The Los Angeles Angels got embarrassed by the Chicago White Sox in what was undoubtedly the least appealing matchup of Opening Day. Last season the Angels and White Sox combined to win just 104 games as both teams missed the playoffs. This season, White Sox GM Chris Getz set a low bar for the team, simply hoping to win more games than last year.

However, in the season opener, the Angels made Chicago look like championship contenders. LA lost 8-1 to the White Sox. “It was a very ugly day for the Angels. They recorded just five hits. They needed a position player to pitch. A bad start,” The Athletic’s Sam Blum wrote on X.

The position player forced to take the mound for Los Angeles in the blowout was former Cubs infielder Nicky Lopez, who was signed and added to the Angels’ roster the day before the season opener. While Lopez offers positional versatility, it’s unlikely he expected to make his LA debut as a pitcher.

The Angels reach a new low

Aug 10, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington (37) looks out onto the field before the game between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Angels at Nationals Park.
James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

The game was actually manageable through seven innings. Yusei Kikuchi made his Angels debut after the team signed him to a three-year, $63 million deal this offseason. He went six innings and allowed three runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

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Unfortunately the wheels fell off the wagon in the eighth when rookie reliever Ryan Johnson took the mound. He gave up five runs in 1.2 innings of work, including two home runs as the White Sox cracked the game open.

Johnson made the Angels’ Opening Day roster despite never throwing a pitch in the minor leagues. Los Angeles selected Johnson in the second round of the 2024 draft and promoted him directly to the majors. He’s just the 24th player in baseball history to make the leap to a Big League club without spending any time in the minors. And that lack of experience showed as Chicago hammered him Thursday.

Angels fans were not thrilled with seeing their team get taken behind the woodshed by the White Sox, who lost a record 121 games last season. Reactions on social media were far from optimistic.

Los Angeles hasn't reached the postseason in 10 years. And if Opening Day is any indication, that streak will continue. The Angels take on the White Sox again on Saturday.