Angels Week 4: Anthony Rendon, Mike Trout shine; pitching falters

The Angels averaged over five runs per game, and the team’s two superstar hitters combined for nine home runs. They even won their first two games of last week against the hottest team in baseball. But in the end, they were left with yet another losing week thanks to poor pitching.

Last week played out mostly the same as the week before, with the Angels winning a series but then getting swept over the weekend. This time it was against two of the best teams in baseball, the A’s and Dodgers, but that doesn’t provide much consolation. Another 10 percent of the season down with more losses than wins.

The Angels lost four of six games in each of the last three weeks.

Batter of the week

Anthony Rendon had polar opposite weeks, following a hitless road trip with an extra-base hit in six straight home games, including five home runs to win this award. Honorable mention go to Mike Trout with his four home runs, and Brian Goodwin as dual members of the 1.200 OPS club last week.

Pitcher of the week

This might as well be named the Dylan Bundy award. The Angels right-hander was magnificent yet again on Tuesday, striking out 10 A’s in seven scoreless innings. Bundy has been a revelation so far on an otherwise underwhelming Angels pitching staff.

Aside from Bundy’s seven scoreless innings, the rest of the Angels rotation allowed 22 runs in 21 innings, which illustrates a lot of the problems with the club’s poor start.

“It’s hard to continually fight back. It just is. We know the games we’ve pitched well, we’ve been in those things right to the very end,” manager Joe Maddon said. “You don’t win if you don’t pitch, there’s just no way around it. We have to pitch better, starting and relieving. It always begins with that.”

Week 4 results

2-4 record
32 runs scored (5.33 per game)
38 runs allowed (6.33 per game)
.422 pythagorean record

Season to date

7-15 record
104 runs scored (4.73 per game)
118 runs allowed (5.36 per game)
.442 pythagorean record (10-12)

AL West standing: 4th place, 9 games back
Current playoff position: 13th in AL, 4 games out of a playoff spot

Miscellany

Best of the best: Saturday was the 36th game Mike Trout and Mookie Betts played against one another. Trout his his 10th home run in those meetings, and Betts hit his 11th, but this was the first time they both homered in the same game.

Fletch lives: David Fletcher made a wonderful defensive play in the hole at shortstop on Saturday to rob Mookie Betts of a hit.

“Everybody’s into hyperbole, but that one there, I don’t know if I’ve seen that,” manager Joe Maddon said Saturday. “The accuracy on the throw, the carry, everything about it. You’d have to say it was good as you’ve ever seen.”

Transactions

Monday: Jose Suarez was reinstated from the injured list and optioned out. Jose Rodriguez was designated for assignment, removing him from the 40-man roster.

Friday: Rodriguez cleared waivers and was sent outright to the alternate training site at Long Beach.

Saturday: Ryan Buchter was optioned to Long Beach, and Anthony Bemboom was recalled to give the team three catchers.

Game results

• Monday: Angels 10, A’s 9
• Tuesday: Angels 6, A’s 0
• Wednesday: A’s 8, Angels 4
• Friday: Dodgers 7, Angels 4
• Saturday: Dodgers 6, Angels 5 (10 innings)
• Sunday: Dodgers 8, Angels 3

Previous weekly reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3

The week ahead

It’s a big Bay Area week for the Angels, who play a pair of two-game series against the Giants, the latter in San Francisco, followed by a weekend in Oakland that concludes the Angels’ regular season matchups against the A’s.

Both Tuesday and Wednesday against the Giants will be televised nationally by ESPN, but the Tuesday ESPN broadcast in Anaheim, with Tom Hart and Jessica Mendoza on the call, will be blacked out locally. ESPN’s Wednesday crew for Angels-Giants is Karl Ravech, Eduardo Perez, and Tim Kurkjian.