The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hosted the Seattle Mariners at Tempe Diablo Stadium Monday and handed them a shutout loss, 5-0. In a game where Angels pitching held Seattle to just two hits, the pitching for LAA dominated in this one.
Matt Shoemaker was on the hill for the Angels, and they got a fantastic outing from the young righty. Shoemaker went six shutout innings, giving up only two hits while walking one and striking out two more. He did a great job pitching to contact while getting eight flyball outs and eight ground ball outs. When the bullpen relieved Shoemaker after a great outing, they picked up right where he left off and finished with three perfect innings.
On the other side, Erasmo Ramirez toed the slab for Seattle and didn't make it through two innings. Ramirez gave up four runs (two ERs) on four hits and struck out only one. It wasn't his day on the mound, and that doesn't bode well for the righty as he is looking like the odd man out of the pitching staff with no more Minor League options available.
The Angels had the bats going today as they totaled nine hits. They had the bats out early as they got all of their runs in the second and third innings including a four-run second inning, which ousted Ramirez. Los Angeles got production all throughout the order as every starter but Albert Pujols tallied a hit. David Freese had a nice performance going 2 for 2 with a sac fly in the second inning. Reigning A.L. MVP Mike Trout continued his hot spring with a 1-for-3 day, rasing his average to .486.
The Mariners must have forgotten their bats back in Peoria because they just didn't have it today. Seattle didn't get a baserunner until Mike Zunino's double to left in the fifth inning, directly followed by a Logan Morrison single. Other than that, they had nothing. This is obviously nothing too serious to worry about as Austin Jackson, Robinson Cano, and Nelson Cruz all stayed back in Peoria.
The Angels have to be happy with the performance of Shoemaker today as he is looking to continue what he had going in 2014. If the Angels want to win their second straight A.L. West title, they will need these type of performances throughout the season from Shoemaker.
For the Mariners, Erasmo Ramirez doesn't look like he will win the last spot in the rotation, which means that he might have to cut ties with the ball club because he does not have another Minor League option left. It will be interesting to see what happens with Ramirez, but in regards to being on the team this season, it doesn't look too promising.
The Angels return to action tomorrow in Surprise, Arizona, vs. the Texas Rangers as Andrew Heaney will go up against Nick Tepesch for Texas. The Mariners will be the "road" team vs. the San Diego Padres (whom they share a stadium with) in Peoria as J.A. Happ will face off against Andrew Cashner for San Diego.
WP: Matt Shoemaker - (1-1, 4.85 ERA), LP: Erasmo Ramirez - (1-1, 3.38 ERA)