Angels turn to sizzling Jose Soriano in rubber game at Reds

The Los Angeles Angels are sending the right man to the mound against the host Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, when they'll rely on new-found ace Jose Soriano to try to win the finale and the three-game series.

The Angels' bats cooled off after Friday's 10-2 blowout win as they dropped Saturday's game 7-3, setting up the Sunday showdown.

Enter Soriano, who's been one of the surprises of MLB so far in 2026 after allowing just one run over his first three starts. The right-hander is 3-0 and ranks second in the majors with a 0.45 ERA going into Sunday's games.

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki praised Soriano for his composure after his last outing, yielding one run and three hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts in eight innings against the visiting Atlanta Braves on April 6.

"When you see him lose a couple arm-side or up or down or whatever, he gets right back in it and refocuses and starts pounding the zone," Suzuki said.

"I think his adjustments are quick, and that's what you like to see."

Soriano is an unlucky 0-1 all-time against the Reds in three appearances with a 0.00 ERA, as he took the loss without giving up an earned run in his lone start at Cincinnati on April 21, 2024.

It will be a battle between one of the league's hottest pitchers and a Cincinnati offense still looking for answers despite finding success in its last game. The Reds enter Sunday with the second-fewest runs scored in the league (48).

They got a spark on Saturday from Nathaniel Lowe, who had a bases-clearing double in the first inning of the win.

Lowe won an American League Silver Slugger as a first baseman for Texas in 2022, but he hadn't showcased much of that hitting prowess since signing with the Reds on a minor league deal in the offseason. Before the big hit on Saturday, Lowe had recorded just one extra-base hit and two RBIs.

In a postgame interview on the Reds' broadcast, Lowe credited the hitters further up the order for setting up his bases-clearing double, saying, "I thought we got great at-bats in front of me and, thankfully, I got a pitch to handle."

"It's real early," he continued. "This offense still needs to find its rhythm and figure out how we're going to be the best version of us, but I thought today was a pretty good showing."

One offensive standout for Cincinnati has been rookie infielder Sal Stewart, who has four home runs, 17 hits, four doubles and 13 walks -- all team highs. Manager Terry Francona is finding ways to make sure Stewart stays in the lineup, playing him at second base for the first time in his short MLB career on Saturday. He also has played first and third as well as been in the lineup as the designated hitter.

Andrew Abbott (0-1, 3.18) will be the starting pitcher for the Reds on Sunday. He was the team's Opening Day starter this year and earned a spot on the National League All-Star roster in 2025. The left-hander is 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in one previous start against the Angels in August 2023.

--Field Level Media