Walbert Ureña loses control as Angels get blanked by Marlins

Jeff Fletcher, The Orange County Register on Aug 8, 2026

Published in Baseball

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MIAMI — This time, Walbert Ureña didn’t escape.

Throughout his eye-opening rookie season, the Los Angeles Angels’ right-hander has shown a knack for minimizing the damage in the moments when his command abandoned him.

He couldn’t do it Saturday, though. He gave up four runs and didn’t get out of the third, as the Angels lost 7-0 to the Miami Marlins.

Ureña, a 22-year-old native of the Dominican Republic, was no doubt excited to show his stuff while sharing the mound with Marlins’ ace Sandy Alcantara, one of the best Dominican pitchers of this generation.

For two innings, Ureña was matching Alcantara.

In the third, though, Ureña lost the strike zone. With one out and a runner at first, he walked No. 9 hitter Javier Sanoja. He then walked Jakob Marsee.

Ureña then threw a sweeper that nicked the outside corner and Xavier Edwards punched it the other way into left field for a two-run double.

Ureña loaded the bases with his third walk of the inning. With third baseman Denzer Guzman playing in, Otto López hit a grounder that scooted into the outfield, driving in two more runs.

That was all for Ureña.

It was only the fourth time in his 19 starts that he allowed more than three runs. It was the fourth time that he was knocked out before finishing the fifth inning. He still has a 2.83 ERA.

At that point, the game was essentially over. The Angels (45-72) haven’t scored five runs in a game since July 24.

It wasn’t likely they were going to do it with Alcantara on the mound, either.

The 30-year-old former Cy Young winner now seems fully recovered from the season he missed because of Tommy John surgery. He has a 3.52 ERA, and he hasn’t allowed a run in his last three starts.

The Angels had one good shot at him in the seven innings he pitched Saturday.

In the third, the Angels loaded the bases on two singles, including a perfect bunt single from Tyler Heineman, and a walk to Mike Trout.

Nolan Schanuel got a first-pitch fastball right down the middle, but he hit a fly ball to center field, ending the inning.

The Angels didn’t get another baserunner until the sixth, when they were down 7-0.

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