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WASHINGTON — The Angels had a nice offensive night going until they didn’t.
After scoring four runs on nine hits in the first five innings and taking a two-run lead, the Angels managed just two hits the rest of what became a 5-4, 10-inning loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.
Right-hander Roansy Contreras allowed the Nationals to get their automatic runner home. His first pitch got past catcher Logan O’Hoppe, sending the runner to third. His second pitch was hit off the left-field fence by José Tena, ending the game.
A night after the Angels were held to one run in a 10-inning loss in the series opener, it seemed like they were again the team that scored 17 runs in the last two games in New York.
In the second, two straight hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly produced a run. They scored a run on three singles in the fourth.
And in the fifth, Zach Neto led off with a tie-breaking homer, his 17th of the season. Logan O’Hoppe — who had been a week-long slump — followed with the first of his two walks. He scored on a Kevin Pillar double to put the Angels up 4-2.
After that, though, all the Angels could muster was a Jo Adell single in the eighth and Neto’s double in the ninth.
In the 10th, they moved their automatic runner to third, but then Anthony Rendon struck out and Adell hit a popup.
The pitching staff needed some more support on a night that they turned to Griffin Canning to give the bullpen a break.
Thanks to Wednesday’s doubleheader, six of the Angels relievers had worked two of the previous three days. Closer Ben Joyce was unavailable after pitching both Thursday and Friday.
Canning gave up four runs in seven innings. The final two came home in the seventh, an inning that started with shortstop Neto failing to make the play on a one-hopper that skipped just past him into center field.
Hunter Strickland, the first man out of the bullpen, did a nice job of working around a leadoff walk in the eighth. After a bunt and a steal of third, the Nationals needed just a fly ball to get the go-ahead run in. Strickland struck out Alex Call and he got Luis Garcia Jr. on a groundout.
More to come on this story.
Originally Published: August 10, 2024 at 6:54 p.m.
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Courtesy : https://www.pressenterprise.com/2024/08/10/angels-bats-go-silent-late-in-10-inning-loss-to-nationals/