Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval took the mound on Tuesday night for his second-to-last start of the 2022 season. Sandoval had been on record — on multiple occasions — expressing disappointment in his performance this season, and the no-decision against the Oakland Athletics was no different.
In total, Sandoval allowed three earned runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out four batters over 5.1 innings, requiring 94 pitches to record the 16 outs. However, all three earned runs, five of six hits, and one of two walks, came in just one inning.
The second frame was full of difficulty for Sandoval. He started with a Chad Pinder single, and after recording one out, he gave up four consecutive hits and one walk, allowing three runs to score before finally getting out of the inning.
From there, Sandoval was near perfect. He allowed just one hit and one walk over his final 3.1 innings. But he still saw his season ERA and WHIP rise ever-so slightly. He spoke afterwards about his performance, and was critical of his work, according to Jeff Fletcher of The O.C. Register:
“Just fighting myself the whole game,” Sandoval said. “Couldn’t find the changeup. Wasn’t really consistent with the slider. Got to be better in the zone with all my stuff for this next last one.”
Sandoval is usually honest to a fault when it comes to evaluating his performances. He had openly stated he was having a terrible season just before he went out and threw a complete game shutout against the Detroit Tigers. Since the All-Star break, he’s allowed more than two earned runs just three times.
The sky is not falling for Sandoval, who can still walk away from the 2022 campaign knowing he had a solid year. It wasn’t perfect, and there are a few things he can work on prior to 2023, but he remains a pillar in the Angels rotation.
Jo Adell saves Angels with bat and glove
A player who has experienced a much more drastic rollercoaster than Sandoval is outfielder Jo Adell. The 23-year old has seen numerous promotions and demotions as he struggled with consistency. But on Tuesday, he was the hero in Anaheim.
He robbed Dermis Garcia of a potential home run that would have given the Athletics the lead. He then hit the game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning off of A.J. Puk.
