Angels opener spoiled by Chicago Cubs

ANAHEIM >> Evidenced by the first Opening Day start of his six-year career, the Angels are asking Garrett Richards to shoulder a heavy burden this season.

Their new No. 1 pitcher didn’t carry the team far Monday night.

Richards exited after five iings of a 9-0 loss to the Cubs at Angel Stadium. The Angels’ offense, however, never showed up.

It marked the first time the Angels were shutout on Opening Day since 2002, the year they went on to win the World Series.

One of the teams that played at Angel Stadium on Monday is expected to challenge for a championship. The fifth interleague matchup on Opening Day in baseball history pitted the Angels against the betting favorite to win the World Series.

Richards was opposed by reigning NL Cy Young award wier Jake Arrieta, who is worthy of whatever title is bestowed on his pitching prowess - ace, No. 1, etc.

Arrieta allowed two hits in seven iings, all the while pitching with a lead.

Miguel Montero went 2 for 5 with 3 RBIs and Dexter Fowler went 3 for 4 and scored three runs for the Cubs, who collected 11 hits to the Angels’ three.

Mike Trout punctuated his 0-for-4 performance by flying out to end the game. After hitting home runs off Seattle’s Felix Heandez on Opening Day each of the last two years, Trout was struck out twice by Arrieta.

“He was just painting,” Trout said. “He’s got good stuff. He was locating well, working in and out and had his off-speed working.”

“Obviously he’s good,” Richards said, shrugging his shoulders. “Cy Young award wier, so, tip of the cap.”

After allowing a run in the first iing, Richards appeared to have settled in before he was abruptly undone in the fourth. The Cubs added two runs to their lead and required 41 pitches from Richards in the frame, which led to his exit one iing later. Consecutive walks to begin the iing proved costly when Jorge Soler and Montero drove them in with back-to-back RBI singles.

Richards threw 97 pitches in five iings, allowing three runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Granted, his uninspiring performance came against what is expected to be one of the best lineups in baseball this season.

“With an exception of the fourth iing, I think I was cruising,” Richards said. “I feel confident in myself. I’m not going to go up there and pitch to a lineup based on whose name has what on their back.”

Feando Salas didn’t fare better in relief, giving up a two-out, two-run home run to Montero in the sixth iing to drop the Angels into a 5-0 hole. To that point, the Nos. 7 and 8 hitters in the Cubs lineup had provided four of their five RBIs.

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Cam Bedrosian, whose spring performance eaed him the final spot in the Angels bullpen, pitched the seventh and allowed a run.

The Cubs tacked on three runs in a sloppy ninth iing marred by two walks and an error. Matt Szczur’s two-out, three-run double gave the Cubs a 9-0 lead.

“We set the table a little too much for a good lineup,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “(Richards) had good stuff, it just took him a while to haess it.”