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It might not be that easy to get away with hitting Mike Trout with a pitch. Especially when the two consecutive pitches went straight near his head. It happened during the Angels’ home opener against the Mariners. Two consecutive throws from Bryan Woo came targeting his head. And despite the pitcher’s apologies, Trout didn’t hide his frustration.

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“Mike Trout said Bryan Woo apologized in-game to him after he was hit by a pitch up and in during the first inning. But he said he was upset in the moment after two straight pitches up and in,” Angels insider Rhett Bollinger shared via X.

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Well, the incident happened in the first inning when a high and inside pitch off Woo forced Trout off the plate. The next one, a 95 mph fastball, struck him high on the shoulder, near his head. While Trout dodged the first one and hadn’t made any expressions, the second one made him look toward the mound, creating a brief moment of tension.

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Trout was visibly frustrated and was taking off his gloves to check his shoulder. The stands were silenced for a moment, and the two dugouts were at their heels for a probable bench-clearing event. Fortunately, things didn’t escalate, and just as fans wonder if Trout had any conversation with Woo, who is projected to get a $55 million contract extension, the former confirms that it happened.

While the exact conversations are not published, Woo’s apology surely defused the scene, but not Trout’s frustrations. According to him, although Woo made his point, Trout was actually frustrated in the moment. So, there was surely a chance of things escalating.

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However, at the end of the game, it was Woo who had the last laugh with his dominant performance. He finished off with seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six. On the other hand, Trout had a forgettable evening with just 1 run and went 0-for-2 at the plate. The Mariners also outscored the Angels in the game by 3-1.

With this, the Angels recorded their 5th loss this season and are currently ranked 4th in the AL West. Although the Angels are performing at the expected level, as shown by their recent past, Trout is doing well. The 3x MVP has already produced six hits, two home runs, six runs scored, and three RBI through the first seven games of the season.

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Still, apart from Trout getting hit by pitches, Angel Stadium, Anaheim saw a few more events that caught the limelight.

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Nothing went right for Mike Trout’s squad in their home opener

Fans in Anaheim are already habituated to seeing the Angels going down against their rivals. But Friday was exceptional because the Angels’ offense managed just 1 hit in the 10-inning game! That only hit came in the bottom of the third after Oswald Peraza sent a bloop single to right field. And the only run came from Mike Trout. However, he wasn’t the one who drove it in. Jorge Soler hit the sacrifice fly that plated Trout.

That’s it! That was the end of the story for the Angels’ offense on Friday.

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In the sixth inning, Trout did make hard contact for a fly-ball that looked like a home run, but ended up in Randy Arozarena’s gloves. “I thought I got enough, for sure,” Trout said. “I hit it off the end a little bit, but I thought I got enough — it is what it is.”

What Trout said was not only the story of his shot, but the story of their offense on Friday. They tried and took it to the extra inning, yet were still so far from a win.

The worst part is that the Angels’ poor show extended beyond the foul line. Before the first pitch, the Angels had an embarrassing moment occur during the national anthem. The anthem singer tried to align the timing with a planned flyover. It caused unwanted pauses in between the anthem and ultimately failed to sync the two events.

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“So not only is winning not a priority, but neither is the flyover/anthem execution,” one fan stated.

Hence, nothing went right on Friday night for the Angels, and we wonder if the fans are expecting any immediate turnaround.

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Written by

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Sourav Kumar Ghatak

1,864 Articles

Sourav Kumar Ghatak is an MLB writer at EssentiallySports, reporting from the MLB desk with a focus on delivering engaging daily baseball content. Known for his versatility, Sourav covers a wide range of baseball topics, blending strategic analysis with compelling storytelling. He is recognized for his sharp instinct in capturing the essence of key moments, including recent work on stars like Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Sourav holds a postgraduate in Marketing. Prior to joining EssentiallySports, he worked as a professional freelancer and project manager team lead, gaining extensive experience in leadership and content development. He continues to grow as a key voice in baseball journalism, combining his passion for the sport with his marketing expertise to create impactful content.

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Edited by

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Arunaditya Aima

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