ANAHEIM — Jack Kochanowicz could have had a victory if his teammates had supported him at the plate as well as they did in the field.
A few nice defensive plays helped the Angels’ rookie right-hander get through six innings with only two runs on the board, but it wasn’t enough. The Angels lost 3-1 to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.
“We couldn’t execute,” manager Ron Washington said. “They executed in their situations and we couldn’t execute.”
The Angels didn’t have a hit against Braves starter Charlie Morton until the fifth inning, when Brandon Drury led off by hitting a ball off the fence in right-center. Matt Thaiss then walked and Jo Adell singled, loading the bases.
Mickey Moniak was hit in the foot by a pitch, driving in a run to cut the deficit to 2-1.
That was all the Angels could get, though. Michael Stefanic fouled off a bunt on a suicide squeeze attempt. He then hit a foul popup. (Although Thaiss was running from third on the second pitch, Washington said there was no squeeze on that time.) Taylor Ward then grounded into an inning-ending double play.
“All we got to do is get something in the air and we hit a ground ball double play,” Washington said.
Other than in the sixth inning, the Angels (53-71) didn’t have an at-bat with a runner in scoring position all day.
Outside of the missed chance in the fifth, Washington said the problem was mostly that the Angels couldn’t figure out Morton.
“Charlie was in command,” Washington said. “I don’t think some guys in that clubhouse have seen that kind of spin before, and he was spinning it.”
That left Kochanowicz with a tough loss.
It could have been a worse day for him, because he allowed seven hits and walked three.
Despite the traffic, it was Kochanowicz’s second straight quality start after he allowed two runs in 7-2/3 innings last Sunday in Washington.
“I just didn’t have my best feel for my offspeed but the sinker was moving well enough,” Kochanowicz said. “I just wish I didn’t have to find it early on.”
Washington said it was a good learning experience for the 23-year-old.
“He really didn’t have his best stuff but he was able to stand out there, so that gives him some courage to understand that when he doesn’t have his best stuff, he can still battle,” Washington said. “That’s not a weak lineup and he battled throughout without his best stuff.”
He was able to do it because of the defense.
The Angels turned three double plays, including one started by a diving stop from Drury, the third baseman, in the third inning.
In the fifth, Moniak made a leaping catch at the center field fence to rob Matt Olson of an extra base hit with two runners on base.
Adell made a diving catch in right field in the sixth inning.
“That’s why we were in that ballgame, because of the defense,” Washington said. “The pitchers making pitches and the guys making plays.”
