TORONTO — The Angels tried to avoid Griffin Canning’s early-inning trouble by having him work behind an opener.
From Canning’s perspective, it worked. But for the Angels, it still didn’t.
Relievers Brock Burke and Mike Baumann gave up five runs in the second inning and the Angels lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-3, on Thursday night.
The damage was done before Canning threw his first pitch in an outing of six scoreless innings.
Canning came into the game with an ERA of 7.38 in the first and second innings, but a 4.23 ERA after that.
In an effort to try something different, the Angels started Burke. He needed just nine pitches to work a perfect first inning. With two lefties due among the first three hitters in the second, it made sense for Washington to try to get Burke through one more inning.
Burke, however, gave up two straight doubles and a single, knocking in two runs.
Right-hander Mike Baumann entered, and he gave up a two-run homer to Ernie Clement on a pitch that was several inches above the strike zone.
Joey Loperfido then hit a catchable ball to right field, but Jo Adell got a bad jump, then dove for it. Loperfido ended up with a triple. He scored on a groundout, making it 5-0.
Canning finally took the mound in the third.
He retired the first 12 hitters he faced before giving up a single. The only other hit he allowed was a double in the eighth. Canning struck out six and did not walk any. He threw 54 strikes among his 74 pitches, including a first-pitch strike to 14 of 20 hitters.
Even if Canning had done that from the first inning, the Angels still would have had a problem because their offense was nowhere to be seen until the ninth.
With the Blue Jays using right-hander Ryan Burr as an opener for left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, the Angels could not get anything going.
The Angels didn’t score until the ninth inning, when Niko Kavadas hit a three-run homer for his first major league hit. He had been 0 for 14.
Mickey Moniak had to leave the game after he was hit in the elbow by a pitch in the fourth inning.
NOTES
Nolan Schanuel had two singles, improving to 10 for 25 (.400) in seven games since moving into the No. 3 spot in the order. …
Kavadas was robbed of his first major league hit earlier in the game when right fielder George Springer made a nice grab of a line drive.
The Angels released right-hander José Cisnero, who had been designated for assignment earlier in the week.
UP NEXT
Angels (RHP Jack Kochanowicz, 1-3, 6.53 ERA) at Blue Jays (RHP Chris Bassitt, 9-12, 4.34 ERA), Friday, 4:07 p.m. PT, Bally Sports West, 830 AM
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