



ANAHEIM — Red hot, even if he is not about to admit it, Logan O’Hoppe is putting a charge into the Angels’ offense that has powered its way through opponents early in the season.
O’Hoppe stretched his home-run streak to four consecutive games and helped the Angels to a 6-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday with his offerings from both behind and alongside the plate.
As the catcher, O’Hoppe helped the pitching staff get past a playoff team from last season, while finally getting a handle on the Guardians’ Jose Ramirez, who hit three home runs in the series opener but went 0 for 4 with three walks over the past two games.
It remains early but the Angels have won each of the three series they have played in a feat that has not happened for the club since 2018 when it came out on top over the first five series.
“It’s been awesome,” O’Hoppe said. “My parents were here this weekend, and I was telling them, it feels like it’s my senior high school again. And we won it all that year. It’s that same kind of feel. It’s just good to come to the park every day and it doesn’t feel like a job at all. It’s hanging out with the boys and getting your job done.”
With a 6-3 record, the Angels also tied the franchise record for most wins over the opening nine games of a season. It is the 14th time the club has opened a season 6-3, with the last coming in 2021.
“I’ve learned they can play and that’s what we’re here to do is to play baseball,” manager Ron Washington said when asked to assess the early play of his team.
After their struggles from 2024, the Angels are exceeding expectations, but O’Hoppe suggests there is more in the tank, at least personally. After hitting a home run in his third consecutive game Saturday, the everyday catcher for the second consecutive season said his swing still was a work in progress.
“I’m just working on it every day,” O’Hoppe said. “I don’t feel like things are going well or bad. I feel very neutral and I’m gonna enjoy it and get some sleep and get to work again tomorrow.”
That tomorrow was Sunday and his swing looks better than neutral now. O’Hoppe became the first catcher in franchise history to hit a home run in four consecutive games.
After Sunday’s game, he was not about to change his assessment.
“No, you can keep trying to get me again,” O’Hoppe said. “We’ll enjoy the flight (to Tampa) tonight and the much needed off day tomorrow, I’m sure, for a lot of guys, and recover and then get back to work on Tuesday.”
On the mound, left-hander Tyler Anderson delivered a solid five innings, working out of a major jam in his final frame. In a 2-2 tie, Anderson loaded the bases on a walk, a hit batter and an intentional walk to Ramirez. He escaped the mess by striking out Carlos Santana on a 3-2 changeup.
Washington was about to go to his bullpen with Santana headed to the plate, but the mild-mannered Anderson had other ideas.
“My intention was to take him out ... but he talked me out of it and thank God he talked me out of it because that ignited us,” Washington said.
O’Hoppe tied it at 1-1 on his home run in the second, his fifth of the season, and Tim Anderson made it 2-1 five batters later on an RBI single.
The Guardians tied it in the fourth inning on Kyle Manzardo’s home run just inside the right-field foul pole off Anderson.
The Angels took the lead for good on a solo home run from Jorge Soler in the sixth inning, his second in two nights. A pair of insurance runs came in the seventh when Luis Rengifo and Soler hit sacrifice flies.
Kyren Paris made it a 6-2 lead with a home run to deep center in the eighth, his second. The Angels hit seven home runs over the past two games after hitting six over their first seven games.