What a game in Anaheim.
Julio Rodríguez wasted no time giving the Mariners the early edge, launching a solo homer in the top of the 1st off José Soriano to open the scoring.
The Angels responded quickly. In the bottom half, Jo Adell delivered a clutch two-out double to left, scoring both Schanuel and Neto to give Los Angeles a 2–1 lead. Through this performance, he’s sitting at an OPS+ of approximately 112, meaning he’s hitting about 12% better than league average, a nice sign that his swing is staying hot, even on nights he doesn’t pile on the rest of the hits.
From there both starters settled in. Soriano worked around a bases-loaded jam in the 2nd and then cruised through the 3rd and 4th. Bryan Woo kept the Angels off balance, retiring nine of ten batters from the 2nd to the 4th and getting help from his defense to erase any budding threats. Even when Logan O’Hoppe doubled with two outs in the 2nd, the inning fizzled with a routine groundout.
The Angels had a window in the 3rd after a Schanuel single and a two-out walk from Trout brought runners aboard, but Adell struck out to end the inning. They wouldn’t get much closer. Woo worked a clean 4th, and the Halos went hitless in the 5th and 6th, with Trout, Neto, and Rengifo all flying out weakly in order.
Meanwhile, Rodríguez came through again in the 6th, his second solo shot of the night: a 408-foot drive to left tying the game at 2–2. Rodríguez’s offensive production remains well above league average, with a wRC+ of 110.
Neither side broke through in the late innings as the game stayed locked at 2–2 heading into the 9th. The Angels went down quietly in the 8th, with Schanuel lining out, Trout striking out for the third time, and Neto grounding out. Reid Detmers worked a clean top of the 8th, stranding a single and keeping the Mariners in check. The bullpen’s been solid, but the offense hasn’t cashed in since the 1st. Extra innings we go.
Zeferjahn got off to a rough start but ultimately stranded the free runner. Zach Neto pushed a seeing eye du glue through the right side in the 10th first a walk off win!
T. Ward to the Yankees? A-a-ron possibly injured
O’Hoppe catching again tonight. I’m surprised. Dude is a warrior.
TGA starting game 1 of playoffs tonight for Angels.
Doesn’t that sound nice?
Silent C – Jack is coming Back.
Kochanowicz was supposed to start tonight for AAA Salt Lake. It looks like he’s been scratched and Jack Dashwood will start
https://x.com/jared_tims/status/1949234212013482011?s=46
Nothing confirmed yet. Mederos and Silent C scratched, one rotation spot avaliable. Maybe a precursor to a TA trade? Or one goes to the pen?
Feels like there is a deal cooking up
Angels prospect Denzer Guzman now has 24 hits (13 XBH) through 20 games in July, as of his most recent third-inning single with Rocket City — sporting a 1.1+ OPS in July thus far and a 128 wRC+ on season as 21-year-old in Double-A while taking positive strides in cutting K%
https://x.com/taylorblakeward/status/1949264770567483435?s=46
Angels Place Jorge Soler, Chris Taylor On Injured List – MLB Trade Rumors
Taylor, Broken hand…. Again.
Sucks, I liked Taylor and his versatility. Soler…meh.
I just looked at the wild card standings and the first thing I thought was “and then it’s a long way back to Twice a Prince” except I was looking at the Angels when I thought it.
As of this week, every team in the AL with positive run differential has a winning record, and every team with a negative run differential has a losing record.
In the NL, only one team, the D-Backs, deviates from the rule (they’re two under .500 but +15 runs up).
I know there are a few folks that think Bill James is a big bullshitter here, but when it comes to the Pythagorean, as the season wears on, the nerds tend to win.
Was anyone outside of Frosty fighting you on run differential?
Shoot, CHW are 1 run better than us lol
Frost was the naysayer here, but there are plenty of flatearthers on Halos X as well, and Mr Frost always gets a few thumbs up for the anti-sabr rants.
Yeah I have always believed in run differential as a pretty significant indicator of a team’s talent.
People were doing mental gymnastics and discounting all sorts of bad games to try to spin a narrative that the differential wasn’t meaningful.
Yes and I always thought the discrepancy during the Scioscia years reflected the coaching talent then. It went on for his tenure.
I’ll be happy to when the two headed monster of Chris Taylor-Wade Jr. runs its inevitable DFA course.
I’d rather see Lugo, or anyone else absorb these at bats
I would rather see Lugo than Campero
Good game yesterday, highlighted by Zeferjahn’s alertness in covering 3rd base – just a beautiful play, and he got the win as a result [instead of possibly getting a loss if he Rengifo’d it (i.e. slow-jogged his way to 3rd)]
For today:
Kirby has faced the Angels 9 times, with a 5-4 record, 3.52 ERA, 62Ks
For the season, he’s 4-5, 4.65 ERA
Anderson has faced the Mariners 10 times, going 1-3, 5.01 ERA, 48 Ks
For the season, he’s 2-6, 4.43 ERA
Trout has faced Kirby 12 times, going 4-9, 1 HR, 2 RBIs
Com’ on Trout – let’s get the 1000th RBI!
Wade, Jr. is in the lineup, RF, batting 9th.
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I did not see the game last night. Was there a force play at third base (I assume).
Good work also by Z to cover third base.
Yes, there was a force play. Newman overran a popped up bunt with runners at first and second but Neto (and Zeferjahn) saved the day.
We might end up with no hitter with 100 RBIs and no SP with 11+ wins.
This observation is for those of you who believe that the talent is there and that all we need is Moses or Jesus to be our field manager.
Jack Frost might know who I’m talking about. So that means that we’re playing at our level. Yes no Tarik Skubul or Cal Raleigh.
Ward is on a 118 RBI pace.
If he remains after the deadline, he’ll crack 100+ RBI
I AI projected Ward and got 98 rbis SO THERE’S THAT.
BTW back at the old place Ward was on the draft room gif with Dipo fist thumping,,,,,,,, also yeah he’s got a reason to kill it this year, THIS IS HIS OPTION YEAR. WHAT ABOUT A STARTING PITCHER…..UH OH!!!!
Whut if he doesn’t?
Then he will have less. Not rocket science.
Agree in the broad sense. My position is that this team is as average as the record indicates.
I also believe that we have some decent foundational pieces.
Much more is needed.
Interested to see how they approach free agency in the Winter…
I would think it would time to be buyers soon. I keep thinking to the 70s when we muddled around for half a decade while developing pieces, then when out and got a bunch of key big FAs. In the winter of 1976-1977, Gene signed three prominent free agents: Joe Rudi, Don Baylor, and Bobby Grich.
But then when had Ryan and Tanana. I hope that 2025 draft woks out.
Yeah man, wouldn’t it be nice to land a true Ace along with another solid starter and some BP weapons.
That would make the FA strategy a lot easier in 2027-2028.
I assume 2026 is too soon to expect dividends in this draft but. that shouldn’t preclude adding some above average talent. Namely 3B and OF.
They might as well sell (Taylor Ward, Tyler Anderson, Rengifo, Jansen, Kikuchi, D’Arnaud, Soler) TRADE EVERYBODY FOR A BAG OF DORITOS. Just kidding stock the farm with SP’s and INF’s from high AA to guys who can start now.
DONT LISTEN TO JACK FROST he’d have us hiring Joe Torre to be manager next season.
BTW Shot in the Dark was Ozzie’s best song!
BTW, am I the only one that doesn’t follow the cryptic remarks or digs? LOL
You are consistent at being wrong, congrats.
Yeah, and whut iff ward gets hurt tommorow?
then I’ll see you at the end of the seesin he’s not a Judge, Ohtani, Alonso bonafide cleanup hitter at 31 yrs old. He’s nevir had a 100 rbi seesin before. BYE 😜
We won! Time to buy! I saw a good one on Facebook. Trade idea: we get your best player for our worst players plus cash
Arte has better ideas with what to do with Angel profits, he puts his money on property in Gilbert AZ.
105 degrees there today!
it’s
a beautiful dayhot as hell for a 2025 Angel playoff game tonight!Another “stellar” performance by Trout. Ir’s hard to watch.
Love the guy, but he is a totally washed superstar now. Going forward looking at 230 average, 20+ hrs. and 170+ SO’s, Worse with runners in scoring position after the 7th inn.
Trout is what he is at this point. He’s going to have a few good at bats wrapped around some really bad at bats. He’ll have enough in the tank to string the good games into good weeks over the next 5 years to get to 500 homeruns, but the really heady stats we thought were possible earlier in his career will never come to fruition.
He’s not a dumb guy – he knows how he looks on the field. It has to be tearing him up inside just how far he’s fallen.
I don’t see him getting to 500. He’s already in the HOF, he’ll call it a day.
The Trout milestones are heavily overshadowed by the “what could have been.” Hard to recognize anything about him getting to 400 home runs, should have done that in 2021. At the conclusion of 2019, he had 340 homers. 5.5 seasons later later….we wait. I for one will not get excited when he reaches his 400th unless it is a walk-off.
He has six years left so that’s 16 HR/yr.
he’s half way through a worst, big drop off season with 18 HR after missing a month.
He’ll clear 500 easily, but remains far from what he once was right now.
DH only moving forward?
my guess is we will see plenty more of him in the OF, starting some in August and September (mainly because he wants to be out there)
Good, he can get next yr’s injury out of the way this year
He must stay healthy for that to happen, count me in on the under
He’s entered the Pujols portion of his contract.
Well, that’s better than being in the “Rendon” phase…..
Yes, better than Rendon, which is something.
looking a bit more harder at Mike’s BRef this morning, most stats are similar to previous in this decade. He won’t be the player from 2012-2019 again.
First off, just being DH is costing a lot of previous value (-0.9 dWAR in 2025).
2024 Mike had a hot April, then got hurt so power looked good in 2024.
K% is basically flat for the decade. Lots of things are. But here are a few that jumped out:
This has been a big drop enough as it is in his game. Hope this is just a bad 100 games for power for his thirties. it happens, but I hope we see more thump.
Good info, thanks.
I wonder if he’s hitting more to RF because he’s a tick late more often now than before (i.e., bat speed) ???
A tick late – definitely fits the age decline hypothesis – it maybe shows how much being a bit late can cost you and where it costs you (ISO).
I’d like to see the bigger data set – especially with his peer group (ie. the best 200 players ever to play the game).
Play of the game was. Neto’s scoop to Zefejahn at 3rd. Recap incomplete without that mention and accompanying video.
Yeah I’d like to see that.
9 times out of 10 the pitcher would not have gotten there. Very heads up play and effort by Zeferjahn.
I just watched the highlights of the A’s pummeling of the Astros, Nick Kurtz, rookie for the A’s is a freak, 6 for 6 FOUR homers, 8 RBIs, double (just missed it being a homer) and a single. He’s 25 for his last 44 at bats. Unbelievable how good he is.
The Big Amish, a triple shy of the cycle, spoiled his last AB with a HR. He arrived 3-weeks after the season started, up to 59 RBIs, 23 knocks and .305 average, OPS/OBA are up there. Command of the strike zone as well.
Damn. son !!!
Can’t give him full credit since his last at-bat, his 4th HR, was against a position player
I think the stats will count but it does take the shine off of a 4-hr night
It’s not easy to hit a bomb against a guy throwing 80 MPH.
I remember Rendon’t did it LH
That,and hardly playing, are his two big accomplishments for the Angels, not in that order.
His 2020 was pretty bueno. A lot of previous unsuccessful big FA signings didn’t even have a good year. In 2020,
He also batted .270 with 24 homers in something like 350 plate appearances in 20222 – his final year.
IMHO Rendon was the Halos best player in 2020.
that position player gave up 4 runs on 5 hits in the 9th.
Very true, is hard to take a slow speed/eephus pitch deep, a hitter needs to generate all the power and the challenge is, not trying to do too much. Hummel was tossing like 75 mph. Kurtz is legit.
Kurtz – Wilson vs. Schanuel – Neto will be a good competition moving forward. I’m liking the A’s pair at the moment.
The next time we experience glory days as a franchise, it will be with Zach Neto leading us. He’s a star.
LTBU !
On this count. we agree.
Zach is easily our best ballplayer.
If they want to keep him healthy long term a move to 2nd base might, no? Less stress on that shoulder.
If that helps to reduce the shoulder stress then, yes. I don’t think we’re married to Christian Moore at 2B anyway. In fact, can Moore play 3rd?
Could’ve had Ethan Holliday at SS but Minasian decided to take a late first round guy with the #2 pick.
You mean the guy MLB scouts think will be too big for short and are projecting him to be at 3rd or corner outfielder when he gets to the MLB level?
He’ll be fine as long as he keeps up his strengthening exercises.
We wasted Trout. We wasted Ohtani. Let’s hope we don’t waste Neto…..
‘They’re all wasted!’
Wasting away in injury ridden Millville
Some people claim that there’s an OWNER to blame
Now I think, hell, it could be my fault
More pivotally, we wasted peak Rengifo.
Neto Walk off on bobble head night, incredible. Hope CTPG were here, got money’s worth tonight !!!!
But…
