Suarez solid as he tries to prove value to Angels?

CHICAGO -- With the Angels running low on pitching depth due to late-season injuries, left-hander José Suarez was called back up on Sept. 9 to get a chance to make an impression down the stretch after an otherwise rough year.

Suarez took advantage of that opportunity by posting a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings over his final four appearances of the season, including allowing three runs over five frames in a 4-3 loss in 10 innings to the White Sox on Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. Suarez, though, couldn’t get much help from the offense and Chicago remains one defeat away from setting the dubious record of 121 losses in a season.

“I feel good, I fought until the end,” Suarez said through interpreter Manny Del Campo. “I feel great. My confidence is at 100 percent right now. I know how to control my emotions and I feel good to go next year.”

Suarez threw three scoreless frames in long relief against the Twins on Sept. 9, four more scoreless frames in relief against the Astros on Sept. 13 before he allowed one unearned run over five innings in a start against the Astros on Sept. 19. He wasn’t quite as sharp against the White Sox, but was essentially hurt by two bad pitches.

Suarez gave up five hits and walked two but gave up a two-run homer to Korey Lee in the second and a go-ahead solo blast to Lenyn Sosa in the fourth. Lee’s homer came on a first-pitch changeup after Sosa doubled, while Sosa’s came on a 2-2 changeup.

“Other than Sosa, he did pretty good,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “He gave us five, but Sosa was his nemesis in that lineup. But he battled, and he kept us in the ballgame, and that's all you can ask for.”

It spoiled an otherwise solid finish to the year for Suarez, who posted a 6.02 ERA in 52 1/3 innings after he had an 8.29 ERA in 33 2/3 frames last year. But Suarez still has solid stuff and had success from 2021-22, when he had a 3.86 ERA in a combined 207 1/3 innings.

The Angels will have an interesting decision to make this offseason with Suarez, who is out of Minor League options and eligible for salary arbitration for a second time. He could be a non-tender candidate but isn’t expected to receive much of a raise on the $925,000 he made this season because of his second straight uneven performance in the Majors.

“He’s in the mix,” Washington said. “Whether it’s in the bullpen or the starting rotation, he's in the mix and just has to come in and compete for a job.”

He was saddled with a no-decision against the White Sox, as the offense again scuffled and shortstop Zach Neto made two costly miscues on the bases. The Angels walked three times and singled in the first inning but didn’t score, as Neto was picked off and caught stealing after he singled off the left-field wall.

Neto also doubled in the third but was again picked off and caught stealing, this time at third base. It was a tough night overall for Neto, who also made a throwing error in the fourth inning.

“It was obvious that his head wasn't where it was supposed to be,” Washington said. “I talked to him about it, wanted to find out if he was chasing some number. Because especially that one at second base. I mean, in my wildest dreams, I never thought he would try to steal third. But when you’re dealing with youth, you’ve got to be on top of things. And maybe I should have put the hold on.”

The Angels tied it in the eighth, as they finally pulled off a successful squeeze play with Michael Stefanic reaching safely because nobody covered first base. But with the go-ahead run at third, Taylor Ward grounded into a double play. It was one of three critical double plays the Angels hit into late in the game, including Eric Wagaman with first and second and nobody out in the 10th.

“That's what the problem was tonight,” Washington said. “We had some offensive opportunities and we hit into three double plays when we had those opportunities. I don't know if it was us or them making pitches. But we were certainly looking to get the ball in the air or get a base hit but we couldn’t get it done.”