José Soriano delivered another commanding performance on the mound Monday night as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-2 at Angel Stadium. Backed by early power from Zach Neto and Jo Adell, the Angels secured their third straight win and continued a strong start to the season.
Soriano struck out 10 batters across eight innings and overwhelmed Atlanta’s lineup with consistent velocity and command. The right-hander allowed only three hits and did not issue a walk in one of the best outings of his young season.
The Angels also managed to win comfortably without Mike Trout in the lineup. The star center fielder sat out after exiting Sunday’s game against Seattle when he was hit on the left hand by a pitch. Although tests came back negative, the club kept him out as a precaution after swelling developed quickly.
Even without Trout, Los Angeles generated enough offense early to put pressure on reigning Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale and never lost control of the game.
Neto Sets The Tone Immediately
The Angels wasted no time attacking Sale.
On the very first pitch of the game, Zach Neto drove a 95 mph fastball over the left-field wall for a leadoff home run. The blast immediately energized the home crowd and put Atlanta behind before many fans had settled into their seats.
Sale entered the game with dominant career numbers against the Angels. He had gone unbeaten in 11 previous appearances against Los Angeles and carried a 1.24 ERA into Monday’s matchup.
After Neto’s homer, Sale briefly settled down and retired the next nine hitters. But the Angels broke through again during a chaotic fourth inning that completely shifted momentum.
Angels Capitalize In Fourth Inning
Los Angeles built separation with patience and pressure in the fourth.
The inning featured walks, hit batters, defensive pressure, and several uncomfortable moments for Atlanta’s pitching staff. The Angels scored three runs despite not hitting a ball out of the infield during the rally.
Logan O’Hoppe drew a bases-loaded walk to force in one run. Yoán Moncada followed by taking a pitch with the bases loaded for another run. Bryce Teodosio added an infield single that pushed the lead to 4-1.
The inning reflected a more disciplined offensive approach from the Angels. Hitters consistently worked counts and forced Sale into difficult situations.
Atlanta struggled to regain control once the inning unraveled.
Soriano Controls The Game
While the Angels built offense steadily, Soriano completely controlled the Braves lineup after the opening inning.
Atlanta scored its first run on a solo homer by Drake Baldwin in the first inning. Matt Olson followed with a single, but Soriano shut the door after that point.
The right-hander retired 19 consecutive batters after Olson’s hit and attacked hitters aggressively throughout the night. He consistently worked ahead in counts and relied heavily on a sharp fastball-slider combination that Atlanta struggled to handle.
Soriano threw 69 strikes among his 96 pitches and rarely allowed hard contact.
His outing lowered his ERA further and strengthened his status as one of the American League’s early breakout pitchers.
The Braves finally recorded another hit when Mike Yastrzemski singled to begin the eighth inning, ending Soriano’s streak of retired batters.
By then, the Angels already held full control of the game.
Adell Delivers Important Insurance
Jo Adell added a key offensive moment in the fifth inning.
After Jorge Soler opened the frame with a single, Adell attacked Sale’s first pitch and launched a 411-foot homer into the left-field seats. The two-run shot extended the Angels lead to 6-1 and removed any remaining pressure from the game.
The homer marked Adell’s first of the season and gave the Angels another encouraging offensive sign from a player expected to contribute more consistently this year.
Los Angeles continued to show improved balance throughout the lineup. Several hitters contributed productive at-bats, even without Trout available.
Braves Offense Never Finds Rhythm
Atlanta’s lineup struggled to generate sustained pressure against Soriano and the Angels bullpen.
The Braves managed only scattered offense outside of solo home runs from Baldwin and Mauricio Dubón. They rarely threatened with runners on base and struck out repeatedly against Soriano’s power arsenal.
Atlanta also failed to recover after Sale’s difficult fourth inning.
The Braves’ bullpen stabilized the game later, but the offense could not produce enough to challenge Los Angeles after falling behind early.
Chris Sale suffered his first loss against the Angels despite entering with a long history of success in the matchup. The veteran left-hander showed flashes of strong stuff early but lost command during key stretches.
The Angels consistently forced him into stressful counts and took advantage of nearly every opportunity.
Trout’s Absence Looms, But Angels Respond
Much of the pregame attention centered on Mike Trout’s health after he left Sunday’s game with a hand injury.
The swelling raised concern immediately, especially after Trout struggled to remove his batting glove following the hit-by-pitch. However, imaging showed no fracture, and the Angels listed him as day-to-day.
Los Angeles responded well offensively despite the absence of its star player.
Neto provided instant energy at the top of the lineup, while Adell, Soler, Moncada, and O’Hoppe all contributed during key moments.
The team’s offensive depth helped ease concerns surrounding Trout’s temporary absence.
Up Next
The series continues Tuesday night in Anaheim.
Atlanta plans to send right-hander Reynaldo López to the mound, while the Angels counter with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi as Los Angeles looks to extend its winning streak to four games.
