Angels Rally Late But Blow Lead In 6-5 Loss In Ten Innings

The Los Angeles Angels found a somewhat new way to lose today, as they spotted the Washington Nationals a four-run lead early, then rallied to take it back before losing in extra innings in a game that compounded the usual concept of Angels agony. 

Walbert Urena started for the Halos, and he clearly didn’t have his best stuff against Washington, as he was up in the zone early and paid the price. The Nationals scored first in the opening frame on a run-scoring double from CJ Abrams, then pulled away in the second with three more runs to build a 4-0 lead. 

The rally started on a double by Keibert Ruiz, and Jacob Young singled him home despite great throw by Jose Siri in left that went for naught when catcher Taylor Heieman botched the tag at home. James Wood followed up with a singe, then stole second, and Abmelec Ortiz singled home two more runs to put the Angels in a deep hole. 

The Halos were no hit through the first five innings by Nats starter Andrew Alvarez as the score stayed at 4-0 until the eighth. That was when the slumbering Angels offense woke up and scored three in the eighth, with Wade Meckler doubling home a run and Vaughn Grissom plating two more with a two-run homer. 

That made it a game, but the Angels weren’t done. Denzer Guzman doubled home a run in the ninth, and Moises Ballasteros hit a sacrifice fly to left to drive in a second run and give the Halos the lead at 5-4/

But no lead is safe with the Angels, and Ben Joyce continue to raise doubts about his ability to be this team’s closer going forward with yet another blown save. 

The rally started when Joyce walked pinch-hitter Jose Tena, and disaster struck when he stole second and took third after Ballasteros threw the ball into center field. He then scored on a single from Andres Chaparro to tie the game at 5-5 and send it into extras.

It was fait accompli when the Angels failed to score their ghost runner in the top of the tenth, and the Nats wasted no time in taking advantage of more careless, bad baseball from the Halos. Jose Fermin got the first out, then intentionally walked Daylen Lile to set up the force, but ghost runner CJ Abrams and Lile executed a perfect double steal instead. 

Fermin got the ground ball he needed to gun down the winning run at the plate, but Neto bobbled then dropped it to give Washington the win.