in that lineup, I think a lot is going to happen before this year is over,” manager Ron Washington said. “You always want to try to win your first one, but it just didn’t happen today. But we put ourselves in position to at least put some runs on the board. And if we keep putting ourselves in position to put runs on the board, I feel like we’re going to do some good things.”

The offensive performance would be a little easier to dismiss if they hadn’t looked anemic for most of spring training, when runs are typically abundant. The Angels hit just .232 with a .692 OPS in spring training. Those were both the worst of all the teams that trained in normally hitter-friendly Arizona.

“I’m not concerned yet,” Washington said. “Spring training is spring training.”

The Angels trailed 3-0 in the eighth when they had a great opportunity to get back in the game. Mike Trout was up, representing the tying run, and he worked a nine-pitch walk to load the bases. That brought up Jorge Soler. He fell behind 0-and-2, worked the count full, and then struck out swinging at a pitch out of the strike zone.

By the time the Angels got up in the ninth, their three-run deficit had ballooned to an eight-run deficit because of five runs allowed by rookie right-hander Ryan Johnson.

Johnson, 22, became just the 24th player in major league history to go from the draft to the majors without playing a minor league game. Johnson didn’t pitch in the minors last summer because of his workload in college.

He pitched a perfect seventh inning on 11 pitches, but in the eighth he gave up a three-run homer and a two-run shot.

“I thought he did a real good job in his first inning, and I also thought he was just one pitch away in his second inning of work,” Washington said. “He got a few balls up and they didn’t miss them. That’s what happens.”

O’Hoppe said it was his fault for calling a fastball on Andrew Benintendi’s three-run homer.

“That was the wrong pitch in that spot,” O’Hoppe said. “For a kid that hasn’t done it before, really pitching the minor leagues, he did unbelievable with keeping his emotions in check and attacking the zone. I feel pretty guilty about putting him in a tough spot there with that homer to Benintendi especially.”

Washington came out to get Johnson with two outs, giving the ball to infielder Nicky López to finish the inning.

At least the Angels got solid work from their starting pitcher.

“I thought he was outstanding,” Washington said of Kikuchi.

Kikuchi needed just 87 pitches to get through six innings, with five strikeouts and no walks. He hung a slider that Austin Slater hit out for a homer, and the other runs scored on the two-out bloop single. Kikuchi retired all 12 hitters he faced in his last four innings.

“I thought he got better as he went,” O’Hoppe said. “He was in control the whole time. He was convicted in every pitch he threw. He’s always fun to work with because he’s pretty detailed in what he wants to do, and today was no exception.”