Following the Los Angeles Angels is never an easy task, it’s fair to say. The team does provide it’s loyal band of followers with something to shout about, on occasion, but the glory days aren’t almost as often as fans would like. They are often separated by the painful lows and disappointments that have become second nature to LA supporters.
This season has been the same old story with a rollercoaster season. Angels have played some free-flowing, eye-catching and passionate ball on occasion but also turned in more than their fair share of below-par showings. Efforts that have left the coaching staff and paying public scratching their head in bemusement.
Being a lover of the Angels is just as difficult as trying to beat the bookies with MLB betting. The team are unpredictable, capable of taking down the bigger sides as an underdog but also falling flat when starting a match as the favourite.
Not all doom and gloom
It’s not all doom and gloom for ticket holders to Angels Stadium. There are reasons to be confident going forward and to keep the faith for what remains of the campaign. One green shoot comes in the form of veteran pitcher Jose Quintana who returns from injury and is determined to make up for lost time.
A fans’ favourite amongst Halos, Jose lives and breathes the club. He knows exactly what it means to represent the Angels and he is well up to speed on the demands and high expectations of those in the stands. He’s sampled both good and bad with the club already but has maintained his winning instincts.
Team manager Joe Maddon informed reporters recently that Quintana will swap the treatment room for the bullpen at first but the player showed the kind of great attitude they have come to expect from him. He is experienced enough to know these things happen and he is good enough to get out there onto the field and make a difference. Even if Jose must bide his time. That experience comes from starting no less than 256 of his 263 Major League matches.
When breaking the news on Jose’s staggered return from injury, Maddon was full of praise for the long serving pitcher. He complimented Jose on being the ultimate team player who has the confidence to believe he should be selected to start every match but doesn’t have a chip on his shoulder. The manager moved quickly to squash any rumours of unrest in the team locker room, which will satisfy supporters.
Giants are going nowhere
There may be harmony off the field but on the pitch it has been a very different story for Angels. Los Angeles were downed 5-0 by San Francisco Giants recently with Giants’ Anthony DeSclafani in inspired form. The popular right-hander allowed three hits over seven innings. That convincing win was another in an impressive list for Giants who caught MLB fans by surprise when storming into the lead in the NL West. Are they good enough to stay there and hold their position when it matters?
That remains to be seen but San Fran will certainly take all the moving as they appear to be extremely comfortable in their lofty position. The team are showing no signs of slowing down, instead they appear to be going from strength to strength as the season progresses. They have won seven of eight and enjoy a season best 21 games over 0.500.
That is in stark contrast to how the Angels are feeling at the minute. They sit second from bottom of the American League West and are on a two-game losing streak. Their tally of 36-37 is a disappointing one with only the Rangers currently worse off on 26-47. It’s looking increasingly likely that the season will now begin to slow to an uninspiring finish for Halos fans who don’t see much on the horizon that will convince them any different.
The pressure is on the players and the coaching team to respond. They owe their supporters much better than they are giving them at the minute and Madden will be well aware that his own position is on uneven ground.