Often times, change isn’t easy and takes some getting used to.
The same can be said for change in sports.
Sometimes, it can take a little time for players to adjust to a new team after being traded over from their previous organization or signing with a new team.
Veteran reliever Ryan Tepera can certainly attest to that, as his debut with the Los Angeles Angels did not go as planned.
Signed by the Angels on a two-year, $14 million deal to strengthen their bullpen, Tepera was anything but an anchor on Thursday night against the Houston Astros, as he allowed back-to-back home runs to Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez on only four pitches.
A Bad Start
This is not the way you want to start with your new team.
In all honesty, it’s probably one of the worst ways you can start out on a new ballclub.
The Angels ultimately lost the game by a final of 3-1, with the home runs allowed by Tepera proving to be the difference in the game.
By no stretch of the imagination did Tepera’s Angels debut go according to plan.
However, it’s only the first game of the season.
Sure, it matters and counts in the grand scheme of things, but all pitchers are bound to have bad outings here or there.
Tepera had his last night.
There’s plenty of time for him to rebound and it is still worth noting that Tepera has been one of the game’s most dominant relievers over the past two seasons.
We’ll see if this outing was just a case of the Opening Day jitters.
In all likelihood, Tepera will rebound and continue to be dominant out of the Angels’ bullpen.
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