Angels lose series finale to Twins 3-2 thanks to Ricky Nolasco doing very Ricky Nolasco things

Angels 2 Twins 3

Well, Halos fans, if your plan was to have a weekend full of Angels baseball, and your enjoyment was predicated around Albert Pujols hitting his historic home run #600, then congratulations. Right now, you feel like a million bucks, I’m sure, because we had that 600 party last night, thanks to that gorgeous grand salami from The Machine.

If your happiness and satisfaction levels on Sunday night were going to be dependent upon the quality of baseball, and ultimate outcomes, you saw from your cherished Angels on Friday and Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, then you, my friend, are S.O.L.

Sure, last night was a big triumph for Albert Pujols and the Angels lineup, as well as Matt Shoemaker on the hill, but that was juxtaposed against Friday, where J.C. Ramirez gave up three 2-run homers en route to an ugly 11-5 defeat; not to mention the 4-2 series opener the Twins won on Thursday. So all the festivities and joy we drank in deep last night were slightly overshadowing the fact that the Angels, on Sunday, would be fighting for a series split, at best.

So for those fans for whom Pujols’ gigantic achievement and subsequent celebrations and displays of joy at the Big A were not enough to satiate their weekend baseball fix, Sunday’s series finale would provide no comfort or safe purchase. No, Sunday, to really nobody’s surprise, went just like Thursday and Friday.

That is to say the Twins got the better of the Angels, with a score of 3-2, thus taking the series and sending many fans home with frowns on their faces. But hey...we’ll always have that Pujols grand slam! Just keep thinking about that dinger, if you want my advice.

Today’s game was one that the Angels could have walked away with, but the margin of error was too slim for the good guys today, as they would get just six hits off of Minnesota starter Jose Berrios in six innings against him, and then just one more hit from the 7th through 9th. They put two runs up on the board, both underwhelming: One was on a Andrelton Simmons GDP, and the other was a Ben Revere RBI single.

That Revere single, though, was a go-ahead knock in the fourth, giving the Angels a 2-1 lead. It would be the only lead they’d have in this game. Would it surprise and/or shock you if I told you that this game came down to some home runs given up by Ricky Nolasco? No? OK, good. Then you’ve been paying attention.

Yep, Jason Castro homered off of Halos starter Ricky Nolasco in the third, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead, but that was quickly tied up and then taken away by the aforementioned Simmons and Revere RBIs. So, with a 2-1 lead, and the Angels’ lineup fizzling out, Nolasco gave up a two-run dinger to Miguel Sano in the top of the sixth.

That Sano homer put the Twins up 3-2, and the game was won right then and there. Today was one of those days where there wasn’t a ton of offense on display from either team, but those games will tend to slip away every single time if your guy on the mound is giving up multiple homers. That’s just the nature of the Nolasco beast; you’ve got to be resigned to the fact that he’s going to allow some bombs, it’s just a matter of the offense being able to neutralize and negate those bombs.

Today, there was no neutralizing or negating. There was just some boring ol’ losing. Another series loss, and this team continues to frustrate. Here’s a tip, though, Halos fans: Do not look at the upcoming schedule. It may only serve to bum you out even more.