The Los Angeles Angels scored six runs throughout its three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians and sit dead-last in MLB.
The Los Angeles Angels are in the basement of the Major League Baseball standings after getting swept by the Cleveland Guardians this week and are losers in seven of its last 10 games.
The Angels are struggling to do anything well right now – the offense isn’t scoring enough runs, the pitching staff isn’t keeping runs off the board and the defense has been shaky from the jump.
Game 1 against the Guardians was a 7-2 blowout, Games 2 and 3 were close but the Angels scored just two runs in all three contests and haven’t been in a rhythm since the beginning of April.
After a promising start, which in Los Angeles’ case is a game above .500 through 21 games, the Angels are 5-18 over its last 23 games and have seemingly hit rock bottom.
Here is how the Angels rank offensively: .222 batting average (25th), .319 on-base percentage (18th), .386 slugging percentage (18th), .705 OPS (17th), 52 home runs (ninth), 176 RBI (19th), 165 walks (13th) and 432 strikeouts (30th).
On the pitching side of things, here is how the Angels stack up: 4.55 ERA (25th), 1.43 WHIP (25th), .241 opponent batting average (17th), 200 walks (28th), 373 strikeouts (13th) and 41 home runs (tied-ninth).
Defensively, the Angels have a .984 fielding percentage (24th) and have committed 25 errors (24th).
Entering the Freeway Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Angels are pretty much a bottom-third team in most categories, and it doesn’t seem like there’s an answer in sight. Moving Zach Neto out of the leadoff spot and into an “RBI spot” could help the offense, but will it?
The opener will feature a matchup between Angels right-hander Jack Kochanowicz and Dodgers lefty Blake Snell, who is making just his second start this season.
Kochanowicz has been quite good for the Angels, as the 25-year-old is 2-2 with a 3.97 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 30 strikeouts through eight starts (45.1 innings).
The Toronto Blue Jays got to Kochanowicz his last time out – four innings, nine hits, seven runs (six earned), two walks and no strikeouts. It was his worst start since his first one of the season in which he allowed five runs in four innings.
Snell was rocked in his first appearance since coming off the injured list as he was dealing with left shoulder fatigue and inflammation. In his defense, the Atlanta Braves are a tough team to draw in your first start of the year. He allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts in just three innings of work.
The Angels swept the Freeway Series last season, winning all six games and outscoring the Dodgers 43-30.
First pitch is at 6:38 p.m. PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.
