Falter tossed two scoreless innings before Taylor Ward took him deep for a solo homer in the third. Three more hits and a sacrifice fly put two more runs on the board for the Angels in the fourth inning. Falter’s day would be done after four frames. He struck out five on 65 pitches. The 27-year-old left-hander will take a 5.19 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and a 20/7 K/BB ratio across 26 innings into a start against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Sunday.

It feels like Falter does this once or twice a year: just cruises through a game and allows no damage while barely missing any bats. He manipulated the strike zone well and was always able to pick off a corner when he needed it. This shouldn’t change any opinions on Falter though, who has a two-start week coming up against the Angels and Dodgers.

Falter, who averages 1.3 walks per start over the course of his career, issued free passes to the first three batters he faced tonight. He was then fortunate enough to get a double play ball before a two-run homer from Jeimer Candelario. He had more issues in the third, when he walked two and gave up two runs, both unearned, without the benefit of a hit. He avoided any additional walks, but the five made for a new career high. He had walked as many as four batters just once previously. Falter will take an 0-2 record and a 7.20 ERA into his next start against the Nationals.

It was two runs through four, but then the fifth started double, single, homer, walk, single before Falter was finally, mercifully pulled. It was horrible managing that it didn’t happen at least two batters earlier after the homer and before Falter started facing Yankees for the third time. Falter’s next start will come against the ice-cold Reds, though maybe they’ll start warming before then. He’ll make for a weak streaming play.