The Angels went up the 5 to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles. It was Thor vs Gonsolin in a pitching duel as both teams came in struggling of late. The Angels lost 16 of 18 while the Dodgers lost 9 of 13. Something had to give.
Noah Syndergaard went 4 and 2/3 innings, giving up 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 5 and walking 3. Those walks were his downfall, as Thor nibbled too much, especially in the 4th, where all 3 walks were walked.
On the offense, Taylor Ward was back! It was the best lineup in a while for the Halos, and yet they struggled mightily against Gonsolin. Part of that was Gonsolin being amazing, but, honestly, it was mostly just the Angels offense being horrific. Rendon getting injured AGAIN didn’t help. 1 hit, just one measly pathetic hit through the first 8 innings!
Highlighted Recap
Both pitchers were nearly perfect through 3 innings, with the only thing of note was an Ohtani single that was erased by a caught stealing.
However, Thor couldn’t find the zone in the 4th, allowing walk after walk until he walked in a run. Dodgers gifted a run, and the Angels were in a 1-0 hole.
Thor did last another 2/3 of an inning after a leadoff double and back to back Ks.
But, Quijada had to come in to finish the 5th. What was more shocking was that Rendon left the game, Matt Duffy taking over 3rd. He just got back too…
It was pretty much a nothing fest for most of the rest of the game. Sure, Mookie Betts made it 2-0 Dodgers instead of 1-0 in the 8th, Wantz serving him a meatball, but that was the only hit by either team since the 5th.
Hope came in the 9th, as a shattered bat by Trout dropped in barely to put the tying run to the plate. It shattered so hard in fact, that it stabbed the ump in the face, forcing him to leave the game.
Ohtani doubled, putting runners at 2nd and third with one out. A walk by Duffy loaded the bases for Jared Walsh.
He struck out. Now with 2 outs, it was all up to Stassi now. And HE struck out. Angels lose. Again.
Now What?
Yet another loss means that being in 3rd place in the AL West isn’t even safe. Another game in LA tomorrow and then 5 in Seattle. It is looking bleak right now.
Hitting strategy should be altered drastically. Loved the way the Red Sox hitters moved the ball against us a few series back. We shifted…they repeatedly hit through the shift.. they routinely made productive outs to generate runs as well. Doing those things is how you have consistency on offense. You can generate runs without everyone being red hot at the same time which is what we seem to rely on. Seems like our hitting approach is just to mash.. never shorten up but look for a pitch and mash!! That’s how what we saw in the 9th inning keeps happening. Bases loaded 1 out and everyone looking do to entirely too much instead of staying short and hitting the ball to the big part of the field.
Was always way overrated, and not a winner either
Thanx OLIGARCH, THIS ONE’S ON YOU!!!
😡 😠 💩
Although I get this one, his ERA+ is 110, just ahead of Shohei’s 107. He’s been serviceable and generally gives us a chance to win.
NO! COMPLY! COMPLAIN!
Strikeouts
I got curious and looked at MLB team stats and we are second only to the Braves for hitters striking out (594 to their 595).
But the Brave’s record shows they manage to find other ways to win. I guess that’s what we have to do, as well.
I’m not ready to throw in the towel yet. The first part of the season shows that this group has the potential to win when all gears are turning at the same time. But everyone seemed to go into slump mode all at once. One or two people slumping and the others can take up the slack. But everybody?
Right now a lot of it is that it’s gotten into their heads. The frustration from a long losing streak has them looking like lost zombies going through the motions and swinging wildly at the plate, each wanting to hit a 5 run homer. But with each strikeout they sink deeper into the dejected funk.
The optimist in me feels that if they can get any kind of momentum going, like a 3 or 4 game win streak, their confidence and swagger will return and they can start righting this ship. If this were mid-August I might be slightly less hopeful, but mid-June there is still a lot of baseball left. Anything can happen.
You may say I’m a dreamer…. but I’m not the only one.
It would be kind of a hoot to keep track of all the “blow it up, trade em all” guys and see how they’d handle an actual rebuild. I mean, some of us can barely handle four weeks of horror, imagine these delicate buttercups trying to make it through a 100 loss season, having to stress over the prospects we get in trade returns not immediately hitting for a 150 OPS+, watching a pitching staff of 23 year olds try to find the strike zone, all supported by a few 36 year old players on one year deals. Hell, it could be two or three 90+ loss seasons. I imagine I’ll be able to lay down in the bandwagon eventually.
That will be fantastic. Let’s so it.
Guess what… If this team goes on to lose every fckn game I’ll sleep just fine at night. I have no monetary stake whatsoever in this team. Strictly a casual fan of a team that once again has problems. It’s almost comical..
Cool story.
how casual can you be if you’re here every night? (other than when they win)
And how would 90 loss seasons be that different than what they’re doing now?
It would last all season.
It’s hard to be fired up about a team that looks so lifeless out there. I will continue to watch however as I am a die hard. Hopefully they can make some positive moves as far as the roster goes. Upgrade SS for sure as a starting point. Perhaps find players that can make contact and don’t strike out once or twice a game on the regular? This was a first place team not long ago and now it is broken. Fix it front office or gtfo! This losing every year shit is really old already.
Exactly. It would take some serious drugs to be fired up right now. Doesn’t mean the team can’t get better. Even if they don’t find a new SS I think a lot rides on the top 5 guys in the order getting their heads out of their ass. I don’t see why that can’t happen. But I wouldn’t give up on a season this early unless a whole bunch of injury reports start coming in.
2-17 over the last 19. That’s…uhh…ya know…not ummm…not very good, is it?
DG… I hope you aren’t ready to use your greatest disaster meme already 😔
Everyone on the trading block at the trade deadline. Blow it up. This ain’t working. New manager new GM and preferably new owner at seasons’ end..
Can we get some new fans too? We need more fans who are real winners, with grit and urgency and metaphorical cocks that work.
Oh no question if that happened the team would get *a lot* better…
What happened to
Wow. They didn’t become super good overnight. Who feels broken inside?
Shit that game was boring.
Sooooo boring. Almost unwatchable
I was so sure we were gonna score 20 tonight.
Interested in buying this bridge I have for sale?
If buying a bridge helps our “stars” hit I’ll try it. That one looks like it smells like avocado toast and piss though.
Anthony Rendon playing baseball
On the hook for 38,000,000 per until 2026. Let’s see who we can sign next.
I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Maddon’s fault
Source?
Nevin has come in and the results are the same.
Same issues, same results……
If the problem was Joe, there would be some improvement, incremental at least, but there is none.
I am still hopeful that the team can turn the season around. All it takes is a spark, from somewhere, and a dramatic shift in momentum.
I am not giving up on this season…..
Yeah. The team’s total trash right now, but it’s too early to give up. I’ve seen Major League way too many times to believe in giving up on a team in June.
Jabu ain’t here though bro
We should sign Bartolo Colon.
😒
I think Bartolo was shot in a drive by in the Domnican Repub….
But then we’d be out on…..who was it?
Joe was a symptom, not the disease.
Soth
Just uncovered! Instructional video used by Angels hitting coach and instructor Jeremy Reed and Paul Sorrento.
Gonna be sitting in 4th place by the end of the week.
Highly possible with this powerful offense……..
…..then we will have lulled 29 other teams to exactly where we want them
Angels have now lost 21 out of 26…………..
”I will not rest until the destruction is complete” Arte Moreno
I’m encouraged by Rocket City’s 35-23 record
Are you also encouraged that the Angels are in 3rd place games 9 1/2 back with 17 straight scoreless innings???
Eric, you received the memo about encouragement having been banished. The video Andrew provided clearly shows you read the memo. This is your last warning to embrace the doom or you will be forced to write all post-game recaps on CtPG for the remainder of the 2022 season. Chose wisely.
What a fuckin joke of a team!
Where has good ole shuffle gone?
Long time passing?
Where has dancing robot gone?
Long time ago?
Can you merge this with images of the Hindenburg exploding and the drafting of Taylor Wade and the signing of Joe Blanton?
I am not that good….but John Henry W could do it!
Angels 17 straight scoreless innings. Strikeouts are a BIG problem. 11 more tonight.
Wait for it…. TURN THE PAGE….
The last 3 weeks
Everyone is so quick to come up with solutions. Maybe it’s just unfixable, eh?
Maybe
Some things can’t be fixed.