Ron Washington so far is sticking to a steady regular lineup, and the manager expects to do so again Monday night when the Los Angeles Angels host the Tampa Bay Rays in the opener of a three-game series in Anaheim, Calif.
Five players — Mike Trout, Zach Neto, Taylor Ward, Nolan Schanuel and Logan O’Hoppe — have played in all nine of the Angels’ games. Anthony Rendon and Brandon Drury have played in eight of the nine.
That trend likely will change as the season moves forward, particularly with O’Hoppe, who plays a physically demanding position as a catcher. But for now, O’Hoppe is thriving in his everyday role.
O’Hoppe extended his hitting streak to eight games by going 1-for-3 in Sunday’s 12-2 loss to the Red Sox.
Overall, he leads the team in hits (11), batting average (.407), on-base percentage (.484), slugging percentage (.630) and OPS (1.114). His first home run of the season was a grand slam on Friday against Boston.
“He’s been swinging the bat extremely well,” Washington said. “And he’s been growing behind the plate, getting our pitchers through the innings. He’s doing a tremendous job. He really is. And he’s only going to get better going forward.”
O’Hoppe will not be in the running for the Rookie of the Year Award, despite missing four months last season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He exceeded the rookie limit by playing in 51 games, hitting .236 with 14 homers and 29 RBIs.
Left-hander Tyler Anderson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will start on the mound for the Angels on Monday, coming off an outstanding performance in his first start of the season. He threw seven scoreless innings against the Miami Marlins, allowing four hits while making only 83 pitches. He is 1-0 with a 7.84 ERA in two career starts against the Rays.
Right-hander Zach Eflin (1-1, 5.25) will start for the Rays, coming off a solid performance his last time out after a rough outing on Opening Day. He gave up six runs in 5 2/3 innings of a loss to Toronto on March 28 but allowed just one run in 6 1/3 innings of a win over Texas last Tuesday.
The key for Eflin isn’t unlike many pitchers — pound the strike zone and limit walks — but it’s particularly important for Eflin’s success.
“Every time I go out there, I try to stay in attack mode and really get ahead of guys,” he said. “Pitching on the corners is the most important thing. It’s easy to throw the ball down the middle and then throw a lot of strikes. But for me in particular, I’ve got to be on the corners. Whether it be sinker, cutter, everything’s just got to be right on the black.”
Eflin is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three career starts against the Angels.
–Field Level Media
