That’s not how you want to finish a series. On a day where the Orioles win, the Twins lose and the Yankees are about to go against the Red Sox, you would want to also be able to add in “the Rangers lost”. Because if it’s not that addendum, then it’ll be “the Angels lost”. Someone is going to gain a tiny bit of ground, and ground is at a high premium right now.
The Halos had to come back strong last night, and today, after the pitching allowed four home runs to the Rangers, including two from Elvis Andrus, they’d find themselves back in that same precarious spot; standing on the brink of the end of the world, but also with a chance to change the game in the 11th hour.
By 11th hour, I mean ninth inning, when the Angels, down 7-3, mounted yet another unthinkable rally, all set in motion by some walks and a Mike Trout double. The bases were now loaded, and Albert Pujols was up, and they had NO outs on the board. The time was upon the Halos, the comeback time.
Pujols popped up, but Andrelton Simmons picked him up by hitting a two-run double, getting the Angels withing a 7-5 deficit. Up next was C.J. Cron, who was the hero of last night’s game, and today already had two RBI, sticking to his torrid rate of production as of late. He would K on this AB, though, but he’d be followed by an IBB of Kole Calhoun that loaded up the bases with two down.
Kaleb Cowart, if he can’t be a hero with the bat, he’ll be a hero by not swinging the bat, and getting a bases-loaded BB, making it 7-6 Rangers, with bases still jacked and two down for the Angels. One run, that’s all they needed. Luis Valbuena, already 0-1 on the day, would give it a go, but his go would be a fielder’s choice that ended the game, the epic rally drowned out, fizzling in the sun in Globe Life.
Last night, we saw what happens when everything clicks into place, and there’s magic in the air. Today, we saw what happens when lots of stuff goes wrong, but the Angels still make it a close, nail-biter of a contest and almost pull of the unbelievable...again. It’s dangerous and hopeless to depend on lightning striking in the same spot over and over again, but this team has made us greedy and taking their knack for the unimaginable for granted.
The Angels lost 7-6 today, but it was close. Maybe next time we’ll see magic again. Probably.