OC Register: Angels on the verge of elimination after loss to White Sox

[AngelsWin.com]

• Chicago White Sox’s Yolmer Sanchez (5) slides safely into second base as Los Angeles Angels second baseman Brandon Phillips (4) can’t make the catch during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco (47) delivers against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Chicago White Sox starting pitcher James Shields (33) delivers against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Chicago White Sox’s Yolmer Sanchez (5) slides safely into second base as Los Angeles Angels second baseman Brandon Phillips (4) can’t make the catch during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Chicago White Sox’s Yolmer Sanchez (5) slides safely into second base as Los Angeles Angels second baseman Brandon Phillips (4) can’t make the catch on the ball during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Chicago White Sox’s Yolmer Sanchez, right, is tagged out at home plate by Los Angeles Angels catcher Martin Maldonado during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Chicago White Sox’s Yolmer Sanchez, right, is tagged out at home plate by Los Angeles Angels catcher Martin Maldonado, left, during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Chicago White Sox’s Nicky Delmonico (30) hits a two-run double against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Martin Maldonado (12) hits a one-run single against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Andrelton Simmons (2) scores against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Martin Maldonado (12) after he hit an RBI single against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Chicago White Sox’s Avisail Garcia (26) scores against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout (27) watches his home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout (27) claps after his home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout (27) points after his home run as Chicago White Sox catcher Omar Narvaez (38) looks on during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, right, hugs Luis Valbuena (18) after his home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout (27) celebrates in the dugout after his home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Chicago on Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

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CHICAGO — Finally done with a brutal stretch of games against the two best teams in the American League, the Angels faced the rebuilding Chicago White Sox, in their hitter-friendly park, with a struggling veteran on the mound.

Seemingly primed for a good offensive night to begin the desperate final-week push for the playoffs, the Angels instead lost, 4-2, to the White Sox on Monday night.

Because the Minnesota Twins had the night off, the Angels lost just a half game. They are now five games out with six to play, on the verge of making vacation plans.

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For much of the night, the Angels went quietly, fitting with the atmosphere in front of announced crowd of 13,443.

Their best moment was Mike Trout’s 30th homer of the season, in the fifth inning. Trout reached the plateau for the fourth time in his six full seasons. (He hit 27 and 29 in the other two.) He is one of 10 players to have four 30-homer seasons before their age-26 season.

The White Sox announced the homer at 457 feet, which would make it tied for the fifth longest homer of Trout’s career.

Otherwise, the Angels managed just one other run and three other hits in seven innings against James Shields, who carried a 5.40 ERA into the game.

Facing Shields and the White Sox should have been a relief for a team that had just played nine games in two weeks against the Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros, who have the top two records in the league.

Angels starter Ricky Nolasco, who has had plenty of his own problems this season, was a victim of poor support, offensively and defensively.

Of the four runs he allowed in five-plus innings, three were the result of defensive plays the Angels didn’t make.

In the first, Andrelton Simmons made a bad throw to try to get a force at second and the ball sailed into the outfield. The White Sox then scored a pair of two-out runs on a Nicky Delmonico double.

In the third, Avisail Garcia hit a line drive to left field. Justin Upton slid to try to catch it, but the ball got by him, for a triple. It was ruled a triple, but according to Statcast data similar balls are caught 41 percent of the time. Garcia then scored on a sacrifice fly, putting the White Sox up, 3-1.

More to come on this story.

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