ANAHEIM, Calif. _ A rumble went through Angel Stadium in the second inning Tuesday night, a brief shake that was felt in the second-deck press box.
Luckily for the Los Angeles Angels, a 4.4-magnitude earthquake didn't open up the ground and swallow any relief pitchers. They already stretched their staff with another "bullpen game" in which Noe Ramirez made history by throwing the first pitch.
The Angels used seven pitchers and gave themselves a chance to win with three runs allowed on five hits, but they remain winless in bullpen games after a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies, their seventh loss in eight games.
Ramirez became the first player in Angels history to start a game the day after he earned a save.
Ramirez jokingly said "make way for the starter" as he walked through the clubhouse before the game. On his 11th pitch, Carlos Gonzalez hit a two-run home run and Ramirez was removed after one inning.
"Just going out there and giving up two runs to start off the game _ it's tough to our offense," Ramirez said.
"It's an uphill battle. It sucks. It is frustrating."
David Fletcher went three for four. He hit a two-out, run-scoring single in the fifth inning, and in the eighth, he singled and later scored on Albert Pujols' sacrifice to trim the Rockies' lead to 3-2.
Shohei Ohtani pinch hit with one out in the ninth, against closer Wade Davis, and struck out on a breaking ball in the dirt. Davis struck out Taylor Ward to end it. Mike Trout nearly tied it on a deep fly ball to center field in the eighth.
"We just missed some balls," manager Mike Scioscia said.
