Angels News: Tyler Anderson Maintains Positive Outlook Despite Halos Fifth Consecutive Loss
The Los Angeles Angels were tough luck losers on Saturday night, falling to the Mariners 3-2 in a defeat punctuated by an ill-fated ground rule double.
Trailing by two with runners at 1st and 2nd with two out in the 9th, Angels second baseman Brandon Drury hit a ball deep to left field that would have tied the game, but the ball bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double, keeping the Halos still down by one, and it proved to be a deficit they couldn't finish climbing out of.
It was the latest loss in a concerning spell for the Halos, who've lost five straight games on the back of what was supposed to be a momentous trade deadline.
The Angels kept two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and traded for starting pitcher Lucas Giolito and reliever Reynaldo Lopez in addition to other reinforcements in Randal Grichuk, CJ Cron, and Dominic Leone.
After Saturday's loss, the Halos dropped to six games back in the race for the last wild card spot and suddenly find themselves very much needing a win on Sunday afternoon in the series finale against Seattle.
But it's not all doom and gloom in the Angels clubhouse, as Halos pitcher Tyler Anderson kept their skid in perspective as far as the entire season is concerned.
“Everyone is talking right now like it’s the end of the season, but there are a significant amount of games left,” said lefty Tyler Anderson “We're one good streak away from being right in the middle of things right here. The last five or six games, we faced some tough teams, but we were in every game. Even tonight, we’re tied in the ninth if the ball doesn’t bounce over the wall.” (via MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger)
Anderson's correct about that. The Angels still have 50 games left to play and they started their post-deadline woes with a series against National League contenders in the Atlanta Braves.
That said, they need to stack up wins quickly in a brutal stretch.
Following Sunday's game, they have 15 contests combined against the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Cincinnati Reds, five teams that would make the playoffs if the season ended today.
So yes, the Halos have time to turn things around, but they'll have their toughest test of the season yet in the most crucial time of the year.
