Shoemaker uncharacteristically 'out of sync' in Angels loss to A's
It's probably best to just to turn the page on Matt Shoemaker's most recent start, Angels manager Mike Scioscia says.
It was Stars Wars Night at Angel Stadium on Monday and the force wasn't with Shoemaker or the Angels.
Shoemaker made an early exit in the club's 6-3 series opening loss to Oakland. It was his first loss since dropping a 2-1 affair to the Dodgers on Aug. 6 of last season.
On Monday, Shoemaker lasted just three-plus innings, allowing seven hits, five earned runs, while walking three and striking out two.
Since that loss to the Dodgers last season, Shoemaker was 9-0 in his last 10 appearances with a 1.92 ERA. The Angels were 10-0 during that span.
Considering the success he's enjoyed since being inserted into the Angels rotation last season, Monday's outcome seemed a bit "uncharacteristic."
"These guys aren't robots, they're human and they're going to be out of sync once in a while," Scioscia said. "Matty never settled in to what he does best and that's strike one and pounding the zone and changing speeds ...He looked out of the sync from the beginning."
The A's sent six to the plate against Shoemaker in the first inning after the Angels starter walked two of the game's first three batters. Oakland was able to get a run across thanks to an Ike Davis sacrifice fly but Shoemaker would allow no more, leaving two A's on the basepaths.
In the second inning he appeared to find his groove, retiring Oakland in order. But he began the third inning by allowing four consecutive Oakland hits âthree of which were extra-base hits, including a three-run home run from Stephen Vogt.
In the fourth, he faced just one batter, Marcus Semien, who led off the inning with a solo home run, ending Shoemaker's night.
"Unfortunately these nights happen, you never want them to happen but just chalk it up to one of those," Shoemaker said of his shortest inning as an Angels starter. "You're almost battling yourself trying to execute pitches. It (stinks). It's part of the game, sometimes."
