Let’s start with the good news, because there is genuinely so much of it! The Angels’ pitching staff allowed two hits Thursday night in Seattle. Two hits, one run, over a full nine innings, against a first-place team, on the road! That is championship-caliber run prevention and I am choosing to celebrate it.
The Angels lost 1-0.
Walbert Ureña was, for long stretches, brilliant: 5.2 innings, ONE hit — a J.P. Crawford double — and six strikeouts over 107 competitive pitches. He also walked four and hit two batters, and in the sixth all that traffic finally merged: bases loaded, two outs, and ball four to Cal Raleigh. The only run of the game scored while our starter was allowing one (1) hit. I keep typing it and it keeps being true.
The bullpen was perfect, by the way! Samy Natera Jr. inherited the bases loaded and stranded every runner, striking out three over 1.1 hitless innings, and Sam Bachman worked around a single in a scoreless eighth. Six relief outs, zero damage. Sparkling!
And the offense out-hit the Mariners 4-2! Nolan Schanuel had half those hits himself! It’s just that the team also went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, struck out ten times, and — deep breath, big smile — Zach Neto opened the ninth with a walk as the tying run and got picked off first base. Two more singles followed. They would have mattered.
So: swept in Seattle. Three straight losses. 36-52, nine games back, and a 15-30 road record that is the worst in the American League. But the run prevention, you guys. The run prevention is right there. I’m going to go stare at the ocean for a while.
Wins Wasted, inducted this week: Ureña’s 5.2 innings of one-hit ball, entombed forever in a 1-0 loss. A performance that wins 95 games out of 100. The Angels found one of the other five. They always find the other five.
