Angels Falter in Crucial Game, Missing Thrilling Chance to Surge Above .500 Against Nationals
Watching those young Angels supporters gather along the infield, eagerly hunting for autographs as the players made their entrance, it struck me just how detached they are from the electric pulse of postseason drama—the kind of nail-biting tension that makes your heart gallop and the quirky rally monkey superstition transcend mere gimmickry into something almost sacred. The current Angels roster, by sheer circumstance, shares that same innocence; none of these players have tasted the playoff grind or carried the weight of postseason expectations—many hadn’t even stepped into a major-league batter’s box when Mike Trout last carried the franchise into October’s spotlight.
Since 2014, the Angels have endured the longest playoff drought in all of Major League Baseball, turning the franchise’s lone 2002 World Series victory into a fabled chapter recounted by parents to their kids seeking refuge from the unrelenting sun—kids clutching baseballs autographed by bright-eyed newcomers like Nolan Schanuel, Christian Moore, and Logan O’Hoppe. Amid this backdrop, the pressure mounts not just on the team but the very fabric of the franchise: Does chasing a postseason berth or hitting a midseason milestone shift their short-term focus? Interim manager Ray Montgomery, who has hammered home a simple mantra since spring training—stay present, play your game—shrugs off the hype. “If we worry about ourselves and playing the day that we’re scheduled to play, and not worry about the other stuff, we’ll continue to be fine,” he insists.
Yet, as Sunday unfolded into an 11-inning saga against the Nationals, that focus frayed at the edges. The Angels, poised for a winning record for the first time since April, faltered as closer Kenley Jansen faltered in the ninth inning, letting the Nationals claw back and eventually snatch a 7-4 victory. Still, moments of promise pierced the game—Taylor Ward’s three doubles set an early tone, while rookie phenom Christian Moore continued winning the crowd’s heart with clutch hits, including a pivotal go-ahead single that resonated deep within the stadium.
So, can this collection of fresh faces write a new chapter for the Halos, or will the specter of past droughts loom too large? For now, they soldier on under Montgomery’s watchful eye, proving that sometimes the journey—to the highs of a postseason run—begins with mastering the art of the present moment.
Young Angels fans who lined the infield for autographs as the team jogged onto the field Sunday, may not know the thrill, heart-racing suspense of the postseason — nor the captivating, religious-like fervor the rally monkey could bring.
Neither did the Angels that took their places in the field, combining for zero postseason appearances — a group that hadn’t even made their major-league debuts when Mike Trout last led the Angels to the playoffs.
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2014 represents the longest postseason drought in MLB. Meanwhile, the 2002 World Series title may read more as a story told by parents to the kids who ran back up into the shaded seats away from the blistering sun after receiving signed baseballs from a group featuring some present-day Angels — Nolan Schanuel, Christian Moore and Logan O’Hoppe.
Does the pressure of holding a postseason spot, potentially hitting a benchmark goal before the All-Star break, change the short-term focus of the franchise? When asked about the expectations before Sunday’s game, interim manager Ray Montgomery said he’s just focused on the now, a message he’s been trying to instill in the clubhouse since spring training.
“If we worry about ourselves and playing the day that we’re scheduled to play, and not worry about the other stuff, we’ll continue to be fine,” Montgomery said.
On Sunday, however, focus collapsed in the ninth and extra innings, a winning record remaining just past arm’s length in the Angels’ 11-inning, 7-4 defeat to the Nationals (35-49). Closer Kenley Jansen blew his first save of the season in the ninth while up one run, and despite a scoreless 10th from Connor Brogdon, he gave up three runs (two earned) in the 11th after a CJ Abrams triple broke the game open.
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The Angels (41-42) had plenty of opportunity to hold on to secure their first winning record since April 20. Outfielder Taylor Ward had a career-high three doubles, the first of which scored Schanuel — who reached on a walk — in the first to give the Angels a 1-0 lead. In the sixth, down 2-1, Ward led off the bottom half with a double, on a ground ball deflected by a diving attempt by Nationals third baseman Brady House.
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The eighth-year Angels veteran scored on a single from Jo Adell — extending his hit streak to a career-high 11 games — in the next at bat. Moore, who got his first taste of stardom Saturday with a fan meet-and-greet in Tustin, treated the home crowd to a go-ahead single scoring Adell later in the inning.
Quickly becoming a fan favorite for the Halos faithful, Moore capped off his introductory homestand with another clutch at bat — in a week that started with a bang thanks to his two home run spectacle Tuesday against the Red Sox. The rookie second baseman collected five tying or go-ahead hits across the homestand.
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Angels starting pitcher Jack Kochanowicz was drilled in the left leg with a comebacker in the first inning, but pitched into the fifth until Montgomery pulled the sinkerballer after a walk and double. He gave up two runs and five hits and two walks, while striking out two.
The Angels bullpen was solid after Kochanowicz removal, combining for five strikeouts, three walks, three hits and two runs before extra innings began. Reid Detmers highlighted the combined effort, striking out three across 1 ⅓ innings, and helping Ryan Zeferjahn escape the seventh with just one run to his name. The southpaw was in line for the victory before Jansen’s blown save sent the game to extra innings.
Jumping for Jo(y)
Adell has strung together a potential AL Player of the Month-level campaign in June, socking 11 home runs — best in the AL — as well as .284 batting average and 18 RBIs.
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So far, Adell is already on pace a career-high in wins above replacement rating with 1.0 entering the game, according to Baseball Reference, and is on track for career-best marks in on-base percentage and slugging percentage as well.
“I’m rooting for him,” Montgomery said. “The home runs are nice, and it’s a byproduct of being on the field every day, the work he’s doing. But everything defensively, base running, he’s contributing every way possible.”
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Zach Neto pinch-hit in the seventh inning for shortstop Kevin Newman and then played the remainder of the game — his first time back fielding since jamming his shoulder Tuesday.
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Montgomery said before the game that conversations with Neto and the medical staff leaned to giving him a full off day, along with having the Monday off day, rather than just being in the lineup as the designated hitter.
But when push came to shove in a then-tied game, Neto (0-for-2) and Mike Trout — who began the game on the bench — had an at bat.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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