Angels fall to Braves 6-3 on July 1, 2025, despite Shohei Ohtani's 24th homer and Jorge Soler's return. Can the Halos bounce back in the series?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a night of mixed emotions in Atlanta. The good news? Jorge Soler is back in the lineup, and Shohei Ohtani continues his assault on MLB pitching. The bad news? The final score. The Angels opened their series against the Braves with a frustrating 6-3 loss, a game that felt like a microcosm of their season: flashes of brilliance overshadowed by an inability to put it all together.
Shohei Ohtani's third-inning solo shot was his 24th of the year, but it accounted for just one of the Angels' three runs on the night.
Despite the pre-game buzz, the game itself followed a script Angels fans know all too well. Reid Detmers took the mound but couldn't seem to solve Braves slugger Matt Olson, who tagged him for two home runs. Detmers' final line—5.1 innings, six strikeouts, but five earned runs—put the Halos in a hole they couldn't climb out of. Outside of Ohtani's majestic blast, the offense was largely quiet, unable to string together the big hits needed to support a struggling starter. The bullpen held its own, allowing just one more run, but the damage was already done.
The biggest positive from Tuesday was undoubtedly the return of Jorge Soler. Activated from the injured list after a two-week stint for a hamstring strain, he was immediately slotted into the cleanup spot and made his presence felt, going 1-for-4 with a double. His power bat lengthens the lineup significantly, providing crucial protection for the hitters around him. To make room on the roster, infielder Scott Kingery was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake. Having Soler back is a huge boost, and fans will be hoping his bat can help spark the offense for the remainder of this tough series.
The loss stings, especially as the team falls two games below .500 again. But with Soler back in the fold, there's a renewed sense of hope for the offense. The Angels will need to shake this one off quickly and come back with a better all-around performance tomorrow. This series against one of the National League's best is a major test, and how they respond in game two will tell us a lot about this team's resilience.
