Jose Soriano Is Striking Out 10 Batters Every Time He Takes the Mound and the Angels Won't Be Stopped

Jose Soriano just threw another shutout masterclass, and at this point we need to start asking if anyone in baseball can actually touch this guy. The Angels' ace struck out 10 batters over seven clean innings Sunday afternoon to beat the Reds 9-6 in Cincinnati, and honestly, that's becoming his baseline right now.

This was Soriano's second straight start with double-digit strikeouts. He's now 4-0 on the season, and his ERA sits at a ridiculous 0.33, which is legitimately the best mark in all of baseball. The guy threw 106 pitches, landed 69 for strikes, and only gave up two singles while walking three. He's a computer-programmed baseball robot at this point.

The Numbers Are Absolutely Insane

Here's what's wild: through 27 innings this season, Soriano has allowed exactly nine hits and just one run. One. That home run came off Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin, and that's it. He's fanned 31 batters, tops in the majors, against just nine walks. Those are video game numbers. This isn't a hot streak anymore, this is just who he is right now.

Mike Trout went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, driving in a run while scoring three. Nolan Schanuel had two hits, two walks, and three RBIs. Oswald Peraza went deep to lead off the fourth inning. The whole lineup clicked, but Soriano set the tone from pitch one.

The Angels Built a Fortress Early

Los Angeles jumped all over Andrew Abbott in the first inning, stringing together five singles for three runs. Schanuel's bases-loaded single to left-center made it 2-0, and O'Hoppe followed with an RBI single of his own. They extended it to 5-0 in the second when Neto walked and scored on a Trout double into the left field corner, then Trout scored on a Jorge Soler sacrifice fly.

By the fourth inning it was 7-0. Peraza's solo shot opened that frame, then Adell drove in another on a bases-loaded fielder's choice. Schanuel capped it with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth to make it 9-0.

The Reds tried to make it interesting late, scoring three in the eighth and adding more in the ninth with Elly De La Cruz's three-run bomb to center. But it was too little too late. Los Angeles won their first series in Cincinnati since 2007.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.