The Angels’ Taylor Ward hits an RBI single in the fifth inning for the team’s only run and one of two hits in a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday, July 5, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele throws to the plate during the fourth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki hits a two-run home run during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki watches the flight of his two-run home run during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Cody Bellinger is greeted in the dugout after scoring on Seiya Suzuki two-run home run during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki celebrates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Angels left fielder Taylor Ward makes a catch for an out during the first inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Christopher Morel hits a single during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Christopher Morel, left, reacts after hitting a single as Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel, right, looks on during the first inning on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning throws to first base for a force out during the third inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ hits an RBI single during the third inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ reacts after hitting an RBI single during the third inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Christopher Morel reacts after being called out on strikes during the third inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning walks back to the dugout during the third inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner, left, forces out the Angels’ Brandon Drury at second base during the fourth inning on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Miles Mastrobuoni reacts after hitting a ground-rule double during the fourth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Angels’ Keston Hiura hits a single during the fifth inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Angels’ Taylor Ward hits an RBI single during the fifth inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Angels’ Taylor Ward runs to first after hitting an RBI single during the fifth inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel, left, greets teammate Keston Hiura after Hiura scored on Taylor Ward’s RBI single during the fifth inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Angels’ Keston Hiura celebrates in the dugout after scoring a run during the fifth inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel grounds out during the fifth inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki flies out during the fifth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Angels starting pitcher Griffin Canning walks off the field after being replaced during the fifth inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Michael Busch slides home to score on Ian Happ’s RBI double during the fifth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ, right, slides into second base, beating the ball thrown to Angels shortstop Zach Neto for an RBI double during the fifth inning on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Chicago Cubs’ Michael Busch reacts after he scored a run during the fifth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ reacts after hitting an RBI double during the fifth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Angels relief pitcher Hunter Strickland walks back to the dugout during the fifth inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Angels left fielder Taylor Ward is unable to catch a ball hit for a double by the Chicago Cubs’ Tomás Nido during the sixth inning on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
Angels left fielder Taylor Ward throws the ball back to the infield while center fielder Kevin Pillar looks on after a double hit by the Chicago Cubs’ Tomás Nido during the sixth inning on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson throws to first base for an out during the seventh inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe walks back to the dugout after flying out during the ninth inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele celebrates after the final out of their 5-1 victory over the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago Cubs catcher Tomás Nido, left, celebrates with starting pitcher Justin Steele after their 5-1 victory over the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The Angels’ Brandon Drury reacts after striking out during the second inning of their game against the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Justin Steele, right, hugs center fielder Cody Bellinger after their 5-1 victory over the Angels on Friday afternoon in Chicago. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
CHICAGO — The Angels have been going quietly – and quickly – this week.
Although the Angels ended their 22-inning scoreless streak, they still lost 5-1 to the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon, seeing just 95 pitches in a complete game from left-hander Justin Steele.
Two days ago the Angels were shut out by Oakland A’s right-hander Joey Estes, seeing only 92 pitches from him.
There have only been 17 complete games so far in the majors this season – a sign of hitters working deeper counts and starters on shorter leashes – but two of those have been this week against the Angels.
“If you’re gonna go at a first pitch, you’ve got to barrel it,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “We just haven’t been barreling it. That’s the way our offense has been since we left home and came on this road trip, so we’ve got to figure it out. We’ve got to figure it out. We’re not as bad as we’ve shown in the last three games offensively. But we’ve got to figure something out.”
The Angels had only two hits against Steele, both of them in the fifth inning. The Angels did hit a couple of balls hard – most notably Taylor Ward and Zach Neto – only to have the Cubs rob them with outstanding defensive plays. Also, there was certainly credit to go to Steele, who has been one of baseball’s best pitchers over the past two seasons.
“He made some really good pitches tonight,” Logan O’Hoppe said, “but that’s no excuse for us. We’ve got to be more disciplined than that and and take better swings in better counts.”
O’Hoppe said the Angels have been pressing.
“I’m hoping that we can slow it down and not try to do too much these these next couple of days,” O’Hoppe said. “Speaking for myself, I’m trying to hit the ball a little harder than I can, just getting a little too big at times. We’re going to shorten up when we get back to it tomorrow.”
The Angels (36-51) didn’t do any better on the mound in this one, their fifth straight loss.
Right-hander Griffin Canning struggled with his control and gave up four runs in 4⅓ innings.
It was the first time since April 13 that Canning was unable to get through five innings.
His main problem was falling behind in the count. Canning threw a first-pitch ball to 14 of the 21 batters he faced.
In the first inning, Canning had a 2-and-2 count on Seiya Suzuki when he threw him a fastball over the middle of the plate. Suzuki hit it over the center field fence for a two-run homer.
Canning issued a leadoff walk in the third to Michael Busch, who came around to score when Ian Happ singled on a 3-and-1 pitch. Canning gave up a double to Busch on a 1-and-0 pitch in the fifth, and Busch scored on a hit against reliever Hunter Strickland.
“Falling behind never usually works out in your favor,” Canning said. “I felt pretty good early. Felt like I was attacking and then maybe shied away from the zone a little bit once once Suzuki hit that homer.”
Washington also pointed out that all five of the runs the Angels allowed came after there were two outs.
“I just wish (Canning) would concentrate a little more on putting the inning away,” Washington said. “He gets to two outs in an inning pretty quick. And then you have trouble finishing that inning off. So we just got to find out what it’s going to take for him to do that.”
