José Soriano continued his remarkable start to the season Tuesday night, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The right-hander delivered another overpowering performance, throwing six scoreless innings while allowing only two hits. It marked the second straight outing in which Soriano held an opponent scoreless over six innings while limiting them to just two hits.
The Angels needed only one timely swing to secure the win. Logan O’Hoppe delivered that moment in the sixth inning with a two-run single that broke a scoreless tie and gave Los Angeles enough offense to snap a three-game losing streak.
On a cold and windy night in Chicago, offense remained scarce for both teams. Pitching and defense controlled the game for most of the evening until the Angels finally broke through late against the Cubs bullpen.
Soriano Continues Outstanding Start
Soriano once again looked in complete control on the mound.
The 27-year-old attacked the strike zone early and consistently overpowered Chicago hitters with a lively fastball and sharp secondary pitches. He allowed only two singles across six innings while striking out four and walking two.
The Cubs rarely threatened during his outing.
Soriano threw 90 pitches and worked efficiently throughout the game despite difficult weather conditions. He generated weak contact repeatedly and kept Chicago from building any offensive momentum.
His performance followed another dominant outing on opening day against Houston, where he also threw six scoreless innings while allowing just two hits.
Through two starts, Soriano established himself as one of the American League’s early pitching standouts.
The Angels relied heavily on his composure Tuesday night because runs were difficult to find for both teams.
O’Hoppe Delivers Game’s Biggest Hit
After several missed opportunities early, Los Angeles finally broke through in the sixth inning.
The Angels placed runners on second and third with two outs against reliever Phil Maton. Logan O’Hoppe then lined a sharp one-hop ground ball toward third base that glanced off Alex Bregman’s glove and rolled into left field.
Both runners scored easily to give the Angels a 2-0 lead.
The hit represented the game’s only scoring and rewarded Los Angeles for finally capitalizing in a pressure situation.
Earlier in the game, the Angels failed to score after loading the bases in the fifth inning. Cubs reliever Hoby Milner escaped that jam by retiring Nolan Schanuel on a groundout.
One inning later, O’Hoppe made sure Chicago could not escape again.
Cubs Waste Strong Pitching Performance
Chicago received another encouraging outing from starter Jameson Taillon despite taking the loss.
Making his season debut, Taillon held the Angels scoreless over 4 2/3 innings and allowed only two hits. The veteran right-hander navigated traffic carefully and avoided major mistakes throughout his outing.
Taillon exited in the fifth after intentionally walking Mike Trout to load the bases with two outs.
Milner relieved him and immediately escaped the inning by retiring Schanuel.
Chicago’s pitching staff largely matched the Angels through the first five innings, but the Cubs’ lineup never provided enough support offensively.
The Cubs managed only four baserunners during Soriano’s six innings and rarely made consistent hard contact.
Angels Bullpen Finishes The Job
After Soriano exited, the Angels bullpen handled the final three innings cleanly.
Chase Silseth escaped the seventh inning after allowing a single to Nico Hoerner and a walk to Moisés Ballesteros. The right-hander worked through the pressure calmly and preserved the shutout.
Veteran reliever Drew Pomeranz followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings against his former club.
Jordan Romano then handled the ninth inning for his second save of the season.
The closer allowed a walk to Dansby Swanson before striking out pinch-hitter Michael Conforto to end the game.
The Angels bullpen combined to finish the shutout and secure the team’s first win since opening day.
Cubs Offense Never Finds Rhythm
Chicago struggled offensively throughout the game and never established any sustained pressure.
The Cubs managed only four hits and rarely advanced runners into scoring position. Soriano consistently forced quick outs early in counts and prevented Chicago hitters from creating momentum.
Nico Hoerner recorded one of Chicago’s few hits and reached base twice, but the Cubs could not string together quality at-bats against the Angels pitching staff.
The windy conditions at Wrigley Field also limited opportunities for extra-base hits and made offense even more difficult.
Chicago’s lineup entered the game hoping to build momentum after winning the series opener, but the Angels pitching staff completely controlled the pace.
Angels Respond After Slow Start
The victory carried added importance for Los Angeles after the club opened the season with three straight losses following opening day.
The Angels leaned on strong pitching and timely execution rather than explosive offense. Their approach reflected the identity manager Kurt Suzuki hopes to establish early this season.
Los Angeles played clean defense behind Soriano and avoided costly mistakes in a low-scoring environment.
Mike Trout also remained patient at the plate despite not recording a hit. The Cubs intentionally walked him in a key moment during the fifth inning, showing continued respect for the veteran slugger even during a quiet night offensively.
The Angels ultimately found just enough offense behind O’Hoppe’s two-run single.
Up Next
The three-game series concludes Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field.
Chicago plans to send left-hander Matthew Boyd to the mound after a difficult season debut against Washington. The Angels will counter with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who allowed two runs over 4 1/3 innings during his first start of the season against Houston.
