ANAHEIM — As he works to get his offense to the lofty heights that are expected, Angels rookie Christian Moore is making plays on the lesser-regarded side of his game.
Expected to be a work in progress on defense at second base, Moore has instead thrived there in less than two weeks as a major leaguer.
While Moore made a diving catch to preserve a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning of a game last week against the Baltimore Orioles, that matchup ended in a 3-2 loss in 10 innings. Instead, he is particularly fond of a catch he made in shallow right field during the fourth inning of Monday’s game against the Boston Red Sox. That one ended in a 9-5 Angels victory.
“I think the over-the-shoulder catch (Monday) was pretty cool,” Moore said. “I haven’t really done that that much in my career so that was definitely one that felt pretty good.”
That wasn’t even his only defensive play of note from Monday’s game.
“You know how it goes here. You can’t be a one-dimensional player,” interim manager Ray Montgomery said. “What I have been most impressed with, quite honestly, is just his awareness on plays, both pre and post play. (There) was the catch but there was a double play behind him and him, and (third baseman) Luis (Rengifo) switching places was really impressive.”
On that play, Moore made a tag during a rundown between second and third then turned and fired back to Rengifo, who was covering second base, to finish off the double play by cutting down Abraham Toro as he tried to advance.
Moore didn’t have a hit in four trips to the plate Monday and yet he still managed to deliver two RBIs. He had a bases-loaded walk in the first inning and a sacrifice fly to right field in the eighth for what would end up being the game-winning run.
“As you get more reps out there, get more innings, it definitely feels a little more normal,” Moore said. “And I’m starting to get to that point mentally where it’s starting to slow down and just become baseball again. I feel like things are getting back to how they used to be.”
And how things used to be was a .302 batting average with 11 home runs and 52 RBIs in 79 minor league games with the Angels. Going back a bit further, there was a .338 batting average, 1.144 OPS, 61 home runs and 160 RBIs in 186 games over three college seasons at Tennessee.
“I’m 22 years old, I’m young so obviously there are a lot of things that are new,” Moore said. “I opened up (with a series) at Baltimore, at New York (against the Yankees) and that was a lot, but it was great. I’m glad I got to experience that and my family got to experience that.”
FEELING FINE
One day after Kenley Jansen left his outing in the ninth inning after four pitches, the Angels continue to say it was a pectoral muscle cramp that was the culprit and the team’s closer is just fine.
It was not known if Jansen would get the day off Tuesday, even in the event of a save situation.
Jansen has converted all 15 of his save opportunities in his first season with the club. Monday’s outing was not in a save situation and Hector Neris came on the record the final three outs in the 9-5 victory.
REFRESH AND RECHARGE
First baseman Nolan Schanuel was not in the starting lineup for just the third time in 79 games this season, with Montgomery saying it was a good time for a break.
“There comes a time where you’re rolling through games where you just might need a day off, or not a starting day to be more specific,” Montgomery said, suggesting that the left-handed hitter still would be available off the bench.
LaMonte Wade Jr. received his first start at first base since joining the Angels and his sixth start overall after he opened four games in right field and one in left.
After batting .327 with three home runs in a span of 13 games this month, Schanuel went 0 for 5 on Monday.
“There is a lot of mental stuff going on there and just the cumulative effect,” Montgomery said. “Listen, guys played back in the day 162 (games) for five, six, seven straight years. It’s a little different now. I’m not saying that’s good, bad or otherwise, but we need (Schanuel) for 85 more, or however many games we end up playing.”
INTO THE BOOKS
Zach Neto needs just two stolen bases for 50 in his three-year career and six home runs for 50 in that department as well. But he is closer to a franchise record of a different kind.
With his next home run to lead off a game for the club, Neto will have seven in a single season to tie for the franchise record with Brian Downing (1987).
Tony Phillips (1995) and Downing (1982) are tied with Neto for second-most all time at six.
Neto’s most recent leadoff home run came Monday against the Red Sox, which was his 12th overall on the season.
UP NEXT
Red Sox (TBD) at Angels (LHP Yusei Kikuchi, 2-6, 3.01 ERA), Wednesday, 1:07 p.m., FDSN West, 830 AM