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Angels’ offense lacks punch in series-ending loss to Braves

April 9, 2026

ANAHEIM — After a night with plenty of fight, it was a passive afternoon for the Angels on Wednesday as their season-opening homestand showed a split personality.

The Angels fell to the Atlanta Braves, 8-2, to finish 3-3 on their first stay at home this season. The road beckons again at 6-7 overall, with clear signs there is more to offer.

Reid Detmers’ return to the rotation continues to be a work in progress, while the offense has struggled to meet expectations. Detmers (0-1) gave up six runs (five earned) on five hits over 4⅓ innings, while the lineup was held scoreless over the final seven innings.

“I mean, it’s no mystery. They know they have to have better at-bats,” first-year Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “… I say it all the time, and I know it, but the game can change in one swing. Right now we’re scuffling, but we have to put at-bats together instead of a good at-bat and some bad ones.”

Jorge Soler did his best to supply the energy, much like he did Tuesday when he exchanged blows with Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez. Soler received a seven-game suspension for the aggression but was available to play after filing an appeal.

In his first at-bat, to lead off the second inning, Soler vented with a two-run home run off of Atlanta right-hander Grant Holmes. The lineup hardly made another dent off Holmes, who was coming off a scoreless six-inning outing at Arizona last Friday when he gave up just one hit.

“It’s tough because everything is so stockpiled into a small sample size right now,” catcher Logan O’Hoppe said about the offense. “One thing I’ve learned going on Year No. 4 now is that how long of a year it is. In the moment, it feels like it’s forever but it’s not the case. We have a road trip coming up here and we’ll have a good trip.”

As the outs piled up, the hitting numbers dropped for the Angels, who entered third from the bottom of the American League at the start of the game with a .200 team batting average. They were fourth from the bottom with a .645 OPS.

Those marks fell to .198 and .639, respectively.

The Angels have shown some power with 15 home runs, counting Soler’s blast. But leadoff hitter Zach Neto is batting .231 after a hit Wednesday and twice tried to bunt with the bases loaded and one out in the second inning. He eventually flew out to shallow right field.

Mike Trout is batting .190 and Logan Hoppe is hitting .219 after a ninth-inning infield single. Yoan Moncada (.083) and Josh Lowe (.091) appear to have nowhere to go but up.

“Obviously, they know where they’re at right now and they’re working to be better,” Suzuki said about Moncada and Lowe in particular. “You would like for them to have results with the amount of work they are putting in.

“They just have to keep going. I know it’s a repetitive answer but in this game, you’ve got to just keep swinging and keep your mind in the right spot.”

Trout has returned after a scare Sunday when he was hit in the left hand by a pitch, but has gone 1 for 9 with three strikeouts over the past two games after a day off Monday. Trout struck out in the seventh inning Wednesday, leaving runners stranded on the corners.

“That says a lot. That’s what you want from your leader, the guy everybody looks up to” Suzuki said about Trout playing through hand discomfort. “Having that mentality from Mike, you appreciate it as a manager. Yeah, I know he didn’t get hits, but him willing to go out there, you respect it, you appreciate it and that (toughness) is what it’s going to take from us this year.”

Dropped into a relief role last season where he made 61 appearances, Detmers had the worst start of his return to the rotation. In addition to four strikeouts, he had two walks and has six free passes over his past two outings.

The Braves showed their offensive personality by fouling off or blooping some of Detmers’ best work and then taking advantage of the mistakes. Atlanta remains one of the few teams still under 100 strikeouts this season.

“I felt like when I did get ahead, they broke a bat or got some bloop shots,” Detmers said. “I don’t know how many they had, like four or five maybe. Really there were only two pitches I wanted back.”

One of those was a 3-and-2 fastball in the third inning that Matt Olson hit for a go-ahead two-run home run for a 4-2 Braves lead. Atlanta never trailed again.

But Detmers did hold the Seattle Mariners without a run over 6⅔ innings on Friday. His next outing will come at Yankee Stadium, where he has not given up a run in three outings (one start) and 6⅓ innings.

“I like starting. Obviously starting is what I’ve always done,” Detmers said. “At the same time, you never want teams to foul a bunch of pitches off and get bloop hits against you as a competitor. It pisses you off, but that’s baseball. You have to move on.”

Orange County Register

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Angels’ offense lacks punch in series-ending loss to Braves

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