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Angels prospect Sam Aldegheri endures rough…

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Los Angeles Angels |
Angels prospect Sam Aldegheri endures rough debut in loss to Mariners

The Italian-born left-hander gives up five runs (all unearned) in the first inning and two more after that as he works five innings in his first major-league outing, a 9-5 defeat

Angels starting pitcher Samuel Aldegheri shows his frustration after hitting the Seattle Mariners’ Dylan Moore with a pitch during the first inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. Aldegheri allowed five runs in the first inning of his major league debut and was charged with seven (two earned) in his five innings. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Samuel Aldegheri shows his frustration after hitting the Seattle Mariners’ Dylan Moore with a pitch during the first inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. Aldegheri allowed five runs in the first inning of his major league debut and was charged with seven (two earned) in his five innings. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Angels starting pitcher Samuel Aldegheri throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Angel Stadium. It was Aldegheri’s major league debut. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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ANAHEIM — Sam Aldegheri knows all about carving an improbable path from humble beginnings so his major league debut is not likely to get him too far off course.

That first outing still will sting after the Italy native was given the boot in the Angels’ 9-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.

From a small town outside of Verona, it was not exactly a hospitable welcome for Aldegheri, who gave up five runs in the first inning. All of them were unearned when sure-handed shortstop Zach Neto failed to squeeze his glove on a line drive hit right to him by Jorge Polanco.

Instead of what would have been the final out of a scoreless inning to begin Aldegheri’s time in the major leagues, two runs scored on the Neto error. Apparently shaken, Aldegheri then hit both Justin Turner and Dylan Moore with pitches to load the bases.

It would get worse.

Mitch Garver added a two-run double and Victor Robles had an RBI single as Aldegheri (0-1) threw 34 pitches in the first inning. He ended his night by giving up seven runs (two earned) over five innings with two walks and three strikeouts on 79 total pitches (50 strikes).

“I think I have to realize that the last 24 hours have been pretty crazy for me,” Aldegheri said.

The first ever major league pitcher who was both born and raised in Italy would eventually settle into his new surroundings. Alex Liddi was the first position player born and raised in Italy when he made his debut in 2011 with the Mariners.

Starting with his last out of the first inning, Aldegheri retired seven consecutive Seattle hitters.

“I think I bounced back pretty good and it’s something I have to work more on, but I’m pretty happy about everything,” he said.

The Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez tagged him for a two-run home run in the fourth inning, as Aldegheri worked around another Neto error, before he closed out the outing with a scoreless fifth.

“I thought he did a good job,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “We make that play in the first inning and it’s a different story. And after that first inning he came back and got us through five. He made adjustments, him and (catcher Logan) O’Hoppe. He started going to his offspeed a little bit to help his fastball.”

Immediately after the game, Aldegheri met with his parents, who grabbed the quickest flight they could when hearing about the news Thursday and managed to make it to Angel Stadium in the second inning on Friday.

“I didn’t see them before the game but I just saw them and it was pretty emotional,” he said, while also giving a shoutout to everybody in Italy, who were up at 3:40 a.m. to watch the first pitch.

“I’m happy for myself and my family, but (also) for my country and the kids that they think they are nobody in Italy but I just showed them that everybody can make it so they have to believe in their dreams and chase them.”

On offense, the Angels managed to keep themselves in the game. They received home runs from Taylor Ward, Mickey Moniak and Brandon Drury. Ward gave the Angels their fifth leadoff home run, while Moniak and Drury went back-to-back in the fifth inning.

Neto even set out to make amends, getting hit by a pitch in the first inning before stealing both second and third base and coming home on a Nolan Schanuel fly ball. The Angels pulled within 7-5 in the sixth inning on a Drury RBI single before the clutch hits ran dry.

The Angels lost for the eighth time in their last nine games and the 11th time in their last 13, while becoming the second team in the American League to lose at least 80 games and the fourth in the major leagues.

While Aldegheri’s debut went sideways, the Angels will get another chance to make a first impression on Sunday afternoon when their top pitching prospect, 20-year-old right-hander Caden Dana, makes his own major league debut.

“Keep it normal (and) do what you do,” Washington said of his advice to young pitchers getting their first taste of major league life. “It’s easy to say. I’m not the one standing out there on that island. So we have to wait and see what type of reaction we get when they go out there, but I trust them.”

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