Mike Trout, Jorge Soler and Zach Neto hit home runs, Ryan Zeferjahn worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning and the Angels held on for a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.
Zeferjahn hit a batter and walked two in the ninth before retiring Edgar Quero on a groundout for his first save this season and his third in 10 career opportunities. The right-hander struck out rookie home run leader Munetaka Murakami — tied with the Yankees’ Aaron Judge at 14 — with a runner on first to get the final out in the eighth.
Trout hit his 11th homer of the season and the 415th of his career with one out in the first off Erick Fedde (0-4) after Chicago scored two runs off Sam Aldegheri in the top half.
Neto homered for the first time since April 10, a tiebreaking two-out shot in the fifth for his sixth of the season. Trout walked for the second time before scoring from first on a double by Nolan Schanuel to make it 4-2 and chase Fedde. Trout reached base four times with a single in the eighth.
Neto ended an 0-for-23 slump with a third-inning single before getting picked off.
Chase Meidroth hit his second homer leading off the seventh against Sam Bachman to get Chicago within 4-3. Both Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas extended their on-base streaks to 18 games for the Sox.
José Fermin (1-1) pitched a scoreless fifth for the win. Aldegheri gave up two runs on four hits in four innings in his sixth career start.
Fedde yielded four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings.
The top four hitters in the Angels’ lineup drove in a run for the first time since June 18, 2021, against the Tigers.
Murakami’s two-run blast in the fourth inning kept the Japanese rookie tied with New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge for the major league lead in home runs. Murakami also hit his first double of the season in the sixth, singled and scored in the eighth, finishing three for four with two RBIs and three runs scored.
Davis Martin gave up five hits in seven shutout innings, with 10 strikeouts and no walks. He improved to 5-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.64. The right-hander escaped his only jam in the seventh, getting Josh Lowe to fly to deep center with runners on first and third.
Andrew Benintendi added four hits — all singles — and an RBI for the White Sox, who have won six of their last seven games.
Nolan Schanuel and Travis d’Arnaud had two hits apiece for the Angels, who have lost 13 of 15 and have the worst record in the majors at 13-23.
Angels starter José Soriano looked nothing like the ace who went 5-1 with an 0.84 ERA in his first seven starts and became the first Angel to win AL pitcher-of-the-month honors since Matt Shoemaker in August 2014.
Soriano, slowed by neck stiffness in his previous start, gave up a season-high five runs and eight hits in four innings, striking out five, walking three and needing 88 pitches to record 12 outs. The right-hander looked out of whack mechanically in the first, throwing nine of his first 11 pitches for balls and walking two. Run-scoring singles by Chase Meidroth and Benintendi gave Chicago a 2-0 lead.
Soriano escaped two-on, two-out jams in the second and third innings before being tagged for three runs in the fourth. Murakami followed Sam Antonacci’s single by clubbing an up-and-away 98-mph fastball an estimated 429 feet to center for a two-run homer. Vargas followed with a solo shot to right-center to make it 5-0.
Up next: RHP Erick Fedde (0-3, 3.24 ERA) will start for the White Sox on Tuesday night. LHP Sam Aldegheri (1-0, 5.40 ERA) is expected to start for the Angels.
Mark Vientos hit two homers and drove in four runs and right-hander Clay Holmes allowed one run in 6⅔ innings as the New York Mets beat the Angels 5-1 on Sunday.
Holmes (4-2) allowed four hits with three walks and six strikeouts as the Mets took two of three games from the Angels and won a series for just the second time since April 7. New York also won two of three against Minnesota (April 21-23).
The Mets used Bo Bichette at shortstop Sunday, one day after Ronny Mauricio fractured his left thumb and was placed on the injured list. Shortstop Francisco Lindor also is on the injured list with a calf strain.
Jorge Soler had an RBI single for the Angels and right-hander Jack Kochanowicz (2-1) gave up two runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings with three walks and six strikeouts. Los Angeles had ended a season-high seven-game losing streak Saturday. The Angels are 2-12 since April 18.
The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Zach Neto and Mike Trout worked walks to open the game against Holmes and Soler hit a one-out run-scoring single to center.
As Holmes settled in, the Mets grabbed a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Vientos hit a towering two-run homer 427 feet, halfway up the rock pile beyond the center field fence.
The Angels were in the game until the eighth inning when Tayler Saucedo hit Brett Baty with his first pitch of the inning and was replaced by Nick Sandlin. Carson Benge had an RBI double to right for a 3-1 lead and Vientos followed with another two-run home run, this time to left.
The Mets’ outfield made a pair of spectacular plays, with left fielder MJ Melendez making a diving catch in the sixth inning and Benge making a diving catch in right for the second out of the ninth.
Up next for the Angels: RHP Jose Soriano (5-1, 0.84 ERA) will pitch in Monday’s series opener against White Sox RHP Davis Martin (4-1, 1.95 ERA).
For Blake Bowen and his JSerra High baseball teammates, their final week of the high school baseball season could not have gone any better.
The 6-foot-4 senior hit three home runs during a three-game sweep of Santa Margarita. But the Lions finished their season on Friday with an 11-17 record, which means there will be no postseason.
“Too little, too late,” coach Brett Kay said.
Bowen came on strong, finishing with nine home runs and a .360 batting average. His ability to hit the ball hard and far should make him a high draft pick this summer.
“It’s the best power I’ve ever seen for a high school player,” Kay said.
Bowen is a former football player who began focusing only on baseball after transferring to JSerra from Riverside King. He plays baseball like he did in football — with an aggressiveness.
“Once he comes into his own, he’s going to be special,” Kay said.
The Lions had a young team that was hurt by injuries. One of the impressive young players was freshman Joey Koenig, who showed he can hit and will get a chance to pitch in the future.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com
The Zion Phelps story is going to be told over and over at Loyola High to show students what can happen when someone discovers potential and decides to take a chance to bring it out.
In his first year running track after bragging during the football season that he was the fastest student at Loyola, Phelps proved on Thursday he’s also the fastest 100-meter runner in the Mission League by winning in a school-record time of 10.49 seconds at the Mission League finals at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
“I’m beyond grateful,” he said after embracing Loyola coach Sharaud Moore.
A junior defensive back, Phelps let Moore bring out his track talent, and now he has options in track and football.
Loyola’s Ejam Johannes offers the “shoosh” sign after anchoring the winning 4×100 relay team. He also won the Mission League 400 and 200 titles.
(Craig Weston)
Another Loyola athlete stepping forward in preparation for next weekend’s Southern Section Division 1 prelims was Ejam Yohannes. He ran anchor leg for the 4×100-meter relay team that beat Notre Dame for the first time in three years with a time of 40.75. At the finish, he put a finger over his lips and gave a “shoosh” sign. He also won the 400 meters in 47.05 and the 200 meters in 20.85, the fourth-best wind legal time in the state this year.
Notre Dame’s JJ Harel qualified in three events — going 6 feet, 10 inches in the high jump, 22-5¼ in the long jump and also qualifying in the triple jump.
The strangest moment of the day came in the Mission League 100 girls’ final. Nalia Keyes of Chaminade and Maya Rios of Bishop Alemany tied for first place, each finishing with a time of 12.46.
“It’s weird,” Rios said of her first ever race tie.
In the Marmonte League final, Demare Dezeurn of Westlake ran the 100 meters in 10.39 seconds to outduel Jaden Griffin of Newbury Park (10.50) and Kingston Celifie of Calabasas (10.56). Dezeurn played football for Palisades in the fall after transferring from Bishop Alemany last season.
Baseball
Sylmar 10, Kennedy 0: Rickee Luevano hit a grand slam for Sylmar.
Westlake 10, Newbury Park 3: Dylan Lee homered and Holden Backus had two hits and three RBIs.
Bishop Amat 3, La Serna 2: Ray Castro threw six innings and also had an RBI single.
Temecula Valley 3, Vista Murrieta 1: Grayson Martin gave up one hit and struck out seven in six innings.
Oaks Christian 17, Calabasas 8: Ryan Sheffer hit two home runs and finished with four RBIs.
Softball
Garden Grove Pacifica 4, Cypress 1: Jenna Valladares had an RBI triple and Shay Kletke threw a complete game.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 16, Louisville 0: Jackie Morales had three hits and six RBIs.
Harvard-Westlake 14, Chaminade 11: It was a wild Mission League game that ended on a walk-off grand slam by Kale’a Tindal in the bottom of the ninth inning. Chaminade scored five runs in the seventh to tie the score 9-9. Both teams scored runs in the eighth to make it 10-10. Chaminade took an 11-10 lead in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Siena Greenlinger. Tindal finished with four hits and four RBIs. Dylan Fischer had a home run, two doubles, a single and four RBIs.
Murrieta Mesa 8, Great Oak 0: Tatum Wolff threw six innings, striking out 10 and walking none. She also hit a home run.
Colson Montgomery homered in the second off Angels starter José Soriano (5-1), ending his shutout streak at 25 2/3 innings. The right-hander gave up three runs and six hits over five innings, raising his major league-leading ERA from 0.24 to 0.84.
Davis Martin (4-1) outpitched Soriano, giving up one run and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Martin struck out seven and walked one.
Sean Newcomb fanned three in 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Seranthony Domínguez worked a hitless ninth for his seventh save.
Josh Lowe homered for the Angels, and Jo Adell had an RBI single.
It was only last week when Huntington Beach was unbeaten in the Sunset League and running away with the the league title. Now Newport Harbor (13-3) is closing fast, pulling to within one game of the Oilers (14-2) after Gavin Guy threw a five-hit shutout on Tuesday to beat the Oilers 1-0.
Guy struck out eight and walked. one. Keoni Wun drove in the game’s only run in the third inning with an RBI single. The two teams close the regular season with games Wednesday at Huntington Beach and Friday at Newport Harbor.
Marina 5, Fountain Valley 1: Jaxon Vilardi threw the complete game for Marina.
Edison 16, Corona del Mar 3: Cody Kruis had three hits and five RBIs for Edison, including three doubles.
St. John Bosco 7, Mater Dei 0: Julian Garcia struck out 10 in six innings while giving up no hits and Jaden Jackson and James Clark each hit home runs to help the Braves clinch at least a share of the Trinity League championship. Jack Champlin added two RBIs.
JSerra 8, Santa Margarita 7: Blake Bowen hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh for JSerra.
Orange Lutheran 3, Servite 0: Cooper Sides gave up three hits in six innings and Marcus Greis got the save.
Sierra Canyon 11, Loyola 2: Brayden Goldstein hit a home run and double, Theo Swafford had three hits and Carl McMullen had three hits and three RBIs for the Trailblazers.
Harvard-Westlake 12, Chaminade 3: Nate Blum had three hits, Ira Rootman contributed two hits and two RBIs and James Tronstein homered for the Wolverines.
Bishop Alemany 5, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 3: Mikey Martinez had two hits for the Warriors and also got the save.
St. Francis 4, Crespi 2: Caysen Sullivan struck out six in 6 1/3 innings.
Ganesha 2, Palos Verdes 1: Logan Schmidt gave up two hits in five innings with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Brentwood 7, Viewpoint 0: Jack Kaplan threw a perfect game with 15 strikeouts.
Santa Monica 6, Culver City 5: The Vikings scored three runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to clinch the Ocean League championship. The Vikings are 23-0 in league play the last two years.
Temecula Valley 16, Vista Murrieta 0: The Golden Bears clinched the Southwestern League title. Taden Krogsgaard threw a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and one walk.
Newbury Park 5, Westlake 4: Jack Klein had an RBI single in the sixth for the Panthers. Jaxson Neckien and Cade Atkinson each had two hits for Westlake.
Agoura 12, Thousand Oaks 2: Tyler Starling had three hits, including a home run, and Jordan Tagawa also had three hits for Agoura.
Calabasas 10, Oaks Christian 9: With two out in the top of the seventh, Oaks Christian had a chance to tie when the pitch went to the backstop. But it was retrieved and Oaks Christian’s runner was tagged out at the plate trying to score, ending the game. Michael Morales had three hits for Calabasas. Robert Sheffer hit two home runs for Oaks Christian. Luis Puls had a home run and six RBIs.
San Clemente 6, El Toro 0: Bob Erspamer struck out seven in five scoreless innings and Dax Conrad had two hits and two RBIs.
Softball
Murrieta Mesa 13, Great Oak 0: Tatum Wolff hit a three-run home run and also threw five shutout innings with nine strikeouts and no walks.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 3, Sierra Canyon 1: Nadia Ledon had two hits and Aliyah Garcia gave up two hits in six innings.
JSerra 5, Santa Margarita 2: Liliana Escobar struck out 14 for JSerra.
Mater Dei 6, Orange Lutheran 5: Aly Carrillo and Tulutululelei Sale each hit home runs in the Trinity League upset for the Monarchs.
Chaminade 11, Louisville 0: Finley Suppan struck out seven with no walks in six innings. Kyriel Fletcher had three hits.
Birmingham never wins the West Valley League baseball championship. But the Patriots are certainly putting themselves within striking distance of first-place El Camino Real.
They remained one game behind El Camino Real after an 8-0 win over Granada Hills on Tuesday in which Carlos Acuna gave up one hit in six innings and struck out 11. He also had two hits. Sebastian Valadez and Toni Mendoza each had two hits and two RBIs.
El Camino Real and Birmingham play a two-game series beginning April 29.
Harvard-Westlake 2, St. Francis 0: Junior Justin Kirchner threw six scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts and Ira Rootman had a home run and two RBIs.
Loyola 9, Bishop Alemany 3: Sophomore Austin Junk had a three-run home run and double and Luca Marucci also homered in the Cubs’ Mission League win. Mikey Martinez homered for Alemany.
Chaminade 12, Crespi 5: Bronson Jackson, Isaiah Hearn and Robby Morgan each hit home runs in the Mission League win. Kystan Bell had three hits for Crespi.
St. John Bosco 6, Servite 0: Julian Garcia showed off overpowering stuff, striking out 12 with no walks while giving up two hits to help the Braves (17-5, 9-1) remain in first place in the Trinity League. Jaden Jackson had two hits and two RBIs.
Orange Lutheran 6, Santa Margarita 3: The top-ranked Lancers scored four runs in the seventh to overcome a 3-2 deficit. Hamilton Friedberg had three hits and three RBIs and CJ Weinstein added three hits.
Newbury Park 6, Calabasas 5: Jack Laubacher had two hits and three RBIs in the Panthers’ eight-inning win.
Westlake 5, Thousand Oaks 3: The Warriors stayed in first place in the Marmonte League. Jaxson Necklen hit two home runs and Blake Miller added a home run, double, single and two RBIs.
Newport Harbor 8, Fountain Valley 1: Gavin Guy threw six innings in the Sunset League win.
Huntington Beach 6, Los Alamitos 3: Jared Grindlinger hit two doubles to keep Huntington Beach unbeaten in the Sunset League.
Gahr 2, Warren 1: Andres Gonzalez hit a two-run home run in the first inning for Gahr.
La Mirada 6, Downey 1: Michael Burgueno went four for four and Jacob Oropeza contributed two doubles.
San Clemente 4, Aliso Niguel 1: Bob Erspamer gave up two hits with six strikeouts in a complete game.
With more than 40 years of coaching experience, Tom Harp of Granada Hills sure knows how to pull off upsets in boys volleyball.
His team created some uncertainty for the City Section playoffs by knocking off the likely No. 1 seed, Chatsworth, on Monday with a five-set victory, 24-26, 23-25, 25-18, 25-21, 15-12.
“It was an amazing match,” Harp said. “It was some of the hardest spikes I’ve seen in a long time from both teams.”
RJ Francisco of Granada Hills had 19 kills and setter Shawn Meza contributed 46 assists. Granada Hills pulled into a first-place tie with Chatsworth in the West Valley League after losing to the Chancellors earlier this season.
Baseball
Sylmar 7, Sun Valley Poly 0: The Spartans moved two games ahead of the Parrots in the Valley Mission League race. Matthew Torres threw a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts. Rickee Luevano had two hits and three RBIs. Tim Sepulveda added two hits.
El Camino Real 6, Chatsworth 2: It was a big day for JJ Saffie, who had a home run, double and two singles for the Royals. RJ De La Rosa had a triple.
Cleveland 2, Taft 0: Joshua Pearlstein threw 6⅓ scoreless innings, with Elliot Schoenwald getting the save. Sebastian Castaneda had two hits.
Banning 5, Narbonne 3: Oscar Chavez (4-1) threw a complete game and AJ Herrera went three for three to lead Banning.
Carson 2, San Pedro 1: Noah Sandoval threw a complete game for Carson.
San Fernando 1, Verdugo Hills 0: Alex Torres threw the shutout with seven strikeouts and no walks.
South Hills 4, Alta Loma 3: Gabriel Guerrero threw 1⅓ innings of scoreless relief to get the save for South Hills.
Long Beach Millikan 6, North Torrance 3: Austin Brett struck out seven in five innings.
Corona Centennial 15, King 8: Sophomore Ethan Miller hit two home runs and finished with five RBIs. The Huskies hit four home runs and rallied from a 5-3 deficit.
Corona 16, Eastvale Roosevelt 6: Sophomore Logan Pascarella had two hits and five RBIs and Trey Ebel added two hits and three RBIs to lead Corona.
Etiwanda 12, Chino Hills 11: Derick Kim hit a walk-off, two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning for Etiwanda. Jacob Jimenez hit a grand slam for Chino Hills. LJ Roellig had four hits, including three doubles, for Etiwanda. Jaxson Milius had three hits and three RBIs.
Softball
El Camino Real 3, Birmingham 1: Audrina Gonzalez struck out eight in seven innings. Gonzalez had an RBI double and Madison Franklin added an RBI triple.
San Pedro 13, Narbonne 0: Jenna Ortega had three hits, including two doubles.
Senior Jayden Rojas of Bell unleashed his best pitching performance of the season on Friday, giving up one hit and no walks while striking out 14 in a 1-0 win over Roosevelt. He also drove in the game’s only run with an RBI single in the fifth inning.
Rojas retired the first 18 Roosevelt batters until giving up a leadoff single in the seventh to break up his perfect game.
“I wanted to attack,” Rojas said. “I felt more confident throwing fastballs.”
Bell improved to 19-3 and 5-1 in the Eastern League.
“He was dialed in on the mound,” coach Frank Medina said. “Extremely efficient. He is usually plagued by 3-and-2 counts and walks, but today he had no walks and most of his 14 strikeouts came on four or less pitches. He was nasty.”
Granada Hills 5, Cleveland 2: The Highlanders are surging in the West Valley League after completing a two-game sweep of the Cavaliers this week to move into third place. Nicholas Penaranda had three RBIs and Foss Bohlen threw 5 1/3 innings of hitless relief.
Birmingham 2, Chatsworth 0: Nathan Soto threw six shutout innings and closer Aidan Martinez got three strikeouts in the seventh. Martinez also had three hits.
El Camino Real 5, Taft 3: The Royals broke a 3-3 tie with two runs in the top of the ninth to stay one game ahead in the West Valley League. RJ De La Rosa had two hits and two RBIs.
Carson 6, Banning 2: The Colts won the Marine League game. Nate Ruan, Noah Sandoval and Xavier Alllen each had two hits.
St. John Bosco 6, Santa Margarita 1: Noah Everly hit two home runs to help the Braves complete a three-game sweep of Santa Margarita.
Sierra Canyon 9, St. Francis 2: Brayden Goldstein homered, Cody Gallegos had three hits and Charlie Cummings had a two-run single.
Bishop Alemany 14, Chaminade 13: A bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh ended a wild game. Chaminade scored five runs in the top of the seventh for a 13-7 lead. Alemany scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh to win. Eli Stephens hit two home runs and had six RBIs for Chaminade. Chase Stevenson had a two-run double for Alemany in the seventh.
Harvard-Westlake 10, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 4: The Wolverines took over first place in the Mission League with a three-game sweep. Freshman Nathan Englander hit a two-run home run and Ethan Price had a home run and two RBIs. Freshman Louis Lappe had two RBIs.
Loyola 12, Crespi 2: Matt Favela finished with two hits and three RBIs.
Cypress 2, El Dorado 0: Tate Belfanti struck out eight and gave up two hits for Cypress.
Los Alamitos 4, Corona del Mar 1: Logan Anderson threw a complete game and Parker Sanchez contributed two doubles.
Huntington Beach 11, Fountain Valley 1: Jared Grindlinger, Owen Bone, Ely Mason and Brayden Wood each had two RBIs.
Arlington 8, Paloma Valley 1: Carter Johnson had a three-run home run for Arlington.
Palos Verdes 3, Mira Costa 2: Kai Van Scoyoc had two hits and two RBIs and also threw five innings in Palos Verdes’ win.
Oaks Christian 7, Thousand Oaks 6: Jack Brinkman threw a scoreless seventh to pick up the save and Carson Sheffer homered for the Lions.
Newbury Park 8, Agoura 2: Carson Richter had a three-run home run and Jack Laubacher added a solo home run to power the Panthers.
Westlake 9, Calabasas 6: Leadoff hitter Blake Miller had three hits and three RBIs. Evan Barak hit a two-run home run for Calabasas.
Saugus 8, Hart 6: Joey Nuttall had three hits and four RBIs for Saugus, including a home run. Hayden Rhodes hit a home run and double for Hart.
Valencia 6, West Ranch 0: Steve Genovese threw a three-hit shutout.
Corona 9, Corona Centennial 3: Anthony Murphy hit two home runs and Tyler Ebel added another home run for Corona.
Corona Santiago 3, King 0: Troy Randall had two hits and picked up a two-inning save.
Norco 18, Eastvale Roosevelt 0: Jacob Melendez had four RBIs and Dylan Seward and Zion Martinez each had three hits for Norco.
Softball
El Camino Real 14, Taft 2: Madison Franklin had a home run, a double and four RBIs.
Orange Lutheran 7, Mater Dei 1: Sierra Nichols finished with four hits in the leadoff role and Carlie Snyder homered.
Garret Anderson, the often misunderstood and always lethal Angels slugger who starred in the 2002 World Series, has died of a heart attack. He was 53.
Anderson’s most memorable moment was belting a decisive three-run double in Game 7 of the only World Series ever played by the Angels. Yet consistency over 17 seasons — 15 with the Angels and one each with the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves — was the hallmark of the taciturn left fielder.
“The Angels Organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons, Garret Anderson,” owner Arte Moreno said Friday in a statement. “Garret was a cornerstone of our organization throughout his 15 seasons and his stoic presence in the outfield and our clubhouse elevated the Angels into an era of continued success, highlighted by the 2002 World Series Championship.
Garret Anderson, who hit the game-winning three-run double, runs with the World Series championship trophy after the Angels beat the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the World Series in Anaheim on Oct. 27, 2002.
(Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press)
“Garret will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Angels fans for his professionalism, class, and loyalty throughout his career and beyond. His admiration and respect for the game was immeasurable.”
Nicknamed “G.A.,” Anderson is the Angels leader in games (2,013), at-bats (7,989), hits (2,368), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796), doubles (489) and runs batted in (1,292). And he achieved it all without fanfare.
“Garret didn’t seek the limelight,” said Mike DiGiovanna, The Times’ Angels beat writer throughout most of Anderson’s career. “A classic lunch-pail guy. He was a superstar, he just didn’t act like it.”
Fans occasionally booed Anderson for a perceived lack of hustle. He didn’t dive for fly balls and on rare occasions failed to run hard when he hit a ground ball.
His teammates, however, backed him without hesitation, saying he was one of the smartest players in baseball and made the game look easy through hard work.
“He doesn’t dive for balls because he gets there quicker than most guys,” center fielder Darin Erstad said in 2003.
Fans cheered in shock when Anderson made a diving catch against the Minnesota Twins in 2002.
“But, see, that’s what I’m talking about,” he said. “I never should have had to dive for that ball. I got a bad jump. I study hitters. I have an idea of where the ball is going. I don’t dive because I don’t have to.”
The Angels’ Garret Anderson watches the ball after hitting a two-run homer against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning of a game in Anaheim on July 4, 2008.
(Mark Avery / Associated Press)
Anderson’s understated demeanor fit well in an Angels clubhouse stocked with young, rowdy personalities.
“We have so many emotional guys on this team, Garret is a calming force,” teammate Tim Salmon said in 2003. “He’s criticized for a lack of emotion, but I think it’s good.”
For his part, Anderson possessed a wry sense of humor and wasn’t above poking fun at himself.
“Interesting,” he told The Times Bill Plaschke with a faint smile. “I used to be called lazy. Now that we win a World Series, I’m called graceful.”
After Anderson retired in 2010, he worked as a television analyst for the Angels.
Garret Joseph Anderson was born June 30, 1972, in Los Angeles. He attended Granada Hills Kennedy High, where he starred in baseball and basketball. He remained close to his baseball coach, Manny Alvarado.
“I’ve lost a handful, some of them at a young age, but this one we had a relationship for a long time,” Alvarado said Friday. “I have a ton of memories, some of them from day one and some just recently. The one thing that comes to mind he was kind of an old soul. A lot of major leaguers have a lot to learn from him.
“He was very humble and always picked up the phone. He made it to a lot of alumni games, was very generous.”
Anderson was drafted in 1990 by the Angels in the fourth round and made his major league debut July 27, 1994 versus Oakland before going on to become one of the most productive players in franchise history.
Anderson had a stretch of eight consecutive seasons appearing in at least 150 games for the Angels and played in at least 140 games in 11 of his 17 major league seasons. He was inducted into the Angels’ Hall of Fame in 2016.
“Teammates and fans came to appreciate him for his consistency,” DiGiovanna said. “He was like a metronome.”
In addition to his World Series Game 7 heroics, Anderson batted .300 with four doubles, two home runs and 13 RBIs during the 2002 postseason. He finished fourth in American League Most Valuable Player voting that year.
In 2003, he became the first player since Cal Ripken Jr. to become both the Home Run Derby champion and MVP of the All-Star Game. Anderson batted .293 with 287 home runs in his career.
His final season came with the Dodgers in 2010. At age 38 he batted only .181 but provided a settling influence on young Dodgers stars Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier.
The Angels will honor Anderson by wearing a memorial patch on their jerseys the rest of the season. There will be a moment of silence and a tribute video before Friday’s game.
Anderson is survived by his wife, Teresa, daughters Brianne and Bailey and son Garret “Trey” Anderson III.
Times staff writers Eric Sondheimer and Bill Shaikin contributed to this story.
Wednesday was a day for big-time performances in the Big VIII League from Norco, Corona and Corona Santiago.
Jordan Ayala of Norco struck out 10 in five innings and finished with two hits and three RBIs in an 8-0 win over Eastvale Roosevelt.
Danny De La Rose went five for five with five RBIs in Corona’s 16-2 win over Corona Centennial. Logan Pascarella, Trey Ebel and Jesiah Andrade hit home runs.
Striker Pence hit a grand slam and finished with six RBIs in Corona Santiago’s 17-1 win over King. Troy Randall also homered and had two hits.
St. John Bosco 8, Santa Margarita 1: The Braves’ first four batters combined for nine hits. James Clark had three hits. Jaden Jackson homered.
Servite 9, Mater Dei 6: Eli Rubel contributed two hits and two RBIs for the Friars.
Orange Lutheran 3, JSerra 2: The No. 1 Lancers overcame a 2-0 deficit and won it on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the seventh.
St. Francis 3, Sierra Canyon 2: Jack Smith threw two innings of shutout relief to get the save for St. Francis. Cody Gallegos had two hits and two RBIs for Sierra Canyon.
Loyola 13, Crespi 4: Matthew Favela had two hits and three RBIs and Jack Murray drove in three runs for the Cubs.
Harvard-Westlake 1, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 0: Evan Alexander struck out 11 and gave up one hit to help the Wolverines pull into a first-place tie with the Knights.
Chaminade 7, Bishop Alemany 0: Jackson Schroeder struck out eight with no walks in six innings and Isaac Hearn had a double and triple for the Eagles.
Ganesha 15, Bassett 0: Logan Schmidt struck out 14 of the 15 batters and hit two home runs in front of scouts ready to make him a first-round draft pick this summer.
La Mirada 1, Warren 0: Kaden Corns threw five scoreless innings for La Mirada.
West Ranch 4, Valencia 2: A three-run rally in the seventh included a home run from Connor Clayton.
Banning 4, Carson 2: Jacob Fernandez hit a two-run single in the seventh to hand Carson its first Marine League defeat.
Palos Verdes 1, Mira Costa 0: Jonah Cohen threw the shutout striking out six with no walks.
Huntington Beach 3, Fountain Valley 1: Jared Grindlinger gave up two hits in five innings to keep the Oilers unbeaten in the Sunset League.
Birmingham 8, Chatsworth 3: Carlos Acuna threw six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and Adian Martinez had two hits and three RBIs.
El Camino Real 7, Taft 3: RJ De La Rosa went three for three with two RBIs and Ryan Glassman had three hits and two RBIs to lead El Camino Real. Jackson Sellz threw a complete game, striking out six with no walks.
Cypress 4, El Dorado 1: Landon Smith threw 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for Cypress.
Garden Grove Pacifica 3, Anaheim Canyon 2: Jack Waeger had two hits and two RBIs.
Royal 7, Camarillo 6: Tristen Hogan broke a 6-6 tie with an RBI single in the seventh. Matthew Stout homered.
It’s midseason in high school baseball, so let’s look at players who are producing results at a high level. Forget about rankings, radar guns or who has scholarship offers. These are the players making an impact.
No one has been better than sophomore pitcher Tyler George of Santa Margarita. With a 7-0 record, 0.85 ERA and just two walks in 41 1/3 innings, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound 16-year-old has shown what a top pitcher is supposed to look like.
Few saw this coming — except for his freshman coach last season, Mike Hiserman, who said, “He was the most fundamentally sound all-around freshman baseball player I’ve ever coached. Was good at everything yet still immensely coachable. You tell him something once and he does it.”
George said he has focused on mixing up his pitches — fastball, curveball, slider, change-up.
“Just not overthrowing the ball, not throwing as hard as I can but hitting the spots and having a feel for my off-speed pitches,” he said.
He threw all nine innings during a 1-0 win over Mater Dei that was full of drama.
“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “The adrenaline was running. It was cool.”
His brother, Hayden, is a freshman pitcher at UCLA, and he said Bruins coach John Savage has been asking Hayden about him, which is a good sign when he becomes available to talk to recruiters in the summer.
Royal pitcher Dustin Dunwoody is 7-0 with an 0.18 ERA.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Dustin Dunwoody, Royal: Armed with an overpowering fastball, Dunwoody is 7-0, has an 0.18 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings.
Catcher Brady Murrietta of Orange Lutheran makes the tag at home plate against St. John Bosco.
(Nick Koza)
Brady Murrietta, Orange Lutheran: The senior catcher keeps throwing out baserunners trying to challenge him. He’s also terrific on throws to the plate, picking up the hop and making the tag. And don’t forget his clutch hitting. He leads the team in RBIs with 12.
Troy Randall, Corona Santiago: The junior third baseman is hitting .460 with 29 hits and also has given up just two hits in 12 innings in a relief pitching role.
Jake Kim, Harvard-Westlake: The junior has displayed power and consistency, making him one of the toughest outs in the Wolverines’ lineup. He has 22 hits, a .500 batting average and four home runs.
Malakye Matsumoto, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame: With 22 hits and 17 RBIs, the senior third baseman has been delivering for 14-3 Notre Dame.
Tate Belfanti, Cypress: The junior left-hander has 53 strikeouts in 28 innings while going 5-0.
Jake Ange, Thousand Oaks: The junior was a starter for the basketball team and has come out and hit seven home runs, including a game in which he hit two grand slams.
Dylan Seward, Norco: The junior shortstop has been producing since he was a starter as a freshman. He has 26 hits, 16 RBIs and makes the plays when the ball is hit in his direction.
James Tronstein, Harvard-Westlake: The senior shortstop has 26 hits, including four home runs, as the Wolverines’ leadoff hitter.
Gary Morse, Orange Lutheran: The 6-foot-8 pitcher is 3-1 with a 1.40 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 30 innings for the No. 1 team in Southern California.
Caleb Trugman, Ayala: The two-way player has 23 hits and is 6-0 pitchers and an 0.76 ERA.
Xavier Cadena, El Dorado: The outfielder has hit five home runs, driven in 19 runs and is batting .373.
Carson Sheffer, Oaks Christian: The senior catcher continues to be stellar behind the plate while also contributing 22 hits, including seven doubles.
Landon Hovermale, Norco: A model of consistency, the left-handed Hovermale is 6-0 with an 0.95 ERA and has walked just four batters in 36 2/3 innings.
Jackson Sellz, El Camino Real: The junior keeps throwing complete games for the defending City Section champs. He’s 6-0 with a 1.20 ERA and five complete games.
Jayden Rojas, Bell: The senior third baseman is batting .466 with 27 hits for 17-2 Bell. As a pitcher, he’s 4-0 with a 1.04 ERA.
Orange Lutheran (12-3) is the midseason No. 1 team in Southern California high school baseball.
The Lancers completed a four-game sweep at the Boras Classic South on Friday night, winning the championship game 4-1 over Norco.
Orange Lutheran’s pitching depth was impressive all week.
Ricardo Hurtado had a single and a home run and Brady Murrietta added two hits. Starting pitcher Blake Killinger was able to contain hot-hitting Norco (15-2), giving up five hits and one run in 5⅓ innings. Jacob Melendez hit his fourth home run for Norco since becoming eligible on March 27.
Orange Lutheran has won two prestigious tournaments in the same year — the Boras Classic South and the National High School Invitational in North Carolina. Perhaps the Southern Section’s computer rankings will reflect that feat after the Lancers were ranked No. 51 in this week’s Southern Section power rankings.
Orange Lutheran will face Northern California champion, St. Mary’s, next Saturday in the Boras Classic championship game at Santa Clara University.
Corona 7, Newport Harbor 5: A five-run fourth powered the Panthers. Joseph Flores Jr. had a two-run home run and Anthony Murphy added two hits and two RBIs for the Panthers.
Los Osos 4, JSerra 3: A four-run seventh helped Los Osos overcome a 3-0 deficit. The big hit was a three-run home run by Dominic Rodriguez.
St. John Bosco 2, Fountain Valley 1: James Clark had two hits, including an RBI single.
Ayala 6, Gahr 4: Easton Sarmiento contributed two hits, including a home run. Luke Payne threw 3⅔ innings of scoreless relief.
Mater Dei 6, Aquinas 5: The Monarchs opened a 6-0 lead and hung on. Ezekiel Lara had a three-run home run.
San Diego Patrick Henry 4, Huntington Beach 3: Ely Mason had two hits and two RBIs for Huntington Beach.
Arcadia 5, Corona Centennial 0: Andrew Cooper threw the shutout, giving up three hits. Jordan Vogel had a triple and single.
Royal 5, Moorpark 1: Dustin Dunwoody struck out 12 in 6⅔ innings.
Banning 9, San Pedro 2: AJ Herrera threw a three-hit complete game. He also had three hits.
El Camino Real 13, Cleveland 1: JJ Saffie had three hits and three RBIs and Jackson Sellz added three hits and two RBIs. Hudson December gave up one run in five innings.
Birmingham 4, Taft 3: The Patriots scored three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to win a West Valley League game. Carlos Acuna hit the tie-breaking home run in the seventh. Aidan Martinez hit a three-run home run in the sixth and also struck out four in 1⅓ innings of relief. Nate Swinson had a two-run home run for Taft.
Granada Hills 6, Chatsworth 2: Max Szczech had a three-run double for the Highlanders.
Bell 4, South Gate 3: Gustavo Ramirez finished with three hits in an Eastern League win.
Garfield 6, Legacy 3: Doubles by Omar Martinez and Nathan Gaytan in the third sparked the Bulldogs.
Sierra Canyon 6, Sylmar 3: Carl McMullan contributed two hits and two RBIs for Sierra Canyon. Matthew Torres homered for Sylmar.
La Mirada 5, Servite 3: Ian Aguayo hit a two-run home run for La Mirada.
Etiwanda 19, Warren 9: Adam Ornales must have been a little tired after scoring six runs and getting three hits in Etiwanda’s win.
La Habra 2, Cypress 1: Bobby Brooks threw a complete game for La Habra.
Villa Park 12, El Dorado 2: Dominic Gutierrez hit a grand slam and Justin Lopez had four hits for Villa Park. Xavi Cadena contributed three hits for El Dorado.
Calabasas 10, Agoura 9: The Coyotes scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh, with Trevor Chang winning it on an RBI single.
Loyola 6, Providence 1: Jack Murray had a two-run home run for Loyola.
Softball
Orange Lutheran 11, Huntington Beach 0: Rylee Silver contributed three hits and also struck out six in five scoreless innings.
Norco 8, Eastvale Roosevelt 5: Coral Williams finished with 15 strikeouts for Norco.
The Boras Classic has seen lots of upsets this week. No. 1 St. John Bosco, No. 4 Corona and No. 6 Huntington Beach were all beaten in first-round games. On Wednesday, No. 2 Orange Lutheran was taken into the eighth inning by Gahr until a walk-off single by CJ Weinstein delivered a 2-1 victory and sent the Lancers into Thursday’s 6 p.m. semifinal at JSerra.
Weinstein finished with two hits and two RBIs. Angel Gonzalez started the bottom of the eighth with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice. Then came consecutive walks to load the bases before Weinstein ended the game. Jake Ourique struck out six with no walks in seven innings for Gahr.
Norco 14, Los Osos 0: The Cougars (14-1) advanced to the Boras Classic semifinals with a five-inning mercy-rule win. Codey Brown had three hits and three RBIs and Jacob Melendez added four RBIs. Dylan Seward and Jordan Ayala each hit home runs. Ayala struck out nine and gave up three hits. Norco will play at Mater Dei at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Huntington Beach 4, St. John Bosco 2: Ely Mason had three hits and Jared Grindlinger recorded eight strikeouts in 4⅓ innings to hand St. John Bosco its third consecutive defeat.
Corona 3, Arcadia 2: Anthony Murphy finished with two hits and Trey Ebel had a triple for the Panthers. Matt Manzo had three hits for Arcadia.
Newport Harbor 2, Corona Centennial 0: Ryan Williams had a solo home run and Henry Mann added an RBI double for Newport Harbor.
El Camino Real 9, Cleveland 3: The Royals ended Cleveland’s nine-game winning streak. Jackson Sellz threw a complete game, Shane Bogacz had three hits and three RBIs and Ryan Glassman added two hits and two RBIs.
South Gate 7, Bell 3 The Rams handed a rare Eastern League defeat to Bell (16-2, 2-1). Joe Corona had two hits and three RBIs. Ernesto Brenes threw a complete game. South Gate put together a six-run sixth inning to wipe away a 2-1 deficit.
Granada Hills 12, Chatsworth 1: Caleb Reclusado finished with three hits, including a home run, to lead the Highlanders. Luke Chau struck out five in six innings.
Carson 15, Gardena 4: Kris Sinclair had two hits and three RBIs for the Colts.
Garfield 8, Legacy 1: Nathan Gaytan hit two home runs to help the Bulldogs take over sole possession of first place in the Eastern League.
Villa Park 8, El Dorado 4: Jack McGuire limited El Dorado to two hits and one run in five innings.
Cypress 14, La Habra 3: Freshman Ivan Ortiz had four hits and three RBIs for Cypress.
Sierra Canyon 13, Warren 0: Greyson Gullage and Fletcher Taylor hit home runs and Mikhail Johnson had two hits and two RBIs.
Chaminade 7, Santa Barbara 0: Jackson Schroeder struck out 11 and Isaiah Hearn homered for the Eagles.
Bishop Alemany 12, Nevada Centennial 2: MJ Serrano threw five shutout innings and Brody Thompson and Chase Stevenson each hit home runs. Noah Chan finished with two hits and three RBIs.
St. Francis 4, St. Joseph 2: Daniel Izaguirre had two hits and two RBIs and Donovan Udell threw a complete game.
Neto launched a leadoff shot on Chris Sale’s first pitch, and Soriano (3-0) struck out 10 as the Angels won their third consecutive game. The right-hander gave up one run and three hits without issuing a walk, throwing 69 of his 96 pitches for strikes.
Soriano gave up a solo homer to Drake Baldwin and a single to Matt Olson in the first, then retired 19 straight batters before Mike Yastrzemski led off the eighth with a single.
Mauricio Dubón homered off Angels reliever Chase Silseth in the ninth. Atlanta put two on with two outs before Jordan Romano replaced Silseth and got Yastrzemski to fly out for his fourth save.
The Angels played without star center fielder Mike Trout, who exited Sunday’s game against Seattle after getting hit on the left hand by a 94-mph fastball in the eighth. Trout’s hand swelled so quickly he struggled to remove his batting glove, but X-rays were negative and he is listed as day to day.
Sale (2-1) entered 8-0 with a 1.24 ERA in 11 career games against the Angels, but Neto slammed the left-hander’s first pitch, a 95-mph fastball, for a homer to left field.
Angels star Zach Neto celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Braves on Monday.
(Joe Scarnici / Getty Images)
Sale retired his next nine batters but fell apart during a three-run fourth in which the Angels drew two walks, were twice hit by pitches, had two runners forced out at the plate and hit one ball out of the infield.
Logan O’Hoppe walked and Yoán Moncada was hit by a pitch, both with the bases loaded, to account for two runs. Bryce Teodosio drove in a run with an infield single for a 4-1 lead.
Jorge Soler opened the fifth with a single, and Adell drove a first-pitch fastball 411 feet to left for a two-run homer — his first of the season — and a 6-1 advantage.
Up next: Braves RHP Reynaldo López (1-0, 1.64 ERA) opposes Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-1, 6.52) on Tuesday night.
Satisfied is perhaps the best word to describe how Norco High pitcher Coral Williams felt after tossing a three-hit shutout in the Gold Bracket championship game of the Michelle Carew Softball Classic.
Williams recorded five strikeouts, Angelina Gonzales hit a pair of home runs and the Cougars blanked Fullerton 7-0 to capture their sixth tournament title Saturday night at Peralta Park in Anaheim.
The finals showdown between teams ranked second and third in CalHiSports.com’s top 20 rankings was decided early. Kendra Nelson walked to begin the game, then Gonzales lined an inside pitch deep over the fence in left field to make it 2-0. Isabella Ray hit a solo shot to left in the fourth and in the fifth Gonzales unloaded on another homer to left to give Williams a four-run cushion that was more than she needed.
“It was the same pitch both times — I think they were trying to surprise me on the second one,” said Gonzales, who had three homers in five games. “If I didn’t get it done I knew the next player would do the job. We have each other’s backs.”
Williams, the CIF Southern Section Division 1 Player of the Year last spring, was named the most valuable pitcher of the tournament after giving up only one unearned run in 24 innings. She threw a four-hitter with nine strikeouts in Wednesday’s victory over Millikan and tossed a six-hitter with 10 strikeouts in a 2-1, 10-inning triumph over Anaheim Canyon on Friday.
“I felt confident in my preparation for this game and told myself to stay loose and don’t overthink,” Williams said. “I pitched around the zone a lot so they couldn’t do damage.”
The No. 3 Cougars (14-2) have allowed only two earned runs, and six total, while shutting out 13 opponents this season.
“I love playing behind Coral,” said Gonzales, the Cougars’ left fielder. “She makes my job easier.”
Utah Valley-bound Hayley Brock was a force at the plate for Fullerton (16-2) and singled her first time up against Williams. She was chosen most valuable player of the tournament after going 11 for 18 with four home runs, two doubles and 14 RBIs.
“It’s a great feeling to be named MVP, it just sucks coming up one win short,” said Brock, who was robbed of a second hit on a diving play at second base in the fourth inning. “That pitcher is so good. You want to attack her earlier in the count. You don’t want to get to two strikes with her.”
Norco’s Angelina Gonzales celebrates after hitting the first of two home runs against Fullerton in the Michelle Carew Softball Classic Gold Bracket championship at Peralta Park in Anaheim on April 4, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Williams admitted she was wary of Brock’s prowess at the plate.
“I just had to be smart with my pitches and trust my defense,” she said. “We all need to be loose tonight and not be as tense and uptight.”
Norco advanced to the finals by blanking Orange Lutheran 2-0. Peyton May scattered five hits over six innings, striking out eight batters. Sadie Burroughs belted a solo homer in the second and Savannah Gonzalez added an RBI double to center in the fifth as the Cougars prevailed in a rematch of their 2-1 victory in the Norco Showcase finale in Chino Hills in February.
Orange Lutheran’s Rylee Silva, who had 135 strikeouts as a freshman last spring, struck out five Cougars. She and the No. 7 Lancers (10-5), who edged Norco 1-0 in the semifinals last year before falling to Rosary Academy in the final, then lost to Ganesha 10-2 in Saturday’s third-place game.
Fullerton blasted five homers off of Ganesha ace Ava Phillips in its 9-4 semifinal triumph. Brock had a pair of two-run shots, Malaya Majam-Finch had a three-run home run and a solo and Andrea Montes added a solo homer as Fullerton won its ninth straight, a streak that began March 7 with a 3-2 upset over Norco at the Dave Kops Tournament of Champions in Arizona. Katelynn Mathews threw a seven-hitter with a strikeout and improved to 11-0.
Phillips allowed only four hits and struck out seven in Ganesha’s 3-2 upset of Loomis Del Oro in the first round Wednesday, then the junior transfer from Rosary outdueled Marina ace Mia Valbuena in a 4-1 win for the Giants (10-3) on Friday.
Los Alamitos (12-8) shared fifth place in the Gold Bracket with Chula Vista Mater Dei, the 2025 SoCal Division I regional champion. After throwing back-to-back no-hitters versus Rio Mesa and Los Altos on Wednesday to lift the Vikings into the top bracket, Valbuena was not in the circle in the seventh-place game against Anaheim Canyon, but her twin sister Avi hit an RBI double to tie it 2-2 in the top of the seventh.
The Comanches (12-8) prevailed 4-3 on a single by Emma Lindauer that scored Bella Alcala for the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Santa Maria St. Joseph took an early 3-0 lead and hung on to defeat Los Altos 4-2 for the Silver Bracket title. Jasmine Campos and Aaliyah Zamano had RBI hits for the Conquerors, who fell to 14-8.
Brooke Lebsock had a grand slam and Janai Stover added a two-run homer as Riverside King (14-4) won the Bronze Bracket with an 11-0 victory over Modesto Central Catholic.
Lauryn Kim homered and Kayla Cisneros, Addy Everett and Lizzie Hobbs each had two hits in Millikan’s 7-6 triumph over San Diego Cathedral in the consolation final.
The tournament debuted as the Canyon Tournament of Champions in the mid-1980s. Following the passing of Michelle Carew, who died from a rare form of leukemia in 1996 at the age of 18, it was renamed in her memory. She was the daughter of Angels Hall of Famer Rod Carew.
