After allowing three runs his last time out, José Soriano’s bid at Fernando Valenzuela’s record of carrying a 0.29 ERA through his first seven starts in 1981 faltered. But his own ERA through seven starts in 2026 still starts with a 0, and the reeling Angels could use the newly minted AL Pitcher of the Month on Monday night.
Soriano (5-1, 0.84 ERA) toes the rubber against the White Sox at 9:38 p.m. ET at Angel Stadium. It’s the 27-year-old righty’s eighth start of the season after carrying a historic 0.24 ERA through his first six.
The Angels have lost eight of their last 10, including a sweep last week against Chicago -- the team who finally tagged Soriano in his previous start last Tuesday, a 5-2 loss. He allowed three runs, including a pair of home runs, while striking out six and walking three in five innings.
However, Soriano was pitching through some neck stiffness that cropped up before first pitch. His velocity was slightly down, and he didn’t command the strike zone with great efficiency (97 pitches, 57 strikes).
“It was tough,” Soriano said. “Every time I tried to look down at home plate, it was tough, and the focus was not the same. But in the end, I just tried to help the team the most I could. And even though we didn’t have the result we wanted, we battled.”
“He battled through it,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “All of his games are good, but tonight I might have been the most proud of him for gutting it out and giving us everything he’s got. I know it didn’t come out on our side, but he took the ball and that’s what aces do.”
If Soriano is back to his healthy self for a rematch with the South Siders, perhaps he’ll get back to the form that earned him his first career Pitcher of the Month award, the first for the Angels since Matt Shoemaker in 2014.
Opposite Soriano, the White Sox will throw impressive 29-year-old righty Davis Martin (4-1, 1.95 ERA). It’s the same matchup as last Tuesday’s win for Chicago, with Martin outdueling Soriano across 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball.