Sale struck out Albert Pujols to end the seventh with a 98.4 mph fastball, his hardest pitch of the year.

The Angels had been one of the toughest teams in baseball to strike out for most of the season, but during their seven-game losing streak they have whiffed 81 times.

Shohei Ohtani had a check-swing infield hit in the first and Mike Trout singled in the seventh.

Otherwise, the hitters could not support Peters, who provided his second straight quality outing.

Related Articles

• Angels reliever Ty Buttrey searches for cause of recent struggles
• Angels rookie Matt Thaiss credits revamped swing for making the major leagues
• Angels drop sixth straight game as rookie Jose Suarez allows six runs
• Brad Ausmus remains confident in Angels’ opener strategy
• Rough start for opener Taylor Cole costs Angels in Patrick Sandoval’s debut

Peters gave up three runs in six innings, all of them coming on a pair of homers. He struck out eight and walked one.

In Peters’ previous outing, he had entered in the first after opener Taylor Cole had already allowed three runs, and Peters lasted the final 7-2/3 innings of the game. He was charged with three runs.

Peters, who was quietly acquired in a trade from the Miami Marlins last winter, has a 3.45 ERA in 31-1/3 innings with the Angels this season.

On Thursday, Peters got burned by a first-pitch fastball over the heart of the plate to Sam Travis, who blasted it out to center for a two-run homer in the second inning.

Peters also gave up a solo homer to Sandy Leon leading off the fifth, but that was it. He retired the final six batters he faced.

More to come on this story.

That ball got outta here in a hurry. pic.twitter.com/TAk9k7cR5D

— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 9, 2019

Shown here: Strikeout 3 of 8 pic.twitter.com/2Oeeem6ZrC

— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 9, 2019

View the full article

[cysomeawfulpitcher]