April 2022

Ben Montgomery's new blog upon returning to the IBC in 2021.

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April 2022

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April 7, 2022

Anaheim, CA - Opening night in Anaheim brought new optimism to the Angels franchise as GM Ben L. Montgomery has finally had a year to observe the team and bring in some new energy and excitement. Game one of the new era started with free agent find Merrill Kelly facing Houston lefty Robbie Ray. Despite Kelly looking good in spring training, it was the Angel's bats that got the season started right. In the first inning of opening day, Connor Joe opened with a single. Following a Ben Gamel strikeout, Ketel Marte, Josh Bell, and Brandon Lowe homered in consecutive at bats against Ray.

The four first inning runs was all the Angel's pitching staff needed. Kelly would go on to pitch 7 innings of one hit ball and the bullpen would finish off the 7-0 victory. Marte led the offense with three hits and Brandon Lowe ended the game with two home runs. The Angels will look to keep the momentum going in game two by starting free agent Jose Quintana against the Astros.
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Re: April 2022

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April 8, 2022

Anaheim, CA - Despite an explosive five run sixth inning by the Astros including a two out Gary Sanchez grand slam, the Angels pitchers were able to keep the Astros hitters off balance for the second game in a row. Brad Boxberger, Victor Arano, and Daniel Coulombe combined to throw three and one third inning of shutout ball to close out the Angels second victory. Quintana was not awarded the win despite not allowing an earned run in his start.

The bats remained hot in game two. The Angels were led tonight by two hits from Ketel Marte and recent signing Jon Berti. Brandon Lowe and Tom Murphy got the scoring started with homers in the third and the Angels continued to hit all night. Every Angel starter recorded a hit and the team walked six times. The Angels hope to stay hot against Houston tomorrow night as top prospect Roansy Contreras is set to debut for Los Angeles.
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Re: April 2022

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April 9, 2022

Anaheim, CA - The story of the night for the Angels was the debut of rookie Roansy Contreras and he did not disappoint the hometown faithful. He was credited with a quality start by pitching 6 innings of shutout ball. He gave up one hit and two walks while striking out 2 batters. The key to his success is going to be giving the Angels quality innings while being on a tight pitch count. If they can get outings like this every night, then the Angels front office is going to be very optimistic about their season.

The bats cooled down in game three with only 6 hits and 0 walks, but due to opportunistic hitting in the fourth inning of Kyle Hendricks, the Angels were still able to score 6 runs. Rob Brantly was the hero on the night by hitting a three run home run to score all the runs the Angels pitching staff would need. Tomorrow the Angels go for the opening series sweep with rookie Angel Rondon on the mound.
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Re: April 2022

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April 10, 2022

Anaheim, CA - With the series sweep possible, the Angels sent rookie Angel Rondon to the mound to make his Angels debut. Rondon tried to up Contreras in performance by pitching 7 innings of one run ball with three hits and five strike outs. A tired Angels bullpen gave up a few runs, but closer Daniel Coulumbe was able to secure his second save making Rondon the second rookie winner for the Angels this series.

The Angels bats used a patient approach with seven walks to their seven hits to consistently put the Astros pitchers under pressure. Hot hitting Ketel Marte also helped the cause with 2 home runs and four runs batted in which would be enough to ensure victory on this night. Brandon Lowe and Gavin Lux were each able to draw three walks running the pitch counts up. The Angels also stole three bases due to the control problems on the night. The Angels started the season 4-0 for the first time in many years. They resume their season Monday for a two game series against Florida which should see Cesar Valdez make his Angels debut and Merrill Kelly attempt to continue his hot start.
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Re: April 2022

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April 11, 2022

Anaheim, CA - The 4-0 Angels hosted the 0-3 Marlins for two games prior to going on the road for the first time. All of the hot pitching and clutch hitting went out the window in the first inning when starter Cesar Valdez started the game with a five run inning. From the moment Matt Kemp homered, the Angels night was looking grim. The Marlins continued to pound Valdez in the first, but he would bounce back and pitch into the sixth inning. The Angels would pull it back to 5-4 in the 8th, but then go on to surrender 4 runs in the 9th.

Los Angeles would outhit Miami 12 to 10, but they wouldn't string hits together like the Marlins. The Angels continued to get hot hitting from SS Ketel Marte with 3 hits and RF Ben Gamel added another 3 hits from the leadoff position. Tom Murphy was the only Angel to put the ball in the seats continuing the hard hitting from the catcher position. The 4-1 Angels looks to even the season series tomorrow night.
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Re: April 2022

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April 12, 2022

Anaheim, CA - A fortunate Los Angeles team in the opening series was inversely snakebit in the second series of the year. Merrill Kelly got off to a slow start by walking Matt Kemp, giving up a double to Vladdy Jr., and then a no doubt homer to Yasmani Grandal. This was all the run support David Price and the Miami Marlins would need. Kelly went on to throw a quality start in the loss pitching 7 and two thirds innings with just the three runs. Jeff Hoffman finished off the game with 3 strikeouts in 4 outs.

There wasn't much to right home about when it came to the Angels bats against a premier left handed starting pitcher. The only runs the Angels would score came from solo home runs my Josh Bell and John Berti. The Angels are going to look to strikeout less than ten times as they are traveling to Texas to take on the Rangers. Jose Quintana will be taking the hill trying to get the Angels back on the winning track.
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Re: April 2022

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April 14, 2022

Arlington, Texas - The 4-2 Los Angeles Angels go on the road for the first time sending Jose Quintana up against Luis Severino and the Rangers bats. Quintana gave up a triple that would scored on a groundout in the fifth inning, but then the wheels came off in the sixth. The Rangers would score six runs punctuated by a Yordan Alvarez bomb. The Angels pitchers struck out 13 Rangers, but the Rangers would collect 14 hits and 5 walks.

Ketel Marte picked up a triple, but other than that, the Angels bats ran cold. It may be time to shake up the lineup as Connor Joe and Akil Baddoo are both struggling at the plate. The Angels are looking to bounce back tomorrow night by sending Roansy Contreras to the mound against Shohei Ohtani.
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Re: April 2022

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April 15, 2022

Arlington, Texas - Rookie Roansy Contreras was all the rage in his first start for the Halos, but all he did was provide tape for the hitter in Texas lineup. Contreras was battered for 12 runs on 16 hits and the Angels had to pull tomorrow's starter Angel Rondon in to finish up the game. Contreras didn't walk anyone, but that was because he couldn't throw anything by the Texas lineup. Texas hit 3 home runs off him including two from Yordan Alvarez.

The Angels would string together a couple runs in the ninth, but no one in the club house was feeling good about the game. Tom Murphy came in to pinch hit and hit a home run for his third of the year. The Angels started 4-0 scoring the second most runs in the league and now are sitting at 4-4 with two more games against the red hot Rangers. Dillon Tate will take the mound for the third game of the series for L.A.
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Re: April 2022

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4/16/22

Arlington, Texas - Dillon Tate who pitched out of the bullpen days ago was brilliant in Los Angeles's ninth game of the season. He pitched 5 strong innings with 4 hits, 1 walk, and 7 strikeouts. Tate turned it over to two innings each from Brad Boxberger and Jeff Hoffman to save a 2-1 victory. Yordan Alvarez hit his 7th home run in the ninth inning, but Hoffman secured the save.

The bats stayed cool tonight, but clutch hits by Josh Bell and Ketel Marte along with 3 Ranger errors were enough to scratch together a couple runs and win their 5th game of the season. Ketel Marte is hitting .371 on the young season while on the other end of the spectrum, Gavin Lux is yet to get a hit. The Angels will attempt to split the series in Texas by sending Merrill Kelly to the mound for his third start.
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Re: April 2022

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4/17/22

Arlington, Texas - Free Agent Merrill Kelly has been the rock that the Angels needed to get their season started on a more positive note. The Angels committed three errors during the game which led to 2 of the Rangers 5 runs being unearned. Other than that, Kelly threw eight strong innings and game the Angels enough to win with a strong offensive night against the Ranger pen.

The core of the Angels lineup, Marte, Bell, and Lowe combined for 7 hits including Lowe's 4th homerun. Gavin Lux also chipped in with his first hit of the year which was a two run home run in the 8th inning which would go on to be the winning runs. The outfield of the Angels has really been pressing, but they are being held together by a strong infield and timely hitting from their catchers. The 6-4 Angels will travel to Houston who will be looking for some revenge for the opening series of the year.
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Re: April 2022

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4/18/22

Houston, Texas - The 6-4 Angels traveled to Houston to face a team that they are already 4-0 against this year. The rotation was off due to some strange pitching use caused by management error. Angel Rondon was forced to take the hill and start right after pitching out of the pen two days ago. Although he had been spotless this year, Rondon struggled through this start with five walks. He left the game tied 3-3 and the bullpen was able to throw five and one third innings only allowing two more runs. Daniel Coulombe was able to save this game for his third save.

The bats were the heroes on this night as the Angels were able to score 3 runs in the 8th inning down 5-3. Josh Bell and Akil Baddoo both finished the night with 3 hits and a home run. Baddoo was the player of the game as his two run triple ended up tying the game and he would come home with the winning run on a Josh Naylor sacrifice fly. Baddoo would finish a double short of hitting for the cycle. The Angels who are now 7-4 (5-0 vs. the Astros) stay in Houston to try to build on this win with Jose Quintana on the mound.
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Re: April 2022

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4/19/22

Houston, Texas - The Angels and Astros combined for 25 hits in a wild night at Minute Maid park. The story of this game was the 16 hits that the Angels came up with and clutch hitting from both teams down the stretch. The pitching hero of the night was probably still closer Daniel Coulombe who got his first blown save of the year trying to pitch a two inning save, but then still worked two and two thirds innings over the course of the end of the game. Quintana was not sharp to start and will look to bounce back in his next start.

For the second time this year, every starting Angel got a hit. Connor Joe hit his first home run, Ketel Marte finished with two home runs to give him five on the year, and Brandon Lowe hit his 5th. The 10th inning proved to be the key separations for the Angels and the Astros. Facing Feyereisen, Josh Bell singled scoring designated runner Ketel Marte for the go ahead run. Aderlin Rodriguez would knock in Bell and John Berti and Akil Baddoo would both follow up with RBI singles. The Angels who are now 8-4 will take on the Astros for one more game Wednesday night with Roansy Contreras on the mound.
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Re: April 2022

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4/20/22

Houston, Texas - The key to rookie Roansy Contreras's season is going to be how he handles a limited pitch count. Wednesday night was proof that it won't always be smooth sailing. His 102 pitches included 4 walks and throwing half of his pitches for strikes. He only surrendered 2 runs, but a beleaguered bullpen was bombed by angry Houston hitters. Jeff Hoffman gave up six runs but only one of them was earned due to an error by 3B Jon Berti in the 6th.

The Angels bats only scraped out five hits and five walks over the course of the game on get-away day. Akil Baddoo continued his hot hitting with another home run in Minute Maid Park. Connor Joe and Gavin Lux continue to struggle mightily. The Angels who has surprised baseball by starting 8-5 will now travel back home to face Baltimore.
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Re: April 2022

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4/22/22

Anaheim, CA - After a much needed day off for the bullpen at least, the 8-5 Angels returned home to face the formidable Orioles lineup. Dillon Tate would make the start and struggle immediately in the second inning giving up four hits, a wild pitch, a hit batter, and an error in left field to give up four runs. They would be the story of the game as Tate gave up back to back hits in the 7th as the Orioles would go on to score four runs in that inning due to a Winker home run. Despite giving up 9 runs, the majority of the bullpen was able to rest in the 9 run loss.

The Angels bats hit well enough to win this game if the pitching had held up. They were led again by SS Ketel Marte working on his MVP campaign with 3 hits. He is now hitting .386 on the year. Akil Baddoo has been a huge part of the Angels season this week and he had two home runs and three RBI. Gavin Lux picked up his second hit, but he is hitting .065 on the year. The 8-6 Angels will turn to Merrill Kelly to stem the tide tomorrow night.
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Re: April 2022

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4/23/22

Anaheim, CA - Merrill Kelly should have stayed home tonight. Kelly was blasted for 12 hits and 10 runs in five innings in a 16-6 loss. The Orioles had five home runs led by Rhys Hoskin's two home runs and four RBIs. Francisco Perez didn't want Kelly to feel left out so he gave up 4 runs in the seventh inning. After a hot start, the Angels have been embarrassing on this home stand.

Akil Baddoo would hit his 4th triple and add 3 hits, but the top five hitters in the lineup would only add one hit on the night. Josh Naylor had the best night going 2-2 with a home run and a walk in his 3 plate appearances. Once standing 8-4, the Angels need to pick up the final game of this series on Sunday to not fall to 8-8. They will turn to free agent Cesar Valdez to get back on the winning ways.
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Re: April 2022

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4/24/22

Anaheim, CA - Cesar Valdez and Jonathan Heasley locked up in a pitcher's dual on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium. The Angels led 1-0 going into the bottom of the 7th inning when the Angels were finally able to break through against Heasley and reliever Baumann. Valdez on the other hand kept the Orioles off balance with his changeup over 7 innings of shutout ball. He only needed 92 pitches and likely should have been left out there to let the bullpen recover.

The Angels bats were not scorching, but they used 6 hits and 3 walks to score five runs. The key inning was the seventh inning which started with a soft flyout by hot hitting Akil Baddoo. Then Josh Naylor took Heasley deep which chased him. The Angels used an error by Ryan McMahon and a soft single by Mat Gamel to set up MVP Ketel Marte for a three run HR that would seal the game. The 9-7 Angels will see action next against the 5-11 Cleveland Guardians in a four game series.
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Re: April 2022

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4/25/22

Anaheim, CA - The 9-7 Angels welcome the struggling Guardians to Angel Stadium. On the mound tonight was beleaguered starter Jose Quintana that rumors had stated he was headed towards long relief in the pen. For some reason, he took the hill against Cleveland and put in one of the best pitching performances of the year for the Angels. Quintana pitched 7 innings and his only mistake was a Justin Turner home run in the 6th inning. Going into the 9th inning at home, the Angels sent Daniel Coulumbe to the hill and he was victimized by a series of hits after a 4 pitch walk to Corey Seager. Coulumbe took the loss in a heart breaking game.

With the game suddenly 4-1, the Angels bounced back in the bottom of the ninth with a Josh Naylor single and a Mat Gamel home run. After pulling within one, Gavin Lux weakly rolled a 2-1 pitch to the second baseman, Rob Brantly struck out after fouling off a couple pitches, and Akil Baddoo weakly turned over a 1-0 pitch to second to end the game. The Angels were outhit 10-5 and Josh Naylor's 3 hits were more than half of the teams hits. The 9-8 Angels will look to try to salvage the series victory after a heartbreak.
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Re: April 2022

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4/26/22

Anaheim, CA - Whenever the Angels appear to have some momentum, they find a way to snap defeat from the jaws of victory against a below .500 team. Angel Rondon, who has been the most successful starter for the Angels, took the mound again as a starter even though the plan was to have him in the bullpen coming out of the pen. Rondon didn't disappoint tonight by throwing another quality start despite striking out no one. Tonight the game belonged to Yusmeiro Petit in the 8th inning with a 3-2 lead. Petit gave up a 2 tun home run to Mookie Betts. He then gave up a single to Eddie Rosario who would score the winning run in the 9th.

The Angels bats were back against the Cleveland staff. Los Angeles rallied for 11 hits and 4 walks with only the catching tandem failing to get a hit. The Angels were led by Josh Bell's 5th home run and 2 RBI. Ketel Marte would also chip in with two hits. For the second game in a row, the Angels score in the 9th inning and come up one run short. Marte would strike out to end the game with the winning run on first base. This loss brings the Angels to .500 on the year.
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Re: April 2022

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4/27/22

Anaheim, CA - It is hard to sweep any team in baseball, but the Angels are a mess right now. Free agent pitcher Miller Hogan took the mound for the Angels tonight and pitched well for his debut outside of one poor inning. In the 4th inning he would give up a single to Rafael Devers and a Kyle Tucker home run. Then a failed double play ball hit right to Brandon Lowe was botched giving up an additional two runs. The Guardians are very talented, but it took some poor play from the Angels to help them turn their season around. The highlight on the mound was probably the debut of Cody Stashak who pitched 3 innings without surrendering a run and struck out four.

Up and down this lineup, it is hard to see how the Angels bounce back from this sweep. What was once a functional lineup has become Ketel Marte and a bunch of guess hitters. Connor Joe, Aderlin Rodriguez, Tom Murphy, Rob Brantly, and Mat Gamel all look totally lost right now. The Angels lineup has holes all over it. The best sign came from Jon Berti who has nailed down the starting 3B job and delivered with two hits. The Angels hope to find some life tomorrow in the 4th game of the series against the Guardians.
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Re: April 2022

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4/28/22

Anaheim, California - This series has been three games that Cleveland deserved to win, but the Angels really felt wronged that they hadn't capture one of them. The sent Dillon Tate to the mound trying to capture something from the series. A late free agent signed for the pen went to the mound and pitched the best game of the Angels' year. Tate through a complete game shutout surrendering 4 hits and striking out 3. Tate looked masterful and likely secured a spot in this year's rotation.

The bats were the other story. The Angels jumped on the Guardians in the first inning by scoring 4 runs without an extra base hit. The entire lineup batted in the first against Yarbrough. They would also tack on a large 8th inning with a 3 run home run by Ketel Marte which is his 7th. This 9-0 shutout will pull the Angels back to .500 with a 10-10 record. It is likely the record they deserve, but had hoped to surprise people and be a few games above .500. The season continues tomorrow in Chicago.
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Re: April 2022

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4/29/22

Chicago, IL - Chicago and Los Angeles combined for 14 runs on only 16 hits on Friday night in Chicago. The Angels sent trusted Merrill Kelly to the mound and he was bombed in his 4 innings of work. He gave up two extra base hits to Seth Beer in the 3rd and 4th inning and was tagged for 6 runs chasing him from the game. The pitching hero from two days ago, Cody Stashak would come in to settle down the bats and the bullpen would throw 4 2/3 innings of no hit ball as the Angels bats responded.

Akil Baddoo 2-5 with a home run and Josh Naylor 3-4 with a home run were the bats that led the charge for the Angels. 3B Jon Berti was also able to hit a solo home run against the White Sox. The Angels were able to score 8 runs despite Josh Bell and Brandon Lowe combining to go 0-9 in the middle of the lineup. L.A. will look to keep the hot hitting going Saturday night in Chicago.
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