Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, right, and Reds designated hitter Nick Martini, left, celebrate after they scored off Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s double in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Angels, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Angels starting pitcher José Soriano throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher pitcher Frankie Montas throws in the first inning of a baseball game against the Angels, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas throws to first base to force out the Angels’ Taylor Ward in the first inning at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas reacts after being hit by a line drive off the bat of the Angels’ Taylor Ward in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. Montas left the game after the injury. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas reacts after being hit by a line drive hit by the Angels’ Taylor Ward in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. Montas left the game after the injury. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas, left, reacts as his arm is checked after being hit by a line drive hit by the Angels’ Taylor Ward in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. Montas left the game after the injury. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Frankie Montas leaves the game after being injured in the first inning against the Angels at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Angels star Mike Trout grounds out in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Brent Suter pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel hits a single in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher José Soriano throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Emilio Pagán throws in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Angels, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Angels starting pitcher José Soriano throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday in Cincinnati. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Angels right fielder Aaron Hicks, left, catches a fly ball hit by the Cincinnati Reds’ Christian Encarnacion-Strand (not shown) in the fourth inning of a baseball game on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The Angels’ Taylor Ward hits a single in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Nick Martini connects (and reaches on an error) during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher José Soriano throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday in Cincinnati. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Angels center fielder Mike Trout fails to catch a fly ball in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Angels catcher Matt Thaiss, left, reaches with a late tag as the Cincinnati Reds’ Nick Martini slides safely into home plate to score on a double by Christian Encarnacion-Strand in the sixth inning on Sunday in Cincinnati. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Angels catcher Matt Thaiss, left, reaches with a late tag as the Cincinnati Reds’ Nick Martini slides safely into home plate to score on a double by Christian Encarnacion-Strand in the sixth inning on Sunday in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, right, and Reds designated hitter Nick Martini, left, celebrate after they scored off Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s double in the sixth inning of a game against the Angels, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Nick Martini, left, and Elly De La Cruz celebrate after scoring runs in the sixth inning against the Angels at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, right, and Reds designated hitter Nick Martini, left, celebrate after they scored on Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s double in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Angels, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Jeimer Candelario hits a triple in the sixth inning against the Angels at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Cincinnati Reds’ Jeimer Candelario runs to third base after hitting a triple in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Angels, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. Reds’ Christian Encarnacion-Strand scored on the play. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
The Angels’ Luis Rengifo grounds into a force out in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Aaron Hicks throws his helmet to the ground after striking out swinging in the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel, left, and catcher Matt Thaiss collide while attempting to catch a pop fly in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 21, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Alexis Díaz throws in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Angels, Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Cincinnati Reds center fielder Will Benson (30) and shortstop Elly De La Cruz, left, celebrate after their 3-0 victory over the Angels on Sunday in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
CINCINNATI — One day after his throwing error led to a five-run first inning for the Cincinnati Reds, Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo booted a two-out ground ball that resulted in three unearned runs on Sunday afternoon.
Angels starter José Soriano (0-3) took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz broke it up with a one-out infield single. Two batters later, Rengifo misplayed Nick Martini’s grounder, and Cristian Encarnacion-Strand smoked a two-run double off the top of the wall in left-center field for the only offense the Reds would need in a 3-0 win in front of a crowd of 25,935 at Great American Ball Park.
“The game was moving along; both sides were pitching very well,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “We know what Soriano was doing out there, and then we don’t handle the baseball. Next thing you know, they’ve got three runs.”
Jeimer Candelario hit a triple to right field after Encarnacion-Strand’s double to give Cincinnati a 3-0 lead, spoiling Soriano’s promising outing.
“That’s part of the game,” Soriano said of Rengifo’s error. “You’ve got to keep fighting as a pitcher. Thankfully, I got out of the inning. But things happen.”
While it was Rengifo’s second error in as many games, it could have been his third. He initially was charged with his second of the game on Saturday night on a bouncer by Jonathan India in the fifth inning.
The official scorer later changed it to a hit, but the misplay led to Cincinnati’s final two runs in what ended up being the difference in a 7-5 loss.
“Nobody wants to make an error, but it’s part of the game,” Rengifo said. “I have to be better and catch the ball.”
Not only did the Reds not have any hits before the sixth, they only got one after that inning. But the three unearned runs were more than enough for the Cincinnati bullpen, which compiled 8⅓ shutout innings after starter Frankie Montas took a Miguel Sanó line drive off his right forearm in the top of the first and exited after just 16 pitches.
Brent Suter came in for Montas and blanked the Angels for 3⅓ innings, followed by Emilio Pagan (2-1), who earned the win with two innings worked, Fernando Cruz, Lucas Sims and Alexis Diaz.
“We know Suter, and he came in and we didn’t do very much with him,” Washington said. “And then, Cruz. We know exactly what he does. We just didn’t supply anything offensively today.”
The Angels had just six hits, two from Nolan Schanuel and two from Rengifo, and left nine on base, including five through the first three innings.
The team has scored one or fewer runs in three of the last four games.
“Maybe it’s the Reds’ pitchers. I don’t know,” Washington said. “But we’ve certainly got to do a better job on the offensive side. Everybody wants to talk about pitching, but our pitching has been keeping us in ballgames. We just haven’t been scoring enough runs to do anything with it.”
Soriano did more than just keep the Angels in the game. He had the best – and longest – outing of his young career, lasting six innings while striking out a career-high seven.
“I was throwing pretty much everything,” he said through interpreter Manny Del Campo. “Every single pitch was working, especially the curveball. So I feel great.”
But it was an 0-and-2 curveball that Encarnacion-Strand belted off the wall in left center to break the scoreless tie.
“I was trying to throw a little bit lower,” Soriano said. “But it happens. It’s baseball.”
Had Rengifo come up with the ground ball from Martini, Encarnacion-Strand instead would have been hitting with no one on, leading off the seventh.
“That was the third out, and the ball was not handled,” Washington said. “And the next thing you know, they’ve got three runs. You’ve got to handle the baseball. There’s no doubt about it. You’ve got to handle the baseball.”
The Angels (9-13) ended their 10-game trip with a 3-7 record.
They will be back in action Monday night at home against the Baltimore Orioles.
