It’s Star Wars Weekend so away we go!
Inning #1
Patrick Sandoval retired the first three Twins in order. Mike Trout lined out to the shortstop while Nolan Schanuel grounded out to the shortstop. Taylor Ward flied out to left.
Inning #2
Jose Miranda grounded out to short. Carlos Santana hit a solo homer to make it 1-0 Twins. Austin Martin struck swinging at the changeup. Christian Vasquez grounded to short for a close out. At least it was an out. Miguel Sano struck out looking. Brandon Drury popped out to the catcher. Jo Adell flied out to shallow left center.
Inning #3
Kyle Farmer flied out to center but Willi Castro bounced one through to center on the ground for a hit. He reached second on an error by Sandoval on a pick off toss. Ryan Jeffers grounded out to third. Castro had to hold at second, obviously. Byron Buxton bounced one through the infield to left for an RBI hit. He reached second on the throw. 2-0 Minnesota. Manuel Margot grounded out to short.
Logan O’Hoppe hit a fly ball out to left. Luis Rengifo struck out swinging. Zach Neto struck out swinging.
Inning #4
Jose Miranda singled to right. Carlos Santana hit into a double play. Austin Martin grounded out to Zach Neto. Mike Trout walked. Mike Trout was caught stealing while Nolan Schanuel was at the plate and then Schanuel walked. Taylor Ward flied out to right. Miguel Sano struck out swinging.
Inning #5
Christian Vasquez singled with a line drive to center. Kyle Farmer grounded into a double play. Willi Castro doubled, unfortunately. Ryan Jeffers singled to left, driving in Castro. 3-0 Twins. Byron Buxton struck out. Brandon Drury lined out to third. Jo Adell flied out to left. Logan O’Hoppe struck out swinging.
Inning #6
Manuel Margot flied out to center. Jose Miranda doubled to right field to bring up Carlos Santana. Miranda made it to third on a passed ball by Logan O’Hoppe. Santana singled to center off of Rengifo’s glove. 4-0 Twins. Austin Martin flied out to Mike Trout in right center field. Jose Cisnero came in to face Christian Vasquez. Sandoval had basically made it up to the 100 pitch mark. Vasquez struck out.
Luis Rengifo singled on a fly ball to center. Zach Neto doubled to center and Rengifo made it to third. Mike Trout struck out swinging. Nolan Schanuel grounded out to short but scored Rengifo. 4-1 Twins.
Taylor Ward got a bunch of crappy cutters and walked. Ehire Adrianza pinch hit for Miguel Sano and promptly struck out.
Inning #7
The hit parade continued. Kyle Farmer doubled. Willi Castro struck out. Ryan Jeffers grounded out to first but drove Farmer over to third base. Hunter Strickland came in to face Byron Buxton. Buxton popped out to O’Hoppe in foul territory.
Brandon Drury grounded out to third. Jo Adell struck out on three pitches. Logan O’Hoppe lined out to left on the first pitch he saw. That was quick.
Inning #8
Max Kepler came in to pinch hit for Manuel Margot and reached base on a fielding error by Nolan Schanuel. Jose Miranda flied out to center. Carlos Santana grounded to second for a double play. Luis Rengifo grounded out to first. Zach Neto doubled to left field for the Angels third hit of the day. Matt Bowman came in to replace Bailey Ober on the mound. Mike Trout walked on four pitches. Nolan Schanuel singled to left and scored Zach Neto. 4-2 Twins.
Taylor Ward struck out looking. Ehire Adrianza also struck out looking.
Inning #9
Matt Moore came in to replace Hunter Strickland on the mound. Austin Martin walked. Christian Vasquez lined out to right. Some dude named Eduard Julien pinch hit for Kyle Farmer and Austin Martin stole second. Julien walked. Willi Castro doubled to left and drove in Austin Martin. 5-2 Twins. Ryan Jeffers got hit by a pitch to load the bases for Byron Buxton. Buxton grounded into a force out at home plate. Thankfully, Max Kepler lined out to center field.
Brandon Drury came up with the Angels down by three and only three outs remaining in the game. He flied out to center. Jo Adell walked. Logan O’Hoppe hit into a force out. Luis Rengifo also walked. Caleb Thielbar replaced Matt Bowman on the mound. Zach Neto singled to right to drive in a run. 5-3 Twins.
Mike Trout grounded out to third to end the game.
The Angels got five hit tonight and struck out ten times on their way to dropping game one of Star Wars Weekend. Zach Neto alone was responsible for three out of those five hits. May the force outs be with you.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
I will continue to root for the Angels. I think Washington has brought a helpful approach. But things are looking bleak anyway.
The injury to Rendon takes a quality hitter that works counts out of the lineup. Ouch. Moniak is reeling. Adell has some talent but still has trouble knowing how to use it. Schanuel is slowly trying to find himself. Hicks has been lousy. Drury has been hurt and thus is not good presently.
That leaves: Neto, O’Hoppe, Trout, Ward and maybe Thaiss. Sano is a wildcard that hasn’t been lousy but isn’t good either.
So the hitting is bad. Add to that the pitching:
Sandoval — a mediocre fifth starter type
Silseth — MIA
Soriano- a couple good starts but I don’t believe yet
Anderson — started well but doesn’t throw strikes enough to be a quality control pitcher longterm
Canning — struggled early, getting better hopefully; a number four starter on a bad team
Detmers — the one decent starting pitcher on the roster; he only throws every fifth day though and won’t be perfect even then
Bullpen- the loss of Stephenson is crushing; Estevez is ok; Garcia is old and has been better than imagined; everyone else is basically replacement level except maybe Moore who had his pitching hand hit with a ball.
Looks like last place in the division. Maybe beat out the As for 4th.
For next year, we need 1 or 2 starters, some additional relievers, run producing corner infielders, a 2B, and a DH, assuming Adell can become an everyday RF. It’s possible that Schanuel becomes an answer at 1B, but otherwise it appears the solutions are not on the current roster.
Yes — essentially we need a new team!!
Not quite but almost. We may not need an OF and we don’t need a SS or C but the rest of the infield and DH are definite holes. I hope Rendon retires. he’s already made over $200M.
I know it’s early, but the Ron Washington era seems very similar to the previous ones, with a bit of running mixed in. The misuse of the bullpen seems very similar, as does the lack of hitting, and the mediocre at best starting pitching. I am sympathetic in that management gave him a very limited roster.
I believe Wash has more leadership competence than Nevin and Asmus combined.
The fact remains that Wash could theoretically get higher performance from all players on the roster and it still won’t move the win/loss needle enough to have the team compete for a wildcard spot. “15 WAR” be damned.
Arte won’t approve the necessary rebuild, which means this is as good as it gets for the foreseeable future.
My thoughts exactly.
Anthony Rendon games played in an Angels’ uniform:
2020 (60 game season): 52
2021: 58
2022: 47
2023: 43
2024: 19
Assuming he doesn’t play again in 2024, that means he will have played in 31% of the total games possible in a 5-year span.
5 years, $175 million = 3.4 WAR in 219 games.
Brutal.
The fact that he was injured again should not be a surprise. The dude is not in prime “play every other day” shape as he’s been sitting for the last three years. The fact he tore a muscle is no different than any out of shape player trying to go full speed.
I’ll refrain from bashing him any further because my opinion has been well established.
That contract has done irreparable damage to this franchise.
Irreparable damage? It just seems that way
I like to imagine a world where the Troutani era is different without Rendone.
For as long as Arte stays the owner, he will refuse to shell out anything close to a mega-FA deal after seeing the return from his $245 million investment.
Well said.
Wash is reading my mind. Don’t even think about hitting HRs Mike if you can’t even hit a single in these situations.
I’m glad Wash has been consistently calling out Mike. I love Trout, still think he’s the GOAT, but maybe years and years of being coddled with little to zero accountability did change him a bit. It’s time to go back to basics, Mike. Shorten up that swing.
I don’t see this as a call for accountability, more like a little league coach telling one of the kids to relax.
What was his excuse when Ohtani was here to share the load? He’s 32 years old and been in the league for 11 years. If he doesn’t know this stuff by now, there’s really something wrong with his baseball IQ.
I say he needs glasses.
Today’s hopium is they win for the meet-up tonight!!
we’re behind Oakland now, in 4th.
Thankful for Astros slow start or we would be in last. Give it a few weeks and a series against Astros and we probably will be last place the way this team can’t seem to get it together.
Asstros wont be in last place on September 30th…but we might be.
Asstros wont be in last place on September 30th…but we
mightwill be.That’s three games Trout has had a chance to win or tie in the 9th.
He’s k’d twice and grounded out on the first pitch tonight.
Also k’d with runners or first and third, no outs, in the 6th tonight.
Yikes, missed the game but I guess I did not miss much.
Sandoval giving up 9-hits in less than 6-innings, poor.
I gave them a hard time for their hitting, but at least the Angels drew a ton of walks tonight.
I don’t think you can walk to the World Series. You gotta hit your way there.
Since you can’t really win 3/10ths of a game, that 62.3 win pace would be 62 and that means 100 losses. That’s where we’re headed
This team always finds a new way to disappoint, although Trout choking is really nothing new.
I hope they Heimlich Trout in the dugout.