The Los Angeles Angels were swept by the Cincinnati Reds in a series that lasted just under 30 hours, with the Reds winning a Tuesday night game and a Wednesday doubleheader. And while three losses in 30 hours are damaging enough at this stage of the season, it’s the internal losses that deal an even bigger blow.
Over the course of Wednesday’s doubleheader, the Angels lost both Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout to injury. Trout made his return to the Halo lineup on Tuesday night after missing the last 38 games with a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. He played just one game — going 1-for-4 — before soreness got the best of him.
Ohtani, meanwhile, took the mound on Wednesday afternoon after skipping his last start due to arm fatigue. He threw just 26 pitches over 1.1 innings before being removed from the game with fatigue once again. But between the first and second game on Wednesday, the Angels did some imaging.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian announced on Wednesday night that Trout is going back on the injured list and Ohtani will not pitch the rest of the season after an MRI revealed a tear in his UCL, opening the door for a potential second Tommy John surgery for the superstar two-way player.
The updates for the two Angels stars almost diminishes the results of the actual series. The three-game sweep at the hands of the Reds — combined with the injuries — effectively ends any hope at competing for an American League wild card spot.
The Angels are 10.5 games back of the third spot with 34 games remaining on the schedule, and they won’t have their best pitcher or arguably their best hitter for that stretch.
Here, we’ll break down each of the three losses and what went wrong for a team that has now lost 16 of their last 21 games.
Game 1: Reds def. Angels 4-3
The most winnable game of the series for the Angels, this loss was defined by a series of critical mistakes in the fifth inning. Starter Lucas Giolito put two runners on — second and third base — with two outs in the inning. Then Elly De La Cruz grounded into what should have been an unassisted, inning-ending groundout.
But rookie first baseman Nolan Schanuel misplayed the ball, it bounced off his glove and rolled to his right. This allowed De La Cruz to reach base safely and scored both runners on base, tying the game at 3-3. De La Cruz would score as well to give the Reds the lead that they would hold for the rest of the game.
Giolito, despite the three unearned runs, put together arguably his best start as a member of the Angels, providing some hope he can build on it for the remainder of the season.
Game 2: Reds def. Angels 9-4
Ohtani began the game on the mound and by powering a two-run home run over the wall at the plate. But he would end it receiving the devastating news of a tear in his UCL. Tyler Anderson would get the bulk of the game on the mound in relief of Ohtani.
A pair of De La Cruz three-RBI hits — a homer and a triple — would put the Angels to bed in this one. It was the second game in a row that the Angels held a 3-1 lead entering the fifth inning, but exited the frame with a loss.
Game 3: Reds def. Angels 7-3
Despite the Angels getting on the scoreboard first yet again — as they did in all three games this series — they were unable to hold any sort of lead. Reid Detmers dazzled in his most recent start, but fell back to Earth a bit with four earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work.
The Reds got contributions throughout their lineup, but saw a bulk of production from Matt McLain, who hauled in an RBI single and a two-run homer in the finale.
What’s Next
The Angels — sans Trout and potentially Ohtani — head to the Big Apple to take on the New York Mets in a three-game weekend set. It starts a nine-game, three-series road trip that also includes the Philadelphia Phillies and Oakland Athletics.