MLB Team Outlook: Los Angeles Angels
The American League West Division has been dominated by the Texas Rangers this season. The Los Angeles Angels are behind the Rangers at second place but there is a difference of five games separating the first and the second placed team. This difference
is substantial and leaves a small chance for the Angels to catch-up the Rangers, let alone taking them over as division leaders.
The Angels, nonetheless, have not lost spirit and continue to impress with their performances on the field. They have a win-loss record of 51-46 up till now but this could have been better had they started the second half on a winning note.
The Angels started the second half with a four-game series against the Oakland Athletics. The A’s are not in top form this season and the Angels were expected to win comprehensively and reduce the gap with the Texas Rangers before facing the latter at home
in a three-game series.
The Athletics, however, had other plans and they inflicted insult with injury when they completed a 3-1 series win over the hyped Angels.
The Rangers, fresh from the All-Star break and on an 11-game winning streak, were never expected to be easy opponents. They proved this when they humiliated the Angels with a 7-0 shut-out to improve their winning streak to 12 games on Tuesday, July 19. With
two more games still to play, the Angels still have a slender chance of regaining glory.
The Angels have a more formidable pitching staff as compared to their batting line-up. Dan Haren and Jered Weaver have been phenomenal and have played a major role in covering up for the ordinary batting performances by the bull-pen.
Weaver’s arm strength has been at its best this season. More to it, he has not been injured and has been pitching an average of 115.4 pitches per game. His unrelenting commitment has paid off as Weaver now has the League’s third-best win-loss record of 12-4
and League-best ERA of 1.90. Achieving and maintaining an ERA of fewer than 2.00 is an achievement and Weaver has exhibited it. His fitness would be vital for the Angels to maintain their position this season and improve it in the next.
Dan Haren has formed an excellent rotation with Weaver and he too is no easy opposition. Haren has struck-out 117 batters in 140.2 innings and competes with Weaver in arm strength. He has an average of 111.3 pitches per game with an ERA of 2.75. Although
not as exceptional as Weaver, he is a class act in himself. His win-loss record is 10-6 this season and is expected to improve further as the season progresses.
The batting has not been as impressive for the Angels, evident from their 366 total team runs scored this season which is the 25th best in the league. Out of a total of 30 teams, this record is not impressive. Howard Kendrick has been their only
hope among the batters who has scored 43 runs this season at an average of .291.
Haren and Weaver are expected to start for the Angels against the Rangers on Tuesday, July 19 and Wednesday, July 20 respectively. The Angels will be looking to make a mark in these two games before a relatively easier series against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Angels have been performing well this season but the Texas Rangers have simply outplayed them in their division. They will be looking to take an early charge in the next season to eradicate this advantage from the onset.
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