Anaheim’s bats fell silent in a dismal home finale, leaving the struggling franchise just three losses away from a historic century mark amid mounting front-office uncertainty.
The Los Angeles Angels were riding high after a walk-off 6-5 win on Saturday night at home against the Minnesota Twins.
On Sunday, the offense was nowhere to be found, and the Twins ended the series with an 8-0 shutout. The Angels had just two hits all game, and the 100-loss season is still very possible in Anaheim.
The Angels' dominant pitching wasn't there on Sunday, either. Ryan Johnson gave up three runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings, and he was tagged with his 9th loss of the season.
Sammy Peralta made the game go from bad to worse as he allowed four earned runs on six hits in 1.2 innings.
The Angels had only two hits, with Vaughn Grissom hitting a single in the fourth and Oswald Peraza hitting a single in the eighth.
Dean Kramer threw six innings of one-hit ball, although he had three walks, but he earned his fourth win of the year as his ERA dropped below 5.00 to 4.97.
Bailey Ober threw the final three innings, striking out three batters to lower his ERA to 4.21.
It was a disappointing game, especially since it marked the final time the Angels will play at home this season.
The Angels have also clinched their 11th consecutive losing season and 12th straight non-playoff season, so there is plenty of frustration in Anaheim.
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki, who was given a one-year deal, hasn't really done much to show he deserves another season.
Then again, the Angels didn't do much this offseason to field a competitive roster, so take it as you will.
Still, MLB insider Jon Heyman had placed Suzuki on the hot seat, and it will be interesting to see if more changes come in Anaheim.
The Twins scored two runs in the third, one in the fifth, two in the six, and the final three in the eighth, with Alan Roden hitting a three-run home run.
The Angels are now 60-96, and they have six games remaining. They have two against the Athletics in Sacramento, and then four on the road against the Seattle Mariners. So, the Angels will need to go 3-3 in order to avoid hitting the 100-loss mark.
Other than that, there isn't much reason to watch the Angels, and it is expected to be another long offseason in Orange County, although the looming MLB lockout is expected to take place.
