PHOENIX — The Angels’ game was pretty ugly already, and then in sixth inning there was one of those moments that it became really difficult to watch.
Catcher Logan O’Hoppe had to leave the game after a foul ball hit him squarely in the cup. O’Hoppe writhed in pain on the field, and a few minutes later gingerly walked to the dugout.
After the Angels’ 9-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night was over, O’Hoppe stood at his locker and was able to smile, thankful that the cup had done its job.
He said it was “by far” the worst he had ever been hit in that area in all his years of catching.
“Better now,” O’Hoppe said. “I’m still in some pain. I was dizzy after I got hit. And that was why I left. That was tough.”
Beyond that disturbing moment, it was a rather nondescript performance for the Angels.
They hoped for the best with left-hander José Suarez making a spot start, and it didn’t go well. Suarez gave up four runs in 2-2/3 innings.
Suarez was filling the rotation spot vacated when left-hander Reid Detmers was sent to Triple-A.
Suarez had been a reliable starter in 2021 and 2022, but he’d struggled with injury and ineffectiveness for most of the time since. His previous seven relief outings, in which he’d posted a 2.87 ERA, were somewhat encouraging, though.
The Angels had planned for Suarez to throw around 75 pitches, but he was done after 65. One of the main problems was that Suarez threw a first-pitch strike to just five of the 14 hitters he faced.
“We were just in some counts we had to work out of,” O’Hoppe said. “It wasn’t lack of effort. He was trying to make his pitches. It just dint go our way. It was a frustrating night.”
Suarez gave up a pair of triples to Randal Grichuk and Corbin Carroll in the second, and a two-run homer to Grichuk in the third.
“I just made bad pitches,” Suarez said through an interpreter. “I left my pitches over the middle and that was it.”
Right-hander Carson Fulmer took over…
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