CLEVELAND (AP) 鈥� The Angels have had a devilish time playing in Cleveland.
With a 4-2 on Wednesday, Los Angeles was not only swept in the three-game series but dropped to 4-30 at Progressive Field since 2015.
Cleveland’s stunning home record 鈥� and .882 winning percentage 鈥� against the Angels over the 11-year span is the best by any major league team against any opponent.
Beyond that, the Guardians have hosted the Angels for 40 consecutive games without losing two in a row, the longest such streak in the expansion era (1961) for Cleveland. The Guardians haven’t lost two straight home games to the Angels since 2013.
In baseball, such dominance is almost unfathomable.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a well-coached team,鈥� Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said in trying to explain the imbalance. 鈥淭heir pitching has always been outstanding and they鈥檙e just a solid team. It鈥檚 a tough place to play and they鈥檙e a perennial playoff team every single year.鈥�
The Angels, by contrast, have been a losing team for much of their run of futility at Cleveland. LA鈥檚 last winning season was 2015.
Suzuki has been part of the tilted matchup as a player and manager. He caught for the Angels in 2021 and 2022. Even before that, he remembers every visit to face the Guardians being a challenge.
鈥淲hen you play good teams it鈥檚 a grind,鈥� Suzuki said. 鈥淲hen I was with the Angels, the Nationals, the Twins, they鈥檙e always tough. It鈥檚 not just the Angels. It鈥檚 everybody coming in and playing against them.鈥�
Parker Messick struck out seven over 6 2/3 innings in the series finale and Cleveland’s pitchers fanned 13 Angels for the second day in a row. LA superstar Mike Trout went 0 for 4 and failed to reach base for the first time in 26 career starts against the Guardians.
Before the game, manager Stephen Vogt, who missed Monday’s series opener while recovering from an upper respiratory condition, wrapped his knuckles on a table for good luck when asked about Cleveland’s recent command of the Angels.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a stat,鈥� Vogt said of the lopsided ledger. 鈥淪ometimes you catch teams at the right time, sometimes you catch teams at the wrong time. I鈥檓 really proud of the way our guys played. I obviously watched the game on Monday. I thought we played a phenomenal game.
鈥淎nd then last night I thought we played excellent baseball. We played great defense. Our pitching was outstanding and we got hits when we needed to. And you do those things, it鈥檚 a recipe to win.鈥�
Guardians catcher Austin Hedges didn’t want to put much stock in Cleveland’s success over the Angels, knowing how quickly it could swing in the other direction.
鈥淚t’s a baseball thing,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 play any teams. We play a game that has nine individuals on the field. It鈥檚 not a team sport. Today it was Parker Messick versus Mike Trout. And then Jo Adell. It鈥檚 an individual game of players and teams change every year.
鈥淏ut it was a really clean series for us. When we play really good baseball, we鈥檙e very hard to beat.鈥�
Just ask the Angels.
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