OC Register: Angels’ hitters come up empty in loss to Orioles

[AngelsWin.com]

BALTIMORE — Back in December 2019, the Angels sent four minor league pitchers to the Baltimore Orioles for Dylan Bundy.

They saw one of them on Wednesday night.

Kyle Bradish, who had only moderate success in his brief time in the major leagues, flummoxed the Angels during their 3-1 loss to the Orioles.

Slumping Mike Trout hit a homer in fourth inning, and that was all the Angels managed in 6-2/3 innings against Bradish. They had three other hits – all singles – and didn’t have an at-bat with a runner in scoring position.

Bradish, 26, cut his ERA from 4.56 to 3.90. At the time the Angels traded the former fourth-round pick, he was not considered a top prospect, and he’d posted a 4.28 ERA in his only season in the Angels’ farm system.

A year before the Angels picked Bradish, they picked Griffin Canning. His career was derailed by a season and a half lost to a back injury, and he’s still trying to find his way back.

Sharing the mound with Bradish on Wednesday, Canning gave up three runs in 5-1/3 innings. He has a 6.14 ERA in six starts.

Each game has included flashes of what the Angels hope he can be. On Wednesday, he averaged 96.0 mph on his fastball in a scoreless first inning, throwing 10 of his 11 pitches for strikes.

But each game also has included some rough spots, and that was compounded by a lack of defensive support this time.

In the first inning, a blooper dropped in right field when there seemed to be a miscommunication between right fielder Hunter Renfroe and second baseman Brandon Drury.

In the second, left fielder Taylor Ward dove for a ball and it got past him for a triple. It would have been a tough catch, but Ward could have at least held speedy Gunnar Henderson at first if he’d simply played it on a hop. Third baseman Gio Urshela then misplayed a bunt.

Canning got out of that jam with a double play and a strikeout.

He couldn’t escape after that, though, allowing single runs in the third, fourth and fifth. A leadoff walk and then back-to-back two-out hits cost him in the third. In the fifth, he got ahead of Austin Hays 1-and-2 but he couldn’t put him away. Bradish hit a 369-foot fly ball that dropped just over the fence in right field.

More to come on this story.

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