Angels game #149 Recap - Fish Tank

Angels 1 Rays 3

It’s difficult to watch this team. It’s difficult to write about this team. But I still love this team. It’s what a fan does. The season is lost and as much as I want to see wins, do they matter much? Losses potentially matter more in terms of the draft order next year. The Angels and their second half futility may even be able to catch the White Sox for the #9 pick in the 2020 draft.

The last time the Angels had a #10 draft pick, they snagged Jo Adell. The last time the Angels drafted higher than that was when they picked up Troy Glaus in the 3rd round on the 1997 draft. Then again, how much does draft position really matter? After all, the greatest player in our generation was the #25 pick in 2009.

Surprisingly enough, in tonight’s game, Jaime Barria was not embracing team tank. He threw 5.1 innings - tied for his most all season. He allowed only 2 runs through arguably it should have only been 1 - but Taylor Cole is still doing his thing. I would say that it’s amazing how Taylor Cole went from a 2.75 ERA pitcher with a 0.889 WHIP in 2018 to a disaster in 2019 but in the Billy Eppler era there has been a trend of pitchers turning in one good season, then melting down the following the year.

The Angels did manage to manufacture a run in the 7th inning - or rather the Rays manufactured it for them when Michael Hermosillo was hit by a pitch, and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Anthony Bemboom grounded out to move him to 3rd and Hermosillo scored on another wild pitch. Thanks for the gift Tampa Bay!

Tonight the Angels scored 1 run thanks to the Rays, but they did manage 6 hits. 2 of those came form Brian Goodwin who also hit a triple (Simba also had a pair of hits). As a team, they were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and that’s been more of a trend than an exception. It’s not like they didn’t have chances.

Tomorrow Mike Trout “might” be back, and the Angels will try to avoid being swept in back to back series.