Credited by some metrics as the hardest throwing pitcher in baseball, getting Angels right-hander Jose Soriano up to speed as a major league starter continues to be a work in progress.
Between the flashes of brilliance, there have been stumbles as well, namely when it comes to the end of Soriano’s outings when his 100-mph fastball takes its toll on his stamina.
In a twist on the growth chart Saturday, Soriano’s rough patch came in the middle of his outing as the Cleveland Guardians used a four-run third inning to score a 4-3 victory over the Angels, whose streak of two consecutive series victories came to an end.
Soriano closed his 91-pitch outing with three scoreless innings, giving him his fourth start this season of at least 90 pitches and his second consecutive.
“He’s young, it’s his first time (as a major league starter) and we’re just trying beat inside of him to stay in the strike zone with everything you throw,” manager Ron Washington said. “Everything he throws is magnetic.”
Soriano leads the major leagues (minimum 30 innings) with an average fastball velocity of 99.1 mph.
His ability to throw strikes with those darts on Saturday was a success after Soriano issued just one walk with eight strikeouts. It was his fourth start of one or fewer walks and his second when throwing more than 50 pitches.
But one errant pitch caused him trouble when Cleveland’s Brayan Rocchio scored on a wild pitch in the third inning for a 2-0 lead. The one in the strike zone that was an issue came three pitches later when Jose Ramirez hit a 3-2 curveball into the seats in right field for a 4-0 lead.
Soriano (2-5) finished his six-inning outing by allowing four hits and retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced, including a strikeout swinging on Ramirez to lead off the sixth.
Soriano’s ability to refocus came after the Angels answered the Guardians’ four runs in the third with three of their own in the bottom of the frame. Kyren Paris walked with one out, Luis Rengifo doubled with two outs and Taylor Ward hit a home run to left, his 11th of the season.
But as soon as the seven-run third inning jackpot paid off, it was back to more offensive woes. Like Soriano, Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (3-1) rebounded with three scoreless innings to end his outing.
The Angels had runners on second and third with two outs in the fourth but Bibee struck out Paris. They had Nolan Schanuel on third base with one out in the fifth but Bibee struck out Ward and Willie Calhoun.
In a last gasp in the ninth inning against Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, the Angels received a leadoff single from Logan O’Hoppe, but Jo Adell stuck out, Mickey Moniak flied out and Zach Neto also struck out to end the game. Clase earned his 16th save.
