Same stuff, different day. On Wednesday, for what feels like the 20th time this season, the Angels produced: a starting pitcher that couldn’t reach the sixth inning; an offense that couldn’t muster more than a few stray hits; and a relief corps that pitched far better than it had any right to. Unfortunately this formula always leads to a loss, no matter how hard the bullpen tries.
So it was Wednesday, as the Angels dropped their fifth straight game and their ninth in the last eleven. They now sit alone in last place in the AL West at 13–20, saved from the embarrassment of being the league’s worst team only by the grace of the lowly Minnesota Twins (8–25), who you will remember swept the Halos just a few weeks ago. Can’t be a lot of fun in the Angels clubhouse right now.
Run Expectancy Rundown
Another weak performance from the Angels offense. The team OPS, which was already pretty low, has now dropped in five straight games. C.J. Cron was the only player to provide any pop, hitting just his second home run of the year. Geovany Soto added a double, while Kole Calhoun and Albert Pujols each singled once. That was it. The Angels brought the tying run to the plate in both the seventh and ninth, but failed to capitalize. Mike Trout went 0-for-4 and tallied his first GIDP on the year.
The Cards offense did most of its work in the second, notching a walk and four singles to start off the inning. Randal Grichuk, Stephen Piscotty, and Yadier Molina all had two-hit nights.
Starting Pitcher Scores
Matt Shoemaker turned in his third-best start of the season and his terrible earned-run average still dropped only three hundredths of a point, from 9.15 to 9.12. That’s how badly things have gone for the Cobbler this year. He didn’t give up any homers Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean St. Louis wasn’t hitting the ball hard.
Jaime Garcia was masterful in his seven innings of work, allowing just four hits, two unearned runs, and striking out eight. Sometimes, you really do have to just tip your cap.
Bullpen Battle
The Angels bullpen turned in another successful performance, allowing a run on just two hits in five innings of work. If only they had a starting pitcher who could do that. Greg Mahle gets docked with the run even though Cam Bedrosian gave up the hit that scored it. Mike Morin’s scoreless streak extended to 12 appearances.
Game Flow
C.J. Cron cut the deficit in half in the fourth, but the Angels couldn’t get any closer than that.
Angel Antagonist
Not even five innings? C’mon, Matt.
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