On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Angels announced that Patrick Sandoval will officially be their Opening Day starter. Sandoval will get the start when the Angels take on the Baltimore Orioles on the road on March 28.
It's a big moment for the 27-year-old Sandoval, who is entering his sixth season pitching for the Angels.
After the announcement, Sandoval shared his reaction on earning the Opening Day start.
“Really cool. It’s a huge honor, obviously. Something you dream of as a kid growing up, being an Opening Day starter. I get to do it for my hometown team. It’s pretty cool.”
— Patrick Sandoval, via Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register.
Angels manager Ron Washington revealed what led to Sandoval getting picked as the official starter.
“I think when we came into camp, we wanted this to happen this way. And he took it and made it happen. And he’s supposed to take it and make it happen. Because his peers, the other pitchers that are on the staff with him, thought that he should have been the guy. He stepped up and became the guy.”
— Ron Washington, via Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register.
Though Sandoval hasn't had the perfect Spring Training this year, he clearly did enough to earn the starting gig. Through 11.1 innings of Cactus League action, Sandoval has 10 strikeouts while allowing 16 hits, six, walks, nine earned runs and two home runs for a 7.15 ERA.
However, in Sanodval's last start on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he seemed to figure things out, as he went 4.1 innings and allowed just one earned run while striking out five.
This could have been enough to sway Washington and the team to pick him for the Opening Day nod.
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