Angels Offense Sputters in 3-1 loss at Houston

Barria was on the mound in the series finale at Houston. Will he be consistent this time? He would have to be vs the powerful Astros lineup. Barria ended up dong rather well, only giving up 1 run, albeit through 4 innings due to his high pitch count.

4 inning, 1 ER, 6K, ND

Unfortunately, the offense could not figure out this Astros pitching, and couldn’t score enough to keep up.

Recap

Gutsy Barria

The Angels started the game with excitement, Fletcher singled, Ohtani walked, so far so good. But a Gosselin groundout, Walsh strikeout, and Rengifo groundout ended the threat. Barria was not able to get out of his busy bottom of the first, allowing a run, and lucky that it wasn’t more. 1-0 Astros after 1.

Marsh led off the second by being hit by a pitch, and stole second. Mayfield walked to have 2 on again. But, like last inning, they were stranded as a Suzuki K and Lagares GIDP ended the threat. Barria calmed down and struck out the side in the 2nd. Still 1-0 Astros after 2.

In the 3rd, the Angels went down in order for the first time. Barria looked to match that, but he allowed a single before getting out of his half of the 3rd. Still 1-0 Astros.

Walsh led off the 4th with a single that got past Altuve in the shift. Yet he was stranded there as Rengifo, Marsh, and Mayfield all got out. Barria got 2 outs fast, but loaded the bases. He got through it, keeping it 1-0 Astros after 4.

Juan Lagares finally got the Angels on the board with a solo home run!

Juan Gone!

Bullpen Game

Jose Quijada

Barria had over 90 pitches so Maddon put in Quijada for the 5th. It did not go well. The remaining Q allowed a 2 run home run to put the Astros back on top 3-1.

Gosselin lead of the 6th with a groundout, Walsh struck out, as did Rengifo. Still 3-1 Astros.

Jimmy Herget

Jimmy came in for the bottom of the 6th, he got his 3 batters down in order to keep it a 2 run deficit.

With the Astros starter out, the Angels offense had to deal with the Houston bullpen. It went as badly as before, with a quiet 1-2-3. Jimmy came in for another inning, allowing a leadoff single. After a flyout, Jimmy balked to put the runner at second, and that is when it got weird. A routine flyout to RF went horribly wrong when Lagares tripped. The runner ran home, but was thrown out thanks to an excellent relay by Fletcher.

HA-HA!

Andrew Wantz

Wantz came in after Jimmy made an IBB to put 2 on with 2 outs in the 7th. A flyout ended the inning, still 3-1 Houston after 7.

Lagares led off the 8th with a walk. Fletcher hit into a fielder’s choice, and Ohtani singled, putting 2 on for Gosselin with 1 out. He struck out. Walsh lined out to end the inning. Wantz pitched the 8th, setting the Astros down in order. Still 3-1 Astros after 8.

Angels had one last chance to at least tie, down 2 in the top of the 9th. Rengifo struck out. Marsh hurt himself fouling a ball off his ankle, he stayed in to groundout. Mayfield grounded out top end the game. Angels lose. Ugh.

Upcoming

The Angels face the White Sox next for a 3 game set with the A’s after that. Besides a 3 game series vs Texas near the end of September, the rest of the Angels schedule is vs playoff contenders and at best they can expect to do is play spoiler. Please drink responsibly.

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AllenB
Super Member
2 years ago

I was close in my prediction that Shohei would lose the home run lead before the weekend was over. Tied now.

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  AllenB

Sorry AllenB, tied is not losing. Now go kiss your sister

Last edited 2 years ago by Cowboy26
Fleckstein
Trusted Member
2 years ago

That game reminded me of my favorite Japanese baseball phrase in that the Angels needed a couple: “Taimurii hitto” (“timely hit” in katakana)

2002heaven
Trusted Member
2 years ago

comment image
Likes the Gigante’s chances

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Can he pitch?

2002heaven
Trusted Member
2 years ago

comment image
.267 25hr’s 79rbi’s
2 hr’s today vs Guardians and makes JUST $10M a year not $21M!!!
 💪  💪  👍  👈 

H.T. Ennis
Admin
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

I stg if you don’t write an “If I Were Perry” this offseason I will be so mad

2002heaven
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

comment image
Never be held accountable if you can help it!

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  2002heaven

comment image

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

I would ask if this guy can pitch but I know Ned’s dead.

Fleckstein
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

At least he wouldn’t walk anyone.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

“Huuuummmmph (fart) I serr draft all derr Giants and derr Brewers burt onlerr derr ones who durr goood in 2022 and stuff plus also draft derr other gooood players that we know are good but not also on Angels (drool).”

2002heaven would totally dominate a retroactive daily fantasy league like nobody’s business. He’d have every pitcher who throws a no hitter on his team mere hours after each final pitch was thrown.

Last edited 2 years ago by gitchogritchoffmypettis
Fansince1971
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Wow – the Browns looked great today until they didn’t.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Fansince1971

Also, it turns out, we should have all bought Amazon stock at $6.00 a share. Did you do that? I didn’t. We are dumbf***s. Derr end.

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

How about this guy?

Mia
Legend
Mia
2 years ago

Bad day for the Angels, but Scherzer is going for a perfecto.

If he loses it, we get to see sad Dodger fans, if he finishes it we see a cool baseball moment.

It’s the little things in a lost season 🤣

Last edited 2 years ago by Mia
Mia
Legend
Mia
2 years ago
Reply to  Mia

Broken up by Hosmer 😂😂😂

Fansince1971
Legend
2 years ago

So…..I am not a Rengifo fan at all. Yes he had a good game yesterday. But a stopped clock is right twice a day. I know Mattias is going to argue with me but my eyes tell me this guy is nothing more than a AAAA player.

Fansince1971
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

I’ll add 108 AB batting .178 with OPS of .500. He’s below replacement level.

admkir
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Bring on the plumber

matthiasstephan
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Sure, those are his stats for the year. What I have been saying, is that he has recently been called up and been hitting better. So, let’s give the team the chance to assess ‘new’ Rengifo and see if he is worth taking to camp – or if they (like you) want to move on from him (trade, DFA, waive, whathaveyou). He is young, and has been hitting well in AAA – shame to cut him if he has turned the corner, so to speak. If he turns back into a pumpkin, so be it.

(Also, the Plumber needs to be on the 40-man – so where do you make room? Assessing Gosselin, Mayfield, Rengifo, Wong – who are all on the 40-man and may or may not stick – is just good business.)

rosstrade
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

It seems Rengifo can’t turn the corner at the big league level.

Hasn’t shown it in several extended call ups.

Franklin Barreto may be back by next year and he seems like a better option than Rengifo.

WHAT REALLY PISSES ME OFF IS MICKEY STEFANIC NOT GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY.

WTF….

If Perry and Joe want to give Rengifo an extended look, that’s fine.

But, it seems that Stefanic and the Halos would be a better served to give him some MLB exposure over Wong who’s been terrible.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  rosstrade

Perry and Joe are probably just doing it to piss you off.

Cowboy26
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  rosstrade

If Franklin Barreto ( career slash of .175/.207/.342 in 228 MLB PA’s) is considered a major upgrade over Rengifo we are beyond screwed. I think our expectations need to be set a lot higher.

Last edited 2 years ago by Cowboy26
matthiasstephan
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  rosstrade

I don’t understand the rush to anoint Stefanic. What is the evidence that he will succeed more than Wong, Rengifo (or even a Brandon Wood or Jabari Blash)?

Both Rengifo and Wong were also raking in AAA. Stefanic’s numbers aren’t so much better than theirs were (and it is Salt Lake, after all – offensive numbers will be up).

Sure, he seems to have earned a look. Maddon says there is work to do (so maybe on D?), but it hardly seems like they are just holding him back. He will likely be in camp next year, competing with whoever we retain from 2B/SS/bench IF pool (Gosselin, Baretto, Rengifo, Wong, Ward).

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

Listen, you just don’t get it.

Keon Wong had an 830+ OPS in 2019 in AAA, didn’t play 2020, and had an 860 OPS in 2021 at SLC. Rengifo had a better OPS/OPS+ than David Fletcher currently has in 104 games in 2019. Fell apart in 2020. Then had a 946 OPS in SLC this year.

We have a fan base that is constantly pissing and crying about how shitty and barren our farm system is.

Thus it makes perfect sense to give these two players a minimal look at the MLB level and then ditch them as soon as they suck. We must do this because Mickey Stefanic, who has a 931 OPS in SLC, has grit. Having never seen him actually play for any length of time how do we know he has more grit than Wong or Rengifo? He just does damn it. What more is there to look at?

Besides, after we let these guys go we can bitch about how Stefanic isn’t the answer AND we can call out Arte and Perry for their failure after Wong and Rengifo become useful on some other team.

It’s what we do. If we have a prospect who may be fairly good we try our best to strangle them with their own umbilical chord as soon as they don’t crush it upon arrival. Then we forget about doing that if they survive (Jo Adell anyone?) and love them half to death. Why? One obvious answer, Arte Moreno is a narcissist and we are perfectly adjusted mentally and are “baseball people”.

Make sense? Good.

matthiasstephan
Super Member
2 years ago

See, now that all makes sense. I was still trying to reconcile how it had to be about the beard – that Marsh was better than Adell because of his amazing beard, and that Stefanic is better than Wong because of his ability to grow manly facial hair. I just keep getting hung up on Rengifo’s beard – what to do, what to do 🙂

2002heaven
Trusted Member
2 years ago

comment image
 😆  💪  👈 

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Fansince1971

I still think they are looking at guys like him and Mayfield more to determine if they are letting them go or not. Guys they have already decided yay or nay on are being left alone. It’s very possible that, in order to keep everyone’s beloved plumber so that we can hate him next year for not being very good, we need to cut Rengifo or Mayfield.

admkir
Trusted Member
2 years ago

So is tonight to soon to drop the second Q (Quijada)

matthiasstephan
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  admkir

He wouldn’t be the first pitcher I would let go. Twice as many K’s as BB’s.

admkir
Trusted Member
2 years ago

K’s and BB’s don’t really matter if you can’t come in and shut them down

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

They are likely keeping Quijada. His K rate is hard to come by and they’ll hope they can harness it a little more. They’ll ditch a soft thrower or two instead of him almost certainly.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
2 years ago

that was a snoozer. 19 games left. No sign of Trout returning. They might as well announce it.

James
Trusted Member
2 years ago

To announce it would hurt sales

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend

Trout will pinch hit a few times before the end of the season and do a “Kirk Gibson” broken-down horse trot around the bases.