Angels’ core of young hitters blast 4 homers in quick rally to stun Astros
HOUSTON — It took seven minutes for the Angels to wipe away a horrible start and show that the future might actually look pretty good.
After falling behind by five runs, three members of the Angels’ 25-and-under core hit homers in a seven-minute span in the fifth inning to vault the team to a stunning 9-7 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday night.
Nolan Schanuel, 22, and Logan O’Hoppe, 24, each hit three-run homers and then Jo Adell, 25, hit a solo shot, all against Astros ace Framber Valdez.
Zach Neto, 23, then added an insurance run with a homer in the sixth.
Adell and Neto each made impressive defensive plays in the ninth inning to help seal the Angels’ fourth victory in the last five games.
It was the first time in Angels history that they had four players 25-and-under hit homers in the same game. It was the first time in MLB history a team got a homer from a 22-, 23-, 24- and 25-year-old.
The confluence of performance by the Angels’ young core resonated with O’Hoppe.
“We haven’t said it out loud, but I feel like all of us internally have been waiting for a moment like that for a little while,” O’Hoppe said. “It was pretty cool to be a part of.”
Manager Ron Washington has said throughout this disappointing start to the season that the Angels (19-29) were building something, and this game was one of the most tangible examples that he might be right.
“I’m just so happy with those young kids,” Washington said. “They’re working and getting after it and they are really starting to figure it out. I’m so proud of them.”
The young position players did enough to overcome another rough performance for left-hander Reid Detmers, the 24-year-old starter whose season has been a perplexing tale of two months. He gave up six runs in four innings, running his ERA to 9.09 in his last six starts after posting a 1.19 ERA in his first four.
As Detmers was struggling, Valdez had cruised through four innings without much trouble.
In the fifth, Willie Calhoun led off with a single and then Neto drew a walk. An out later, Schanuel lifted a homer into right field. The three-run blast was Schanuel’s fifth homer of the season, and the first homer in his young career against a lefty.
Moments later, Taylor Ward and Kevin Pillar had two-out singles and then O’Hoppe lined a homer over the Crawford Boxes in left field, putting the Angels ahead, 7-6. O’Hoppe has hit four homers this season – a grand slam and three three-run homers.
On the next pitch, Adell hit an opposite-field shot to right, his career-high ninth homer.
The eight runs the Angels scored against Valdez equaled his career high.
Neto padded the lead in the sixth with a homer against right-hander Rafael Montero.
The offensive explosion gave the Angels a lead, but their bullpen needed to hold it for five innings.
Left-hander José Suarez, who brought a 7.71 ERA to the mound, got things started with two scoreless innings, facing the minimum. Right-handers Adam Cimber, Hunter Strickland and Carlos Estévez worked the final three innings. Estevez gave up a run and had two runners on when he got Alex Bregman on a routine fly out to end it.
All of that allowed them to overcome another rough start for Detmers, who unraveled quickly in the second inning.
Detmers gave up an infield single to Jeremy Peña. Two outs later, Yainer Diaz hit a line drive to center to drive in a run. No. 9 hitter Mauricio Dubon then hit a roller up the third base line. Luis Rengifo had no choice but to hope it would roll foul, but it didn’t.
That brought José Altuve to the plate. Detmers got ahead of him with a strike, but then he threw a fastball at the top of the zone and Altuve crushed it over the Crawford Boxes in left field for a three-run homer.
Two innings later, Detmers threw a 2-and-0 curveball to Dubon, who lofted it over the fence in left for a two-run homer, putting the Angels in a 6-1 hole.
Detmers said the pitches to Altuve and Dubon were both near where he wanted them, so he seemed at a loss to explain why things continue to go so poorly for him.
“Obviously it’s been a tough month,” he said. “A lot to learn. Going back and looking at stuff, I guess. Trust the process. That’s all I can think about right now. Just trust the process. It’ll come eventually.”
O’Hoppe, the catcher, also didn’t have an explanation for what’s happened.
“Det’s just finding his way right now,” O’Hoppe said. “I think his stuff hasn’t changed. I think his mindset hasn’t changed. It’s hard to see him scuffle a little bit because he works so hard and cares so much and he’s a dude that you want to be in the lines with and really fight with and for. I have no doubt he’ll figure it out pretty soon. It’s definitely not a lack of effort. We’re going to be be right there with him and help him through it.”
They helped him on Monday by scoring enough runs to allow him to ponder his poor performance in a winning clubhouse.
“That’s awesome,” Detmers said. “Obviously, we have a bunch of grinders in this clubhouse. The young guys came out to play. They showed who they are and what they do. Hopefully, we keep doing it. It’s impressive what they did. The future looks bright.”
NOLAN SCHANUEL 3-RUN SHOT@Angels | #RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/OZZLk0yXuW
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) May 21, 2024
O'HOPPE & ADELL HIT BACK TO BACK HOME RUNS TO PUT THE HALOS UP @Angels | #RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/m05izVu1fx
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) May 21, 2024
launch party #RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/7A9f8HeVF8
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) May 21, 2024
New stat invented by the @Angels @Markgubicza breaks down the history made tonight in Houston@Angels | #RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/7IZmSo2vkQ
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