The Los Angeles Angels will wrap up another disappointing series when they face Tampa Bay on Thursday afternoon. Los Angeles scored two combined runs in the first two games of the series, while the Rays exploded for 11 runs on Tuesday. This story was published prior to Wednesday night’s game.
Los Angeles was 14 games under the .500 mark at the All-Star break, having already replaced its manager after a lengthy losing skid. The Angels went 12-13 in their first 25 games to open the second half of the season, but they have lost seven of their eight games since then (heading into Wednesday’s slate). They were swept in a three-game series against Seattle before losing two out of three against Detroit over the weekend. Los Angeles has scored a combined six runs in a five-game stretch. The Angels have the fourth-worst record in the American League, sitting 15 games back of Seattle for the final AL Wild Card spot.
1,500 hits and counting for @MikeTrout! pic.twitter.com/iDJ3IpWD17
— MLB (@MLB) August 24, 2022
Their offense has slid all the way to No. 28 in the team batting average rankings, hitting at just a .226 clip. Star Shohei Ohtani, who has the second-best odds to win the AL MVP, leads the team with 116 hits, including 27 home runs. Center fielder Mike Trout has added 25 homers and driven in 53 runs in just 84 games. They are facing a Tampa Bay pitching staff that ranks third in the majors with an ERA of 3.31. Left-handed pitcher Patrick Sandoval is going to be on the mound for Los Angeles in this game. He is coming off an outstanding performance, pitching a four-hit shutout against Detroit while striking out nine batters. Sandoval had not completed six innings since July 9, so he lowered his season ERA to 3.14.