Angels’ Early Bullpen Collapse Too Much to Overcome in Loss to Guardians

The Los Angeles Angels opened their series against the Cleveland Guardians with another frustrating loss Monday night.

May 8, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Alek Manoah (47) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Angels opened their series against the Cleveland Guardians with another frustrating loss Monday night, falling 7-2 after an early bullpen collapse put them in a hole they never recovered from.

The Angels finished 9-for-36 (.250) with a .631 OPS, three walks, and 11 runners left on base. The offense generated opportunities throughout the night, but once again struggled to capitalize consistently with runners on. Despite collecting nine hits, the Angels managed just two runs and continued a trend that has defined much of their season, enough traffic to compete, but not enough timely execution to sustain offense over nine innings.

The Bullpen Game Falls Apart Early

Rookie manager, Kurt Suzuki, opted for a bullpen game today, and it unraveled quickly. After a clean first inning from Brent Suter, he ran into trouble in the second inning before turning things over to José Fermín, who immediately allowed a two-run single in his first at-bat. Suter finished with 1.2 innings pitched, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout.

Things worsened in the third. Fermín walked the bases loaded while recording just one out before Kirby Yates entered and allowed an RBI walk, a two-run single, and a two-run double. By the end of the inning, the Angels trailed 7-0.

Fermín finished with 3 walks and 3 earned runs in 0.2 innings, while Yates allowed 2 earned runs on 2 hits and a walk. Combined, the Angels’ first three pitchers allowed seven runs before the fourth inning was complete.

The one major positive came from Alek Manoah, who stabilized the game with 5 scoreless innings in his second appearance of the season. Manoah allowed just 2 hits and struck out two, though his 5 walks and 52% strike rate still reflected inconsistent command. Even so, the outing showed why the Angels remain intrigued by his upside and potential for a larger role moving forward.

Offense Shows Life Late, But Too Late

The Angels finally broke through in the eighth inning when Jo Adell drove in Jorge Soler with a 110 mph RBI single to center. Adell continued one of the stronger stretches of his season, finishing 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

In the ninth, Vaughn Grissom added another RBI with a 102 mph two-out single that scored Zach Neto, but the damage had already been done. Nolan Schanuel also finished with two hits and a double, while Mike Trout went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.

The larger issue remains the same. The Angels continue getting occasional production from the top of the lineup and younger contributors like Grissom and Adell, but inconsistent pitching and a lack of timely offense continue preventing those performances from translating into wins.