The Los Angeles Angels cruised to a 7-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Wednesday in spring training action. Josh Lowe paced the offense, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple, and five RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Jack Kochanowicz turned in a solid outing, working 5.0 innings of 1-run ball with six strikeouts. The Angels finished with 9 hits on the day while holding the Reds to 7. The victory gives the Angels positive momentum heading into the final stretch of spring training. The coaching staff will look to build on the strong showing in the games ahead.
Key Performers
Josh Lowe was the key contributor at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple, and five RBI. His ability to drive the ball out of the park was the highlight of the afternoon. Performances like this give the Angels confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
Mike Trout chipped in, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, Yoán Moncada added to the attack, going 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Oswald Peraza provided support, going 2-for-3. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Rece Hinds led the Reds offense with a 2-for-2 with a home run, a double, and an RBI day. JJ Bleday also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. Sal Stewart added a 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Angels pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Jack Kochanowicz got the start, delivering a strong performance, working 5.0 innings while allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits with six strikeouts. He threw 92 pitches in the outing. It was exactly the kind of outing the Angels need from their pitching staff heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 4.0 innings of work, allowing 3 earned runs while striking out three. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today was an encouraging showing from the relievers. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions. Tayler Saucedo recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Nick Sandlin stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
The Angels struck first, tallying two runs in the first inning. Reds answered with a run in the fourth. The Angels responded with a run in the fifth. Reds countered with two runs in the sixth. Reds plated a run in the seventh. The Angels answered with four runs in the seventh. The Angels spread their scoring across three different innings, applying consistent pressure throughout the game. The Angels out-hit Reds 9-7 on the day, with both teams playing clean defense. A crowd of 5,454 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
As the exhibition schedule nears its conclusion, the Angels can point to this game as a step in the right direction. The combination of solid pitching and timely hitting is exactly what the coaching staff hopes to see at this stage of the spring. The focus now shifts to maintaining this level of play with the regular season just around the corner.