How we could still make the playoffs

[fan_since79]

Win 41 of our final 52 games for a total of 92. That should be enough for the second wild card.

 

Here's how we could do it:

 

Sweep the 12 games with Houston, Toronto, and Milwaukee.

Sweep one of the two series with Seattle and win the other.

Win every other series. 

Win the makeup game with Minnesota.

 

Of course, there are other combinations. If we sweep a series against TB, Cleveland, Texas, or Oakland, we could lose another series and break even.

 

 

In order to have even a fleeting chance to do those things, much if not all of the following needs to happen:

 

Calhoun has to play every day and continue where he left off in AAA.

Trout has to have a very good August/September.

Bourjos has to come back strong and get on base often. He could be just the spark plug we desperately need at the top of the order.

Hamilton has to suddenly rediscover the major league hitting zone and act accordingly. He's a key player here. He can carry a team for weeks at a time.

Aybar and Kendrick need to hit close to .300

Trumbo. See Hamilton, above. He's also a key bat who can win games with his power.

 

Weaver and Wilson need to step up and carry this rotation.

Vargas needs to come back ASAP and win, win, win!

Hanson needs to have the best two months of his career.

Richards needs to show us that he has arrived as an excellent young starter.

 

The bullpen has to be lights out from here on. No more blown saves in the 9th inning.

 

We have tremendous potential on paper. If everything goes right, we could go on a tear and at least have a fighting chance.

 

 

 

 

[Angelsjunky]

I appreciate you holding on to that last, vaporous thread of hope, but...its going to be too little, too late. I mean, it would be super epic, but we can't really hope for 41-11 the rest of the way. To be honest, I'm not even sure if any team has ever won 40 of their last 50 games. First time for everything!

 

That said, I do think the Angels are going to play well for the rest of the year. I predict 29-23, to finish the year at 80-82.

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

That seems very realistic.

[stevestevens]

I was pumped about your post until you said the bullpen has to be lights out and realized it is not meant to be. Then I remembered that we signed dwill and Jason urquidez and now i really think we are going to do this!!!

[Taylor]

fan_since79 has great bedside manner.

[The God of Runs]

It's not whether you win or lose.  It's how you play the game

[JAHV76]

The Angels will need some divine intervention for this to happen.

[Homebrewer]

A five team mid-air plane crash.
Hey, it could happen.

[tomsred]

Accept misfortune as a blessing.
Do not wish for a perfect season, or a team
without problems.
What would you talk about?

[Troll Daddy]

If you feel so strongly about it ... put your money were your mouth is and you'll make a bundle.

 

On a serious note, the team technically still has a 1.1% chance of making the playoffs.

[Season Over]

Maybe if a new bullpen descends from heaven and half the American League gets ebola.

[ten ocho recon scout]

I opened this pretty much expecting to see the end of godfather where everyone gets knocked off while al pacino is at his kids baptism.

But it would be other teams, not moe green. The heads of the 5 other divisions.

[stormngt]

I was pumped about your post until you said the bullpen has to be lights out and realized it is not meant to be. Then I remembered that we signed dwill and Jason urquidez and now i really think we are going to do this!!!

We would be 12-3 out of the all star break with a 8 game winning streak and in the thick of the race right now if the bullpen was lights out!  We would be four games back right now if we had we had a lights out bullpen!  Fact is we don't have a lights out bullpen!

[VariousCrap]

How we could still make the playoffs

 

 

 

 

       

[AZMike]

That would be one of the most epic comebacks ever. 

 

...after which point we would promptly lose the wildcard game.

[HaloMagic]

I was just going to say. If the A's plane crashed into the Ranger's we are guaranteed!

Honestly, do you think this team could beat their minor league replacements?

[FireThemAll]

We'll get swept by the Rangers so we no longer have to worry about playoffs.

[AZMike]

We'll get swept by the Rangers so we no longer have to worry about playoffs.

you don't think we'll win at least one game ... *looks up upcoming pitchers* ... with Williams, Richards or Hanson starting?  

[EcksteinSpawn]

I seem to a remember a thread like this in late May where "all we had to do to get to .500 was take 5/6 from the Cubs and Astros" and we went 1-5. I love the optimism but have almost no faith in this team to pull it off.

[AZMike]

I seem to a remember a thread like this in late May where "all we had to do to get to .500 was take 5/6 from the Cubs and Astros" and we went 1-5. I love the optimism but have almost no faith in this team to pull it off.

The Angels got swept in a four-game series by the f'n Astros. 

 

This season I didn't let myself get "buttercupped" into believing in this team like I did over and over in 2012 

[Homebrewer]

I seem to a remember a thread like this in late May where "all we had to do to get to .500 was take 5/6 from the Cubs and Astros" and we went 1-5. I love the optimism but have almost no faith in this team to pull it off.

"almost no faith" says you still actually think a chance exists.

[HaloRed16]

The problem is, they find every which way to lose while the lineup gives in of turning average pitchers into Cy Young award winners.  Then there's Trumbo who follows great AB's with horrible ones.  And did I forget Hamilton.  So far a bust who's had to ride the pine for LHP's most of the season.  The bullpen has good arms.  Only, they throw, don't pitch, and blow leads late in the game. 

 

Always appreciate optimism but, it's not going to reset if I push it again.  Will keep watching, though.        

[OregonLAA]

Hamilton and Trumbo need to sit if this is all going to happen

[fan_since79]

Bourjos  LF

Shuck  1B

Calhoun  RF

Trout  CF

Conger  C

Nelson 3B

Aybar SS

Cowgill  DH

Field  2B

 

Why not?

[EDinTUSTIN]

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LOL