Angels return to their losing ways, falling 5-3 to Blue Jays in series opener

Angels 3 Blue Jays 5

The scoreboard on this series opener in Toronto makes it look like a closer game than this really was, and that’s mainly because this sucker was cooked in the first inning and after that, the Angels were just playing a futile game of catch up. The Blue Jays posted all five of their runs in the bottom of the first inning, off of Halos hurler Garrett Richards, and they would just have to hold that ground the rest of the night in order to pick up the W and hand the Angels yet another loss.

Richards got a so-so 5.0 innings pitched in this match-up, giving up six hits and those five first-inning runs, plus he struck out four batters to his two walks given up. It’s not the type of start that’s going to turn any heads, and that’s putting it kindly. After that first frame, however, he did shut down Toronto, more or less. He worked out of a couple tight spots, and showed some flashes of dominance here and there. Those flashes were just too few and too far between.

Of course, even if Richards had been more lights out in Rogers Centre this evening, the offense still didn’t burn down the stat sheet, not by a long shot. They got three runs off of four hits against Blue Jays vet J.A. Happ, making the quiet bats of our beloved Halos the disappointing storyline once again.

They had a nice slump buster on Sunday against the Rays, but tonight it was back to their loser ways, which we’ve seen way, way, way too much of lately. It’s beginning to get worrisome, or perhaps just downright terrifying. It’s early? Yeah? No? Damn it. Turn the page.