Los Angeles Sends José Soriano to Face Cincinnati Reds

The Los Angeles Angels will start right-hander José Soriano on April 12, 2026, in the series finale against the Cincinnati Reds. Soriano enters the game as the Angels’ new-found ace, attempting to secure a win for his team and claim the three-game series for Los Angeles.

The matchup follows a split in the series. The Angels secured a 10-2 victory on Friday, April 10, but the Reds responded on Saturday, April 11, with a 7-3 win. The Sunday game serves as the rubber match to determine the series winner.

Soriano’s 2026 Performance

Soriano has emerged as one of the most impactful pitchers in Major League Baseball during the early stages of the 2026 season. He holds a 3-0 record and ranks second in the majors with a 0.45 ERA, having allowed only one run across his first three starts.

In his most recent outing on April 6, Soriano faced the Atlanta Braves, delivering a performance that included eight innings of work. He allowed three hits and one run while recording 10 strikeouts and issuing no walks.

When you see him lose a couple arm-side or up or down or whatever, he gets right back in it and refocuses and starts pounding the zone

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki

Suzuki further noted that Soriano’s ability to make quick adjustments is a key component of his recent success.

Matchup History and Opponent Analysis

Despite his current form, Soriano has struggled in previous encounters with the Cincinnati Reds. He is 0-1 all-time against the team in three appearances. While he has maintained a 0.00 ERA against them, he took a loss in his only start in Cincinnati on April 21, 2024, without surrendering an earned run.

Soriano will face Reds lefty Andrew Abbott, who has appeared in three outings so far this season. Abbott has pitched 17 innings with a 3.18 ERA.

The Cincinnati offense has struggled overall in 2026, entering the April 12 game with the second-fewest runs scored in the league, totaling 48. However, the team found momentum during Saturday’s win, largely due to Nathaniel Lowe.

Lowe, who signed with the Reds on a minor league deal in the offseason, provided a critical spark on April 11 with a bases-clearing double in the first inning. Lowe previously won an American League Silver Slugger award as a first baseman for Texas in 2022, though he had recorded only one extra-base hit and two RBIs prior to the Saturday game.

Series Context and Previous Starts

The road series in Cincinnati follows a series against the Atlanta Braves, where the Angels won the first game 6-2 before losing the final two games 7-2 and 8-2.

Earlier in the current series, the Angels utilized right-hander Jack Kochanowicz and prospect George Klassen. Kochanowicz previously allowed six runs in his first start against the Houston Astros but followed that with 5.2 scoreless innings against the Seattle Mariners.

Klassen struggled in his first career start, allowing two runs on three hits and five walks over 2.2 innings. For the Reds, right-hander Chase Burns posted a one-hit shutout over five innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates in his first start and followed it with six one-run innings in his second start.

Brandon Williamson also featured for the Reds in the series. After a difficult first start against Pittsburgh where he allowed six runs, Williamson rebounded with 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk.