Angels’ bullplen implodes in loss to Cardinals – Orange County Register

ANAHEIM — The Angels have offered nary a response during a “Show Me State” takeover that has only added to the misery.

A bullpen meltdown on Monday night led to a 10-5 defeat in a series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals that came after Missouri’s other club stormed through Orange County. The Kansas City Royals left town Sunday after winning three of four games, with the Angels now 6-18 since they moved to .500 on April 17.

With the Cardinals’ eight-run rally in the seventh inning, the Angels’ bullpen became one of three in the major leagues with an ERA over 5.00. The late innings have been far from a relief.

And it came on a night when the Angels, who fell to 15-27 overall and 5-15 at home, really were showing something to their opponent.

Kyren Paris showed up in a four-run fourth inning with an RBI double and Kevin Pillar showed out with a home run.

Right-hander Jose Soriano also put it all on display by pitching into the sixth inning without giving up a run. Getting his first chance to take ownership of a starting role in the major leagues, Soriano has not given up a run in two of his last three starts.

In Paris and Pillar, the Angels got a bit of much-needed production from a pair of players who weren’t even in the plans until two weeks ago. Pillar was signed when Mike Trout went down with a meniscus injury and Paris was called up from Double-A when Brandon Drury came away with a hamstring injury last week.

With dwindling options to choose from, the Angels gave Paris a chance after he was hitting a mere .091 at Rocket City. His RBI double was his second hit for the Angels in five games and his first extra-base hit in 20 major league games over the past two seasons.

Pillar continued to give the Angels production after he was designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox and then signed by the Angels on April 30. Pillar’s home run Monday was his third in eight games with his new team, including a two-homer game last week at Pittsburgh.

Pillar, a West Hills native, has arrived to rave reviews from the guy he is helping to replace, for the time being.

“Bringing in (Pillar), a guy like that who has been around a long time, great guy in the clubhouse, it’s been great,” Trout said last week.

The Angels’ 13 home runs from their center fielders (Trout and Pillar) are the most from the position in the major leagues.

Yet the positives turned sour so quickly. After side-arming Angels right-hander Adam Cimber preserved Soriano’s scoreless outing by getting Paul Goldschmidt to hit into a 4-6-3 double play in the sixth inning, the seventh was a disaster.