Angels bullpen locks down one-run victory over Mets

05.08.2024 02:15

DailyNews.com

Zach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels slides into home plate to score on a sacrifice fly hit by Kevin Pillar (not pictured) in the third inning during a game against the New York Mets at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 4, 2024 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

1 of 17

Expand

ANAHEIM —The Angels bullpen has been full of question marks ever since they traded away Carlos Estévez and Luis Garcia, and on Sunday afternoon it was even more of a blank canvas because the relievers they had used in high leverage spots this week were all running on fumes.

So manager Ron Washington grabbed right-handers José Marte, Mike Baumann and Roansy Contreras before Sunday’s game and prepped them for what he planned.

“I said ‘Are you ready to finish this game today, because the other guys are shooting blanks?’” Washington recalled. “All three of them came in and did what they were supposed to do. I was quite impressed.”

Marte, Baumann and Contreras held a one-run lead over the final four innings in the Angels’ 3-2 victory over the New York Mets, clinching the series.

Ben Joyce, who seems primed to be the Angels closer of the future, was unavailable after getting the final four outs of Saturday’s victory. Hunter Strickland and Hans Crouse, who had been reliable up until hiccups this week, were also unavailable.

Contreras picked up his second save of the season, striking out two hitters in a perfect inning. Since the Angels’ brief experiment with him a starter, Contreras has allowed two earned runs in 10-1/3 innings with 13 strikeouts in his last eight games in relief. He said he recently changed the way he throws his slider, and that’s made a difference.

“I’m used to being a starter, but I’m OK with (pitching in relief),” Contreras said through an interpreter. “I’m enjoying it the best I can. It’s what I’ve been asked to do so I enjoy it.”

Marte was the first pitcher to the mound after Griffin Canning’s five-inning start. Marte retired six of seven hitters over two innings, dropping his ERA to 2.55 in 17-2/3 innings.

Baumann, who was picked up in a minor trade at the deadline, got out of a jam in the eighth with the help of a double play. The Angels would like to see if they can rediscover the Baumann who had a 3.76 ERA with the Baltimore Orioles last year. He’s on his fourth team this year, with a 4.70 ERA.

The trio of relievers preserved the victory for Canning, who gave up two runs, one earned.

The game could have gotten away from him in the fifth inning, when he allowed a run on a Jeff McNeil double and Francisco Lindor’s one-out single.

Washington came to the mound to ask Canning if he had enough in the tank to get through J.D. Martinez and Pete Alonso. Canning retired them both on routine fly balls to right field.

“I told him, ‘I’m not asking you to say yeah, because you think that’s the right thing to say. I need to know if you have this,’” Washington said. “The rest of the guys chimed in, and he said, ‘I got it.’ He had to go through J.D. Martinez, and Alonso and he did it. He deserved the victory.”

Canning had eight strikeouts, a season high.

“I think I was just hiding the ball a little bit better,” Canning said. “The hitters have kind of been telling me, I’m probably just showing the ball for too long, and just from the swings are getting off on me.”

When Canning left with a 3-2 lead, the the Angels had little margin for error because the offense generated only four hits, none that drove in a run.

The first three hitters of the second inning reached, but the only runs came home on a wild pitch and a Matt Thaiss sacrifice fly.

Zach Neto led off the third with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly, but the Angels got nothing else. They didn’t get another runner into scoring position until the eighth inning.