Angels News: Phil Nevin Happy With What He's Seeing From Club as Season Hangs in the Balance
Don't look now, but the Angels are heating up at just the right time if they want to keep superstar Shohei Ohtani on their roster by the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
Fresh off a series sweep over the New York Yankees, one of the rumored teams to land Major League Baseball's most talented player, the Angels took a home series over the Pittsburgh Pirates with their 7-5 win Sunday afternoon.
Ohtani homered in what could be his last home game at Angel Stadium if the Halos decide to deal the best two-way player since, or including, Babe Ruth.
Angels Manager Phil Nevin knows the implications of each win are heavy as LA's front office prepares to make the impossible decision of holding onto the most attractive trade piece in recent memory as a barely-over-.500 team scrambling towards the playoffs.
"It was a nice stretch at home, obviously," Nevin said. "The guys are responding well. They understand everything's still in front of us."
(Via MLB.com)
The Angels sit third in the AL West, behind the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. While their chances of winning the division are slim, as they are eight games behind the Rangers, they are still in the hunt for a Wild Card spot.
The Halos, after their strong homestand, are only four games behind an ailing Yankees team and a Red Sox program that has not looked dominant this year.
Injuries have plagued this Angels team more than most teams in MLB, with Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Brandon Drury — all typical starters — missing significant time. If the Angels are to contend for a playoff spot, the return of some or all of those three would be a much-needed boost.
Luckily, the Angels are adopting a win-at-all-costs mentality.
"It's like the playoffs right now for us," said Andrew Velazquez, who is filling in for an injured Zach Neto. "That's why, going into this road trip, winning this series was very important."
(Via MLB.com)
Following their nine-game home stand, the Angels will travel east with series against the Tigers, Blue Jays, and Braves ahead.
