ANAHEIM — José Soriano worked five scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, allowing a season-high seven hits but snapping the Los Angeles Angels' four-game losing streak in a 7-3 victory at Angel Stadium. The right-hander maintained his dominant start with a 0.24 ERA over six outings, the lowest mark for a pitcher's first six starts since 1913. Solo home runs from Nolan Schanuel and Mike Trout helped build the lead.
Soriano has allowed just one run all season, a solo homer by Atlanta Braves' Drake Baldwin on April 6. He did not walk a batter for the second time this year and limited hard contact, with his hard-hit rate at 30.9 percent, well below the league average of 37 percent. Hitters' average exit velocity against him stands at 87 mph, down from his career norm of 90.7 mph. “It doesn't have to be the Blue Jays, sometimes it’s different things. But the only thing I can do is keep grinding out there,” Soriano said. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki praised the pitcher's preparation. “It's special. Just watching him go to work every single day... The guy is a physical specimen, so it's awesome to watch,” Suzuki said. Soriano's sinker, averaging 97 mph with increased vertical drop of 27.1 inches, has been particularly effective, holding opponents to a .056 average. He generated 16 swinging strikes over 84 pitches, including six on his knuckle curve. Nolan Schanuel drove in four runs, including a go-ahead three-run double in the eighth. “He's got serious stuff... I've never seen a baseball move that much,” Schanuel said of Soriano.
