LOS ANGELES -- While shortstop Zach Neto returned to the lineup after missing three games with whiplash, both first baseman Vaughn Grissom and designated hitter Jorge Soler were scratched with left side tightness before Friday’s Freeway Series opener against the Dodgers.
Neto went 1-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch and two stolen bases, but the offense scuffled without Grissom and Soler to waste a strong start from lefty Reid Detmers in a 1-0 walk-off defeat at Dodger Stadium. Closer Kirby Yates served up a walk-off homer to Freddie Freeman to lead off the ninth and got handed the loss. Meanwhile, the Angels struck out 10 times over seven innings against right-hander Roki Sasaki.
“He was tough, man,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “I haven't seen him pitch like this ever. He was sitting 98, 99, 100, and with a nasty split and slider. From what it looked like, he was pretty much on the rails all night, especially with two strikes, and he was executing his pitches. And sometimes, you just got to tip your hat to the other side's pitcher.”
Neto injured himself in a collision at home plate on Saturday in St. Petersburg and played on Sunday before dealing with headaches that kept him from playing in the club’s three-game set against the Rockies. But he was back at leadoff and at shortstop against the Dodgers after Thursday’s off-day.
He singled to open the sixth inning against Sasaki and stole second after Mike Trout struck out. But Wade Meckler struck out looking and Jo Adell grounded out to end the potential rally. It was the closest the Angels would get to scoring against Sasaki, who set a new career high in K’s.
Neto was hit by a pitch with two outs in the eighth before reliever Edgardo Henriquez struck out Trout, as the Angels went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position on the night. But Suzuki noted the Dodgers made several strong defensive plays early that kept the Angels scoreless.
“I think they took a lot of hits away from us, especially some hard ones there,” Suzuki said. “Credit to their defense, they played good for Sasaki tonight.”
Grissom was the first Angels player to get scratched. He was seen talking with manager Kurt Suzuki and head athletic trainer Mike Frostad before the game, as he sustained the injury while swinging during batting practice. He was slated to hit fifth before getting taken out of the lineup roughly an hour before the game, with Oswald Peraza moving from second base to first base and Nick Madrigal starting at second base.
“He just was hitting and felt something when he took some BP the first round,” Suzuki said. “You don’t want it to be something where one thing leads to another and the next thing you know, you're out for two months. So we tried to play it safe and be ahead of it.”
Grissom, 25, has slashed .246/.325/.410 with four homers, 10 doubles and 27 RBIs in 40 games this season. He had been filling in at first base for Nolan Schanuel, who has been on the injured list retroactive to May 24 with left ankle tendinitis. Schanuel, though, began a rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Friday night and could return as soon as Saturday.
Soler was scratched just 10 minutes before first pitch after leaving Wednesday’s game in the fifth inning with what was described by the team as left hip irritation. He said he’s been dealing with the issue for the last two weeks but that it flared up and felt worse on Wednesday.
Soler, 34, has slashed .220/.300/.402 with nine homers, 10 doubles and 33 RBIs in 58 games. With Soler out, Adam Frazier started at designated hitter and batted ninth. Soler could land on the injured list, but will be evaluated further on Saturday.
“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Suzuki said. “We’ll talk to the training staff. They both got some treatments tonight and we'll see how they feel tomorrow morning.”
The Angels came in averaging nearly six runs per game over their last 15 contests, but they couldn’t back Detmers, who threw six scoreless innings with six strikeouts. He scattered two hits and two walks but was stuck with a tough-luck no-decision.
“I felt good,” Detmers said. “It's a tough place to pitch. The crowd's always into it, and obviously it's a really good lineup. So you gotta bring your A-game. But I always look forward to pitching here.”