How fun is it watching Mike Trout play like the Mike Trout we know and love? It really feels like 2016 again. Trout is great, pitching is bad, nobody helps, Angels lose.
He’s back to setting records on a team that somehow squanders the effort.
Patrick Sandoval had his usual up and down outing. Overall he gave up 4 runs over 5 innings but he had traffic at pretty much all times. He also actually attacked hitters for about an inning and showed the promise that keeps getting him opportunities.
Unfortunately the Angels had only scored 2 and were down a pair. They picked up a third run on an error in the bottom of the 6th.
Ron Washington must’ve had the Rays tonight because he went Luis Garcia followed by Jose Cisnero. Garcia pitched a scoreless 6th.
Cisnero predictably gave up a run; a skyscraper just inside the left field foul pole with two outs. But he wasn’t done. Two more hits put runners at first and second.
The home plate umpire sucked tonight. He routinely gave Rays starter Aaron Civale calls well above the strike zone while not liking Sandoval’s work up in the zone. He was a non-factor with the erratic Cisnero, though.
Fortunately Cisnero got out 3 without giving up more runs. 5-3 heading into the stretch. But Hunter Strickland came in to make it 6-3 in the 8th.
At this point the game was in the bag. Or was it?
A two out knock from Luis Rengifo in the bottom of the 9th pulled the Angels to 6-4. A walk by Rendon put two men on with 2 outs and Miguel Sano pinch hit representing the tying run. He took strike 3 looking to end the game.
I really shouldn’t say nobody helped. Taylor Ward is having a great season and that continued on both sides of the ball tonight. 1 for 3 at the plate and this nifty play.
Rubber match tomorrow at 1 PM.
I expected to see Sano bat for Rendon there, not Adell.
What was the defensive plan after that? Rengifo to the outfield and Neto comes in at short?
Frustrating to watch Adell come in to pinch hit and hit a weak pop up on the first pitch to second. Was up and in, swinging on the 1st pitch as a pinch hitter and it’s in a really tough location isn’t really what you want to see. Not saying he cost us the game or anything but it’d be nice to see him have a good AB there.
It would have been nice to et him finish there in the 9th.
DFA Suarez
Let’s hope Soriano has good stuff tomorrow. If we lose it means we will have lost 2 of 3 to everyone but the Marlins. They are good teams and we battle every game, but we need to be more consistent. Shanny looks lost.
It would also be nice to see an offensive surge up & down the lineup.
Hopefully we get 6-7 strong from Soriano and the offense does the rest, rendering the BP moot.
Take the series tomorrow. Brush this one off.
2016 has been a long, long, long , long, long, long, long, long year.
If anyone asks, i’m still 22.