Missed scoring opportunities define Phillies' 6-5 loss at Los Angeles Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. — When Seranthony Domínguez came set to deliver a two-strike pitch with two out in the seventh inning here Monday night, Garrett Stubbs held his mitt low and away. Then, before Domínguez released the ball, Stubbs repositioned it up and in.

Guess where the pitch went.

Domínguez uncorked a low-and-away fastball that skipped past Stubbs. One run scored, and another came in after Stubbs retrieved the ball and flipped it to home plate and over Domínguez’s head.

And that was how the Phillies lost, 6-5, in the series opener against the Los Angeles Angels.

There was a ninth-inning rally because, well, that’s what the Phillies do. They cut the deficit to one run on Trea Turner’s single, a ground-rule double by Bryce Harper, and a sacrifice fly by newly minted National League player of the week Alec Bohm.

Brandon Marsh even had a chance to tie the game against his former team in his first game in Anaheim since a deadline trade to the Phillies in 2022. But he swung through a 96 mph fastball from Angels closer Carlos Estevez to end the game two innings after grounding out to leave the bases loaded.

It was a rough return to Angel Stadium for Marsh and a rotten way to start the series for the Phillies, who blew 3-0 and 4-2 leads. They are 1-8 all-time in Anaheim and haven’t won here since June 9, 2003.

Cristopher Sánchez allowed seven hits and four earned runs over five innings, including his first home run allowed all season in the first inning. Ryan Sun / AP

Cristopher Sánchez lacked a feel for his signature changeup and didn’t miss many bats. He threw 75 pitches, leaning mostly on his two-seamer, and didn’t get his first swing and miss until his 62nd pitch, a changeup to strike out Mike Trout.

The Phillies ambushed Angels starter Griffin Canning for three runs in the first inning. Bohm delivered the big hit yet again, stroking a bases-loaded two-run single to left field before Marsh lifted a sacrifice fly to left.

But rather than burying Canning, the Phillies wasted opportunities.

Johan Rojas got picked off first base in the second inning. After Canning balked in a run in the fifth, the Phillies couldn’t drive in Turner from second base with one out. Stott got stranded on second in the sixth.

Meantime, the Angels chipped away. Jo Adell hit the first homer allowed by Sánchez this season in the first inning. Luis Rengifo led off the second with a double, stole third base, and scored on Ehire Adrianza’s one-out single.

The Angels knocked out Sánchez with back-to-back singles to open the sixth inning, then tied the game against reliever Orion Kerkering on an RBI groundout by Logan O’Hoppe and Cole Tucker’s two-out single.