Griffin Canning did not fare well in his most recent start prior to Wednesday night against the Seattle Mariners. The Los Angeles Angels starter left the game early with elbow irritation and gave up six runs in 3.1 innings of work. But he didn’t let that get to him, turning it around for the Angels in their series finale against Seattle.
He gave up only one earned run — a Mitch Haniger solo homer — on four hits with six strikeouts in five innings. He exited the game with what would have been a loss on the record books, until Brandon Drury’s game-winning RBI in the eighth inning solidified an Angels sweep and their fourth consecutive victory.
The effort from Canning was particularly appreciated from manager Ron Washington, who loved the fight he saw from the veteran starter and the ability to keep things in check for the opponent, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com:
“Once again, it was good pitching, good defense and timely hitting,” manager Ron Washington said. “And I thought Canning was outstanding.”
“You go back over his last five or six games, and there were some situations out there where he caved in, but today he competed and got out of them,” Washington said. “It could’ve easily gotten out of control, but he made pitches when he had to.”
Canning got some help from his defense in the fifth inning to keep the overall damage at one run, as a double play started by Luis Rengifo and a sliding catch by Jo Adell forced the Mariners into a scoreless inning.
“That was huge,” Canning said. “The double play was a big spot in the game that could have turned it into an ugly outing. So I’m really thankful for Luis making that play. And for Jo to finish it off right there.”
Regardless of the breaks Canning may have caught, it was still a massive effort for a pitcher who had been struggling of late. The Angels have lacked for starting pitching options for much of the last month, and to have Canning figure some things out is a major development for the rest of the season.
Canning’s name is not one that has been talked about with the trade deadline, meaning he is a pivotal part of what the Angels are looking to do with their franchise moving forward. And nights like Wednesday show a little bit of why.
Angels vs. Athletics probable starters
The Angels begin a four-game set against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday night in the hopes of continuing their win streak. The Athletics took two of three against L.A. right after the All-Star break, and they are hoping for a bit of revenge in Anaheim. Below are the probable starters and first pitch times for the series.
Game 1:
Thursday, July 25, 6:38 p.m. PT
Kenny Rosenberg vs. Ross Stripling
Game 2:
Friday, July 26, 6:38 p.m. PT
Carson Fulmer vs. Joey Estes
Game 3:
Saturday, July 27, 6:38 p.m. PT
Tyler Anderson vs. Hogan Harris
Game 4:
Sunday, July 28, 1:07 p.m. PT
Jose Soriano vs. Osvaldo Bido