The top 10 team hit parades of the Mike Trout era (Part I, 10-6)

The last 7 years have been dotted with fantastic Angels routs and comebacks. Here is part one of the most important hit parades since the Greatest of All Time received his cup of coffee. Below are the box scores, links to the Halos Heaven post-game articles from that day, and summaries of the awesomeness that transpired. Take a visit down memory lane and relive our most glorious victories.

[Clicking the date hyperlinks will redirect you to the Baseball-Reference page for that game.]

10. May 30, 2017 - The Braves’ Comedy of Errors

Halos Heaven Post-Game

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of seeing your team take full advantage of multiple fielding gaffes. When a team commits three errors and two mental gaffes in the same inning, it gets kind of ridiculous.

The Angels put up a 9-spot in the 3rd inning, thanks to the adventures of a Simmons-less Atlanta defense. I could give you an exact breakdown of the plate appearances, but it doesn’t do it the same justice as this golden tweet by Justin Russo.

Brian Snitker’s face is the gift that keeps on giving.

T-8. June 19, 2015 and September 2, 2015 - The Sonny Gray Collapses

Halos Heaven Post-Game

Halos Heaven Post-Game

It is worth considering that going into the second of these two games, Sonny Gray was the AL ERA leader at 2.07. This was a season in which Sonny Gray seemed all but guaranteed to win the Cy Young through the end of August, so it wasn’t as if this was beating up on a guy while he was down like when the Angels roughed up Sonny Gray earlier in 2018. Gray was at his peak.

It is not clear exactly whether the earlier game’s score was a matter of a quick second look five days after a brutal loss, or the beginning of the end for the Athletics phenom. Gray had handily shut down the Angels through almost 8 complete innings on the 14th, so the fact that Albert Pujols would touch him for a Grand Slam in the 7th was huge. The fact that it was 8-2 A’s in the bottom of the 6th is just that much more impressive.

The latter game was more of an early, unmerciful thrashing. It solidified that the Angels now firmly had a grasp on Gray’s stuff and would spell the beginning of a steep decline in Gray’s career. In 2016, he would be one of the worst starters in the majors. Whether Trout and Co. gave Sonny the yips or he just never really was as good as advertised, these two beatdowns could possibly be considered a couple of the most underrated moments in recent Angels history.

7. July 2, 2016 - The Red Sox Lose a Football Game

Halos Heaven Post-Game

What a night.

CJ Cron would have one of the best offensive performances by an Angel of all time, going 6-6 with five runs scored, five RBIs, two home runs, and a double. Carlos Perez would fall just short of matching Cron by going 5-6 with 6 RBIs and a home run. Albert Pujols completed the set by getting 5 RBIs himself on two hits, one of which was a home run.

This performance set multiple franchise records and stands out as one of the most dominating games in Angels history. A full list of the notable achievements can be found in this MLB.com piece by Austin Laymance and Matt Kelly.

While this game meant nothing in the long run, it wasn’t your average 21-2 obliteration. It was a 21-2 obliteration against the Red Sox. Watch the recap below and feel the guiltless elation overtake you.

6. May 21, 2013 - Trout Hits for the Cycle

Halos Heaven Post-Game

Mike Trout hit for the cycle, and who else would it be against but the Mariners? The hapless Seattle baseball team was using Aaron Harang, so it’s not as if they were really even trying anyway, but this was a key moment for Angels fans.

The big question in early 2013 was whether or not Mike Trout’s all-time rookie season was a fluke. Sure, everyone knew he was going to be special, but let’s be real here— he couldn’t possibly be that good. Not to mention the Angels had proven by this point in the season that they sucked anyway. As if to prove the detractors right, Trout was only batting a pedestrian (for him) .278/.363/.517 on May 20th. This was definitely an impressive slash, but nothing even remotely approaching his play from the prior year.

Then Trout hit his cycle and captured the hearts of America for good. He became the 5th youngest player in history to achieve a cycle and the youngest EVER in the American League. This game showed the world that Trout was not only going to be a great player; rather it announced that he already was and would continue to be. He showcased his speed, his power, and his bat-to-ball skills, and it was more than obvious that he would be the 2013 MVP.

Stay tuned for the top 5 in Part II...

[All box scores courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com]