Johnson hopes to be part of Angels' future after another strong start

PITTSBURGH -- If ever a team needs to find something positive, it is the Angels.

The Angels lost for the 10th time in their last 11 games on Friday night, falling 1-0 to the Pirates in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park, and a nine-game road trip that includes stops in Boston and Washington. The Halos have the worst record in the Major Leagues at 53-88.

Yet, rookie right-hander Ryan Johnson gave manager Kurt Suzuki reason to smile with another solid start. Johnson allowed one run and four hits in six innings while striking out six and walking two.

Johnson (3-8) wound up being the hard-luck loser as Jared Jones struck out nine over six strong innings for the Pirates, combining with Wilber Dotel and Mason Montgomery on a four-hit shutout. It marked the 12th time the Angels have been blanked this season.

“RJ [Johnson] was fantastic tonight,” Suzuki said. “He’s been working a lot on his breaking ball, and it was really good. I thought RJ obviously gave us a chance to win, did everything he could, and pitched great.”

The Pirates scored the lone run of the game in the second inning. Jake Mangum’s double to right field scored Konnor Griffin, who returned from the 60-day injured list Friday, from first base with one out. The inning began with a walk to Oneil Cruz, who was thrown out at second on a fielder’s choice.

“I had a little bit of a shaky second inning, but I fixed some [mechanical] things and was able to keep the score close,” Johnson said. “The leadoff walk hurt.”

Regardless, it was another in a string of strong outings by Johnson. The 24-year-old has a 1.67 ERA in his last six starts and has allowed one run or fewer in five of those outings.

“I feel like I’m strong and still in my stride, even this late in the season,” Johnson said. "That means everything to have that consistency piece, and it’s still far from what I want to be doing. I want to do it for a full season, then for years and years, not just for half a season.”

Before Johnson began turning his season around in August, he was 2-6 with a 7.63 ERA in 12 games. He has lowered his ERA to 5.17.

When asked why he is pitching so well lately, Johnson smiled and said he didn’t have a concrete answer.

“It’s just a funny game,” Johnson said. “You can execute your pitches and give up hits, and you cannot execute pitches and still get outs. [My stuff] has always been there. The great defense behind me really helped me out. It’s just going out there and having the confidence that I belong in the big leagues and being able to trust myself.”

The Angels’ long-term plan remains a work in progress. Interim general manager John Mozeliak made some trades at the Deadline, but also held on to left-hander Reid Detmers and shortstop Zach Neto. Whether the Angels retool or rebuild in 2027, Johnson is trying to prove he should be part of it.

“He’s working on a lot of things in the bullpen,” Suzuki said. “He’s found a nice routine. He’s focusing on getting better. ... and he is getting better. I’m very happy with the way RJ is pitching.”