Soriano Shuts Down the Cubs. The Bounce Back Is Real.
One night after a rough loss at Wrigley Field, José Soriano walked to the mound and reminded everyone exactly who he is. Six innings, two hits, zero runs, four strikeouts. The Angels bounced back with a clean 2-0 victory over the Cubs Tuesday night and Soriano was the reason for every bit of it.
This is two starts for Soriano now and both have been exceptional. Opening Day against Houston — six scoreless innings. Tonight against a Cubs lineup that had just put up seven runs on the Angels the night before — six more scoreless innings. In 12 innings of work to open the 2026 season, Soriano hasn't allowed a single run. Not one. His ERA sits at a perfect 0.00 and his stuff has looked every bit as sharp as advertised.
The offense did just enough. It wasn't a flashy night at the plate — five hits total and a .156 average on the night tells you this was a pitching and defense performance more than an offensive explosion. But Logan O'Hoppe came through when it mattered, driving in both runs with a clutch two-RBI single in the sixth inning that broke open what had been a scoreless tie. Jeimer Candelario and Oswald Peraza each had two hits to lead the offense, and Jorge Soler worked a walk and scored a run.
The bullpen did its job again. Drew Pomeranz — who had a rough outing in Houston — bounced back with a clean inning and a third, striking out two. Jordan Romano closed things out in his usual no-drama fashion.
There's a theme developing here with this pitching staff and it's worth paying attention to. When Soriano pitches the Angels are a different team. He commands the zone, generates weak contact, and keeps the game in front of him. Back to back shutdown starts against two legitimate lineups isn't a fluke — it's a signal that the Angels have a genuine ace on their hands.
The Cubs managed just four hits all night. Alex Bregman, their $175 million offseason acquisition, went 0 for 4. Pete Crow-Armstrong went 0 for 4. The whole lineup was quiet. That's a credit to Soriano who made it look easy from the first pitch to the last.
The Angels have won two of three on this road trip and the series rubber game is Wednesday at Wrigley with Kikuchi on the mound. Win that one and this road trip becomes a success story despite the rocky moments along the way.
One thing is becoming very clear through the first week of the 2026 season — when Soriano is on the mound, bet on the Angels.
