ANAHEIM, Calif; — The Angels had a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning that quickly slipped out of their fingers after Ryan Johnson loaded the bases.

Johnson gave up two hits and a walk to the first three batters he faced. Replaced by Brock Burke, all three of those runners and more scored, resulting in an 8-5 loss at home to the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday night.

Johnson was charged with all three runs while Burke gave up one in the sixth inning. It was the fourth time over the last week that the Angels bullpen had blown a tight game.

“His stuff was flat,” Angels manager Ron Washington said when asked about Johnson. “We really didn’t see the bulldog that you usually see in him.”

As a whole, the pitching staff gave up 14 hits and seven walks to Toronto. Five of the eight runs scored were given up by the bullpen.

Angels manager Ron Washington has spoken plenty this season about the bullpens faults and blaming it on inexperience. Despite the inexperience, he believes the best way for them to learn is to play and gain experience.

“Well we just gotta keep running them out there. Every time they go out there, they’re gaining experience and at some point. You got to put that experience into play.” Washington said.

José Soriano was on the mound for the Angels tonight. Soriano had a solid outing for the team, giving up eight hits, with three runs, six strikeouts, and four walks in five innings.

Toronto’s lineup was aggressive to start the ball game, swinging at the first four pitches they saw, which resulted in loading the bases. With Soriano facing pressure early on, he managed to strike out the next three batters he saw on 12 pitches, using his slider twice and on a knuckle curve.

“Even though I had the bases loaded. I never lose my focus and I think that was part of the good result that I had.” Soriano said.

Soriano ran into trouble in the third inning after walking two batters. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer on first and second, Daulton Varsho came up to the plate and hit an RBI double, bringing home Guerrero Jr. from second. In the next at bat, Soriano got Alejandro Kirk to hit into a ground out, but Springer was able to score. Soriano walked Addison Barger in the next at bat, got Ernie Clement to hit into a force out at second.

What a job by Jose Soriano right now. Loads the bases but gets George Springer, Daulton Varsho, and Alejandro Kirk to strike out on 12 pitches. Twice by his slider and once with a knuckle curve. #Repthehalo https://t.co/kn2aQzwvDo

— Thomas Murray (@Thomas_L_Murray) May 9, 2025

Soriano’s day concluded after five innings tonight. After he was replaced, Johnson came in to relieve him in the sixth. Johnson gave up two singles and a walk to the first three hitters he faced. Burke then came to replace him but gave up a single to Anthony Santander on a 2 run RBI single to left. Burke then walked Springer, loading the bases again with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on third and Springer on second. Daulton Varsho flew out to bring home Guerrero Jr. 

The Angels loaded the bases again after an intentional walk was called. The next batter was Alejandro Kirk. Nolan Schanuel made the play at first, throwing the ball towards home, forcing Guerrero Jr. out. O’Hoppe then threw back to Schanuel, but the ball bounced off Barger while he was running to home. Springer was able to jog into home with just one out made on the play. Burke finished the ending by striking out Nathan Lukes one batter later.

While the bullpen has been inconsistent, the Angels might be finding consistency amongst their lineup. They finished the night with a total of 9 hits, and drew but struck out 13 times and drew only one walk.

For the second time this series, Taylor Ward hit a 2 run home run in the first inning tonight. Ward has been showing signs that he might be coming out of a long slump that has riddled him to just five hits since April 18. Ward finished the series going 3-11, two of his hits were homers.

Jo Adell is another player in the Angels lineup who has been in a slump. The Angels’ coaching staff has been working with Adell’s approach at the plate as they are trying to have him chase less outside of the strike zone and be more aggressive with early pitches at the plate. Like Ward, Adell also homered on Tuesday and had another one tonight. His homer tonight was on a solo shot after Chris Bassit threw him a curveball in the lower middle part of the strike zone. Adell made contact on a ball in his second at-bat that had an exit velocity of 100.4 MPH.

pic.twitter.com/sTJEdKEjFH Jo Adell has been working on two things at the plate. Not chasing pitches outside the zone and to stop letting hittable balls pass him at the plate. Adell clobbers a curveball in the lower middle part of the strikezone @SportingTrib #Repthehalo

— Thomas Murray (@Thomas_L_Murray) May 9, 2025

“I feel like I’m getting closer to where I know I can be,” Adell said. “Obviously in the previous weeks I’ve struggled to not roll the ball over.” 

“We kind of are getting that focus centered around keeping the ball in the middle of the field and continue to work on that and good things will happen.”

Both Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel had multi-hit games for the Angels tonight. Neto has been riding a career-high hit streak and extended it to 13 games tonight after hitting singles in the second and seventh innings. Schanuel had a double in the first inning and a single in the second. He also earned a walk in the seventh. Tonight was Schanuel’s third multi-hit game since Saturday’s victory over the Tigers.

Outside of an electric start in the first two innings, the seventh was the only time the Angels scored after Logan O’Hoppe drove in Neto on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly towards center field.

Notes

Prior to the start of Thursday’s game, Washington announced a move along the coaching staff. Eric Young Jr. be transitioning over to first base coach and Bo Porter will move over to third. Washington said the decision was made by him and general manager Perry Minasian as the two felt they would be getting more use out of Young Jr.’s skills at first base. Before tonight’s game, the Angels ranked 26 in the MLB with 19 stolen bases.

Ron Washington announced Eric Young Sr. will move to first base and Bo Porter is moving to third. @SportingTrib @TaylorBlakeWard

“The reason we’re doing it is EY is one of the better base running guys in the game of baseball. You can’t use his skill set at third base”

— Thomas Murray (@Thomas_L_Murray) May 9, 2025

Luis Rengifo was given the night off and was given a mental day after throwing the ball to first base instead of second for a double play opportunity in Wedensday night’s game. “I just thought he needed a mental day. However you interpret it is how you interpret it,” Washington said. “But I just thought he needed a mental day. He’ll be back in there tomorrow.”

Mike Trout update: Washington said Trout did a light bike exercise earlier in the day. Trout is rehabbing from a left knee bone bruise. Last season, Trout was sidelined due to a torn meniscus injury.

Ben Joyce update: Ben Joyce is scheduled to throw this week for the first time since having inflammation in his right shoulder. Joyce has not begun throwing yet, and Washington didn’t outrule it but hasn’t gotten any information on his return timeline.