Angels continue to be slump-busters and drop the series opener to the (previously) struggling Blue Jays

Angels 2 Blue Jays 7

If the Angels played a game in a forest and didn't score any runs, would anyone care?

It's getting harder and harder to watch the Angels this year and while we will probably miss them come October, many are asking - is it worth the pain to continue watching?  Yet we do.  Judging by the empty seats in the stands, fans are sure starting to bail. Let's face it, not all fans are with the Angels through thick and thin and many of them want to watch a winning team.  This is not that team.

When you have something bad coming you are supposed to cushion the blow with something positive right?  Well, Daniel Wright had a pretty decent game tonight.  He pitched a strong (and boring) first three innings and kept going to allow only 2 runs through 5 innings.  The wheels fell off when he walked the first batter in the 6th and was pulled for Jose "Exxon" Valdez.  Whenever Valdez is around, a disaster may soon follow - and it did.

Valdez walked Jose Bautista after setting Edwin Encarnacion down on strikes, then followed up his walk by giving up a  homerun to Russell Martin.  The Jays were up 5-0 and by the 6th inning had already scored more runs in any games since Sunday.  One thing the Angels have been good at this year is helping teams bust out of their slumps and tonight was no exception.

It sure didn't help that J.A. Happ happened to have his good stuff tonight.  Or was that just the Angels lack of ability to hit in general?   He only allowed 2 hits through the first 6 innings but the Angels finally struck back when Blue Jays 3rd baseman Darwin Barney allowed ball through his legs in bottom of 7th and Andrelton Simmons followed that with a 2-run homer, sending Happ to the dugout for the rest of the night.

Not much matter after that for the Angels, despite a very short attempt at a rally in the bottom of the 8th.  (briefly) former Angels Jason Grilli shut down that rally.  The Blue Jays and Deolis Guerra managed to drag on the top of the 9th for what seemed like an hour before the inevitable Angels loss finally happened a few minutes later when the Halos went down three in a row to end the game.

Cory Rasmus was back from the DL and pitched a 1-2-3 inning, Mike Trout got robbed twice of an extra bases hit by Jose Bautista, Daniel Wright only gave up 4 hits over 5 innings, and the Angels have lost 8 of their last 9 games.