It is weird. I was looking at the Angels record and they have been doing decently since the trade deadline. Way too late to make the playoffs and such but this is an improved team after selling. Even more than that, after the Maddux firing they have a winning record. That’s not supposed to happen.
What else isn’t supposed to happen is for the Angels to score a lot. The team has had so many games scoring 2 or fewer runs that I lost count. Yet somehow, they scored double digits today, first time since July 8th against Texas. I’m shocked. It was as if the hitting coach was fired and not the pitching coach.
Neto alone had 5 hits and 7 rbi. Moving to the cleanup spot was long overdue and it has paid off tremendously. Seriously, why did it take so long for that to happen? The most K-ed guy in Baseball hitting leadoff is nuts.
That is especially since he SP has been excellent this stretch. G-Rod went 7 innings giving up 2 runs (0 earned) on 5 hits striking out 6 and walking 2. Holy freaking crap this rotation is full of young GREAT arms!
What I am not happy about though is that Meckler got drilled in the head. Not on purpose but it was brutal to watch and he left the game.
Highlighted Recap
Meckler has been fun to watch and he stole 2nd in the first inning.
Angels scored first with a Neto single in the first.
While producing much better in the cleanup role, Neto is still getting thrown out on the bases as he gets caught stealing. Again.
It didn’t last as an error allowed the Astros to score in the bottom of the first.
A Wild pitch allows a 2nd run.
Luckily that was all the damage. And Grissom ties it up with a single in the 2nd.
The Angels score a 3rd run on a… Safety squeeze?! They pulled it off!
But wait, there’s more! Lowe scores a 4th run as he got past the catcher on a groundout after replay.
Even while losing, the Astros anger me as Varsho ran down a the ball to make a great catch in the 3rd.
Didn’t matter as the Angels scored again in the 4th thanks to a Frazier double!
Things were getting fun, but the Astros somehow made another defensive play with the bases loaded this time.
No matter, as Neto drove in a run anyway.
Everyone was getting involved now, even Ball who put the bat on the Ball and drove 2 more.
Grissom kept the ball rolling with a 2 run double and the Angels have hung 10.
It wasn’t all fun, as the Astros hit Meckler in the head in the 5th forcing him to leave the game.
The Angels almost NOBLETIGER ( “No Outs, Bases Loaded, Ending with Team Incapable of Getting Easy Run.”) but Nolan beat the pitcher to first for an rbi fielder’s choice
So of course this means the next guy gets a home run and that will be Neto!
Neto was not done on the day as he drove in 2 more in the 7th!
G-Rod went 7 innings and Weiman came in for the 8th, keeping the Astros at bay.
Houston resorted to a position player pitching in the 9th and Guzman put one in the stands.
With a 2 score lead (heh) the Angels kept Weiman in to get through the 9th as well. Sadly he gave up a sac fly so I had to change the title.
Oh well. Angels win anyway.
Upcoming
That’s it vs the Astros this season. 6-7 against them this season. Still haven’t won a season series against the Astros since 2020. Last games vs Texas starting tomorrow. Angels already won the season series against them.
