The Angels had this one in hand after seven innings. Then the eighth arrived, and so did another gut punch.
Los Angeles carried a 2-1 lead into the late innings against Washington on Friday night, only to watch the Nationals score three times in the eighth and escape with a 4-3 win in the opener of the three-game set. The loss snapped the Angels’ brief two-game winning streak and turned what looked like a manageable finish into another frustrating collapse.
Mike Trout got the Angels rolling right away, launching a solo homer in the first inning for his 21st of the season off Nationals starter Cade Cavalli. Yusei Kikuchi then worked through a shaky outing, but Washington finally broke through in the fourth. Harry Ford and Jorbit Vivas each drew walks, and James Wood followed with a single to bring home the tying run.
From there, the game settled down until the seventh. Kikuchi exited after four innings, allowing one run on three hits and four walks while striking out five.
Cavalli stayed in long enough to give the Angels a chance, but that inning turned when he walked the first two hitters. Christian Moore then delivered a single to plate a run and put Los Angeles back in front, 2-1.
That lead didn’t survive the eighth.
Luke Murphy, Jose Fermin and Ryan Watson each handled scoreless innings in relief, but Samy Natera Jr. couldn’t stop the Nationals’ rally. Brady House opened the frame with a walk, CJ Abrams singled, and Dylan Crews followed with a bunt single to load the bases. Natera got a forceout at the plate, but Andrew Pinckney then lifted a sacrifice fly to tie it at 2-2.
Washington kept the pressure on. Vivas doubled in two more runs, and just like that the Nationals had a 4-2 cushion.
Erik Tolman came on to finish it, and the Angels made a brief push in the ninth. Tolman walked Oswald Peraza with two outs, and Christian Moore nearly tied the game with a drive that hit high off the wall in right for a double. But Tolman ended it by getting pinch-hitter Kyren Paris to pop out to left.
Another late lead gone. Another loss that felt painfully familiar for the Angels.
They’ll try again Saturday, with Walbert Urena set to face Andrew Alvarez.
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Andrew Alvarez will oppose him for the Nationals, who have spent much of the year in a similar spot but have been able to inch back into the NL East race. The Angels, meanwhile, are still trying to shake off a frustrating pattern of falling into the same holes, and Urena's ability to keep that from happening again will go a long way toward determining whether this one feels like another missed opportunity or a step toward something better. [Read more 🡒]