The Los Angeles Angels [https://roundtable.io/sports/mlb/angels]will try to get another win in the second game of their four-game series against the Minnesota Twins, and they’ll send Grayson Rodriguez to the mound as the Halos try to continue their push [https://roundtable.io/sports/mlb/angels/news/angels-just-went-from-worst-to-first-with-their-ownership] to keep from losing 100 games for the season. It’s not much of a quest, and Rodriguez’s contributions to their season so haven’t been good. He’s basically an injury reclamation project who’s been losing games for them on a regular basis, although he does contribute a good start every now and then. As such, he’s a wild card, and it’s anyone’s guess what he’ll bring to the table in this one. His last start was a good one, however. Rodriguez went 5-1/3 innings against the Washington Nationals last Sunday, and he gave up just two runs on seven hits to go with a walk and four strikeouts. Rodriguez also represents both a problem and a puzzle going into next season. His ERA is 4.64, and he’s spent time on the IL with back issues as well. He could be an option for the starting rotation next season, but given the Angels’ collection of strong young arms he could just as easily be moved given that he was acquired by now-fired GM Perry Minasian in the awful trade that saw productive outfielder Tyler Ward going to the Baltimore Orioles. The Angels offense is just as much of a wild card. They went through a long drought that extened into September in which they struggled to score more than three runs a game, and the result was several long losing streaks. There are plenty of examples of how this works, with the most recent being game one against the Twins. The Angels got three runs in the first to give rookie right-hander Walbert Urena a solid cushion, but the offense took the night off after that until extra innings, as erstwhile closer Ben Joyce blew yet another save and the Halos were forced to come from behind to get a 5-4 win in ten innings. It’s been that kind of season for the Angels, but the Twins aren’t much better. They’re 11 games under .500 at 71-82, and they’ve lost four of their last five. Their starter in game two will be Connor Prielipp, who comes in with an ERA of 5.24 and a WHIP of 1.34, so there is an opportunity here if the Angels bring it with some offense in this particular game.
