That 7.53 ERA Is A SCAM: Grayson Rodriguez Is Throwing 96.2 MPH Heat AGAIN

Alright, fam, listen up. While we're all fired up about our Mariners, there's a comeback story brewing down south that you just gotta keep an eye on. Los Angeles Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez is on a mission tonight against the Colorado Rockies in Anaheim, trying to grab his third straight win. Why is this huge? Because this dude is battling back from nearly two years, 22 months to be exact, on the sidelines thanks to a string of brutal injuries. Tonight is his fourth start of the season, and it's against a Rockies squad fresh off a wild W.

The "New" Grayson Rodriguez Is a Problem

Look, Rodriguez's stat line for the season so far, a 2-1 record with a 7.53 ERA, doesn't tell the whole story, not even close. This guy opened the season on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, which came after his entire 2025 season was wiped out by right elbow and right lat injuries. Talk about a brutal stretch, right? But he's getting it done. His last outing was an absolute gem, a 7-1 victory over Detroit on Thursday. He carved up the Tigers, giving up just two hits, including one solo homer in five innings. He walked two, struck out five, and here's the kicker: his four-seam fastball was averaging a blistering 96.2 MPH. That's the stuff that makes you sit up and take notice. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki sees it too, saying Rodriguez is "consistently been better and better with his execution." The numbers back it up: 88 pitches thrown, 56 for strikes. That was his best outing of the season for the 26-year-old, a former first-round draft pick in 2018 who came over from the Orioles in an offseason trade for Taylor Ward. We're talking about a pitcher who was 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 20 starts in 2024 before the injury bug bit. Rodriguez himself knows it's a grind, telling reporters, "Definitely taking steps in the right direction. I'm not fully where I want to be yet, but just using these building blocks to keep going, keep pushing forward." You gotta respect that fight.

Rockies Just Stole One, Sugano Is Next

Across the diamond, the Rockies are trotting out right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (4-4, 4.01 ERA), who’s faced the Angels twice before, going 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA. Sugano is one of the bright spots for Colorado, even though his last start was a 4-1 road loss to the Dodgers. He gave up three runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings, including back-to-back first-inning solo shots to Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer gave props to Ohtani's "fastball away to arguably the best hitter in the world" and Freeman, saying, "you just have top tip your hat to that." But he noted Sugano "settled in nicely" afterward. The Rockies are riding high after a crazy 9-8 come-from-behind win on Monday, stealing the opener of this series. They were down early after Jose Siri ripped a grand slam for an Angels 5-2 lead in the third. But Colorado clawed back, taking an 8-6 lead in the eighth thanks to a three-run homer by Hunter Goodman. The Angels tied it up in the bottom of the eighth on a Jorge Soler two-run triple, only for TJ Rumfield to drive in Kyle Karros with the go-ahead run via a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Schaeffer was pumped, saying the "boys showed incredible, incredible resilience." So, tonight is a huge test for Rodriguez. Can he keep that heater blazing and secure his third straight W? The Angels need him to be the ace he was before the injuries, and if he keeps throwing 96.2 MPH, watch out. It's going to be a battle, and we'll be watching to see if this comeback story continues to unfold.

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