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Angels Continue Roller-Coaster Stretch as June Begins
ANAHEIM — The Angels closed May and opened June with another up-and-down stretch, going 2-4 over six games. Strong individual performances from Reid Detmers, Clarke Schmidt, George Valera, Jorge Soler, and Owen Miller were overshadowed by inconsistent pitching and a pair of lopsided defeats.
The Angels opened a weekend series at Tampa Bay on May 29 with a heartbreaking 4-2 loss in 11 innings. Clarke Schmidt matched Shane Baz pitch for pitch in an outstanding pitchers' duel as the clubs were tied 1-1 through nine innings. Each team scored in the 10th before Dominic Keegan ended the game with a two-run walk-off home run off Kolby Allard in the bottom of the 11th.
The Rays clinched the series the following afternoon. Junior Caminero's two-run double in the first inning and Josh Lowe's three-run homer in the third put Yusei Kikuchi and the Angels in an early hole. Jorge Soler brought the Angels back into the game with a three-run homer in the eighth, but Keegan struck again with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning, sending the Rays to a 7-4 victory.
Los Angeles salvaged the series finale on May 31 behind another impressive outing from Reid Detmers. The left-hander allowed just one run on six hits over six innings to improve to 3-2 on the season. George Valera led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in the third inning and an RBI double in the fifth. Soler added a two-run homer later in the inning as the Angels earned a 7-2 victory.
The club's return home did little to build on that momentum. Facing a Colorado Rockies team that entered play with a 22-38 record, the Angels suffered perhaps their worst loss of the season on June 1. Colorado pounded out 19 hits in a 10-0 rout while Los Angeles managed only five hits and committed two errors. José Soriano endured his roughest start of the year, lasting just 2⅓ innings while surrendering eight runs on 10 hits.
The following night brought both concern and celebration. John Means was used as an opener but exited with arm pain after one inning, raising immediate concerns about his health. Logan Allen followed with six effective innings, allowing three runs to keep the Angels within striking distance. Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Angels rallied. Chandler Simpson singled home the tying run before Owen Miller delivered the decisive blow, launching a grand slam to left field to turn a one-run deficit into a 7-3 victory. Miller finished 2-for-4 with five RBIs, adding an RBI double earlier in the game.
The Rockies claimed the series on June 3 with a 4-2 victory despite another solid performance from Clarke Schmidt. The right-hander gave the Angels a chance to win, but the offense was unable to solve Colorado pitching as Los Angeles dropped the rubber game.
The uneven stretch highlighted both the promise and frustration of the 2027 Angels. Detmers and Schmidt continued to anchor the rotation, Soler remained one of the club's most dangerous power hitters, and Valera showed encouraging signs at the plate. At the same time, Soriano's difficult outing, Means' latest injury setback, and two series losses served as reminders that consistency remains the club's biggest obstacle as the season moves into June.
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