Angels' Logan O'Hoppe Does His Best to Make Rangers Pitcher Feel Old

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jul 10, 2024

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe had a career day against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, when he hit two solo home runs against a pitcher he grew up watching.

Both of his home runs tied the score in a 5-4 loss to Max Scherzer and the Rangers.

His first home run came in the second inning, tying the game at 1-1. His fourth-inning homer was a liner off a fastball that just made it over the outstretched glove of center fielder Leody Taveras and knotted it at 4-4.

Logan O'Hoppe hammers his second home run of the night! pic.twitter.com/WTJBpkzDMy

— MLB (@MLB) July 10, 2024

“I watched him growing up a ton. He’s been dominant his whole career, but it doesn’t matter being on the losing end,” said O’Hoppe about his big game against Scherzer.

The 24-year-old wasn't going to let any good pitches go by in a close game. He also added a leadoff single in the seventh.

“The plan was just not letting good pitches go by,” O’Hoppe said. “I faced him in 2022 when he was rehabbing with the Mets. I wasn’t completely foreign to his stuff. But he carved me up then with two punchouts, so it was a lesson learned. You can’t let anything go when he’s on the mound.”

The two long balls gave O'Hoppe 14 homers in 78 games this season, which ties the club record for homers before the All-Star break by a catcher with Lance Parrish in 1990. He is also slashing .282/.334/.491 with 13 doubles and 42 RBIs while playing almost every game behind the plate. His 73 starts at catcher leads the league and his 76 appearances trail only Seattle's Cal Raleigh (79).

Scherzer, who turns 40 this month, is the second-oldest player in the American League.