Angels Silence Braves in Series Finale
Starting pitcher José Soriano had a strong game on Thursday night, throwing seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to help the Los Angeles Angels defeat the Atlanta Braves 5-1. Zach Neto hit a single home run in the fourth inning, and Nolan Schanuel hit a two-run homer in the second to give the Angels an early lead. Leading a well-balanced Angels lineup that recorded 11 hits, Neto finished three for five with a double and three runs scored. While Atlanta's bats were largely quiet until Jurickson Profar hit a home run in the ninth to escape a shutout, Braves starter Bryce Elder struggled, giving up four runs over five innings. The Braves' offensive struggles continue as they lose, falling to 39-47.
The Angels took an early lead against Elder in the opening three innings. The Angels took the lead in the top of the second inning when Schanuel hit a two-run homer to right-center, giving Los Angeles a 2-0 lead. Mickey Moniak increased the advantage to 3-0 with an RBI single later that inning. The Braves were unable to respond as Soriano struck out five batters and held them scoreless for the opening three innings. Early on, the Angels dominated the tempo, using strong baserunning and incisive hitting to seize control.
The Angels extended their lead in the fourth inning when Neto hit his 13th home run of the season, increasing the score to 4-0. Even though Elder was able to limit more damage in the inning, the Braves were still unable to generate any offensive spark. The Angels threatened with runners on base once again in the fifth, but Elder got out before they could score. Atlanta was silent at the plate and had trouble making good contact with Soriano, who continued to dominate into the sixth inning. With timely hits and disciplined at-bats, the Angels continued to put pressure on the Braves’ pitching, adding another run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Logan O'Hoppe, extending their lead to 5-0.
Soriano finished with seven scoreless innings, three hits allowed, and seven strikeouts, capping off his outstanding performance by retiring the Braves in order in the seventh inning. In spite of a leadoff single, reliever Ben Joyce kept Atlanta off the board as the Angels' bullpen took over in the eighth. The Angels kept up the pressure with base runners despite failing to score in the seventh or eighth. Brock Burke came in to end the game for Los Angeles in the ninth, but he allowed Profar to hit a solo home run, ruining the shutout. Burke rallied, though, to complete the inning and give the Angels a 5-1 victory, capping a solid all-around game and series triumph.
