OC Register: Angels’ losing streak reaches five against Mariners

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM ― The Angels had not seen Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby since April 3, when the young right-hander made his first start of 2023. Kirby was not sharp that day. He allowed four runs in 4 ⅓ innings, and the Angels won.

That was a long 124 days ago. The Angels have since lost four of the nine players in their starting lineup that day to the injured list. Another is no longer in the organization. The lineup that Kirby faced Saturday was rebuilt on the fly, and the result was very different.

Kirby allowed only three hits and one run in seven innings as the Angels lost 3-2 to Seattle before an announced crowd of 35,318 at Angel Stadium. After getting swept in a three-game series in Atlanta, the Angels have now lost consecutive home games to a team immediately ahead of them in both the wild card and American League West standings.

Only Sunday’s game against the Mariners (59-52) stands between the Angels (55-55) and a second consecutive series sweep.

The Angels find themselves back at .500 for the 14th time this season, 9 ½ games back in the division, and 6 games back in the wild card race.

Kirby outshone a solid outing by Angels starter Tyler Anderson (5-3), who lost despite allowing only two runs in five innings. Both runs came on a double by Julio Rodriguez that hit off the top of the left-field wall in the third inning.

The Angels got their only run off Kirby in the bottom of the third inning on a solo home run by Randal Grichuk. It was Grichuk’s fourth career homer in Angel Stadium, and his first as a member of the team that selected him in the first round of the 2009 draft.

C.J. Cron saw his 14-game hitting streak come to an end when Mariners pitcher Andres Muñoz walked him in the ninth inning. The next batter, Mike Moustakas, roped a single into right field, bringing Brandon Drury to the plate as the potential game-winning run.

Drury did his job, belting a double to left field to score Cron with the Angels’ second run of the night. But pinch runner Andrew Velazquez was forced to stop at third base when the ball hopped over the fence, a ground-rule double. Had the ball remained in the field of play, Velazquez would have scored easily.

Instead, Hunter Renfroe batted with runners on second and third and two outs. Muñoz struck him out on four pitches, all fastballs, ending the game.

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[TroutField]

I don’t know what else to say, this is a crazy run of bad luck. Can’t even say it’s bad baseball, everything and I mean everything has gone wrong in the last 5 games. Down to a double taking a bad bounce and hopping over the wall so the mariners can win it…. Splitting wasn’t good enough… Losing 3/4 and potentially getting swept ended he angels season. Fuck Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais. 
 

I really hate being a fan of this team. 

[jsnpritchett]

It's bad luck, it's injuries, it's this, it's that, blah, blah, blah.  Excuse after excuse.  I guess the Mariners had "bad luck" with the ball that Rodriguez hit off the top of the wall that bounced back in play, too, huh? Oh, right, everyone forgot about that one now, because it doesn't fit the narrative. 

 

 

[TroutField]

1 minute ago, jsnpritchett said:

It's bad luck, it's injuries, it's this, it's that, blah, blah, blah.  Excuse after excuse.  I guess the Mariners had "bad luck" with the ball that Rodriguez hit off the top of the wall that bounced back in play, too, huh? Oh, right, everyone forgot about that one now, because it doesn't fit the narrative. 

 

 

Wahhh

[jsnpritchett]

Just now, TroutField said:

Wahhh

I'd say the "wahhh" is better suited for people who talk about things like bad luck, curses, and the like. 

[TroutField]

1 minute ago, jsnpritchett said:

I'd say the "wahhh" is better suited for people who talk about things like bad luck, curses, and the like. 

Whatever you say. Just sounds like a bitch fest to me lol 

[jsnpritchett]

3 minutes ago, TroutField said:

Whatever you say. Just sounds like a bitch fest to me lol 

Yes, I agree that your posts sound like a bitch fest.

[TroutField]

5 minutes ago, jsnpritchett said:

Yes, I agree that your posts sound like a bitch fest.

It’s an angels board and we have lost 5 straight, what’s positive to talk about and how are my posts bitching, yet yours aren’t lol? You’re the one crying saying we have no excuses… look at the injured list for the Angels vs the Mariners. That’s not an excuse, it’s a proven fact you can’t win with AAA depth..

 

we have an entire major league starting 9 on the injured list, the only person of value the mariners have lost is Kelenic. 

[jsnpritchett]

Just now, TroutField said:

It’s an angels board and we have lost 5 straight, what’s positive to talk about and how are my posts bitching, yet yours aren’t lol? You’re the one crying saying we have no excuses… look at the injured list for the Angels vs the Mariners. That’s not an excuse, it’s a proven fact you can’t win with AAA depth..

 

we have an entire major league starting 9 on the injured list, the only person of value the mariners have lost is Kelenic. 

Oh, I'm definitely venting.  I'm not taking any of our back-and-forth seriously, btw. Just letting off steam. 

 

[TroutField]

1 minute ago, jsnpritchett said:

Oh, I'm definitely venting.  I'm not taking any of our back-and-forth seriously, btw. Just letting off steam. 

 

I get it, I’m super pissed too… it’s so frustrating. 
 

I don’t even know what to do anymore, I’m sure next season I’ll come crawling back but I’m seriously considering taking a year off of baseball. The constant disappointment is starting to affect my mood and it shouldn’t be like that. 

[ukyah]

22 minutes ago, TroutField said:

Whatever you say. Just sounds like a bitch fest to me lol 

 

the answer about luck is in the original post. the angels reached .500 for the 14 time this season, and that number will rise as they ping pong around it for the rest of the year. they are as they have been for seven seasons, the definition of mediocrity. i just can't believe they've had a decade of bad luck.

[ukyah]

8 minutes ago, TroutField said:

I get it, I’m super pissed too… it’s so frustrating. 
 

I don’t even know what to do anymore, I’m sure next season I’ll come crawling back but I’m seriously considering taking a year off of baseball. The constant disappointment is starting to affect my mood and it shouldn’t be like that. 

best thing i ever did was divorce myself from truly caring about sports. i abandoned any real connection emotionally and now i watch or follow sports as a fan of the game. do i wish the angels were an organization i could really admire? sure, but they aren't. 

it's like disconnecting emotionally from a sibling you're not proud of. they're there still, but they're not empowered anymore. you may wish it were better, but it doesn't alter your moods.

[Angelsjunky]

Hard to believe this team was once 41-33. June 18, I think? High point of the season, in terms of win%. Anyhow, they're 15-23 since then.

But hey, Minasian tried! Right?

 

[PattyD22]

8 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Hard to believe this team was once 41-33. June 18, I think? High point of the season, in terms of win%. Anyhow, they're 15-23 since then.

But hey, Minasian tried! Right?

 

Maybe Perry walked under a ladder or had a black cat cross his path?  I mean how else can you explain this run of bad luck the last 38 games?

Lost lucky rabbit foot?  I just can’t figure it out.

[jsnpritchett]

Just now, PattyD22 said:

Maybe Perry walked under a ladder or had a black cat cross his path?  I mean how else can you explain this run of bad luck the last 38 games?

Lost lucky rabbit foot?  I just can’t figure it out.

I can: the players they're running out there right now aren't very good. 

[fan_since79]

It's a patchwork lineup of guys who haven't played together much due to the unusual number of injuries. Out of sync. Coaching and training staff are not the best either. A mess.

I understand Atlanta uses the same lineup basically most every night, except for the backup catcher inserted now and then. That's what I heard.

[Docwaukee]