CLEVELAND —As the gap widens between what the Angels believe they can be and who they are right now, the players have no choice but to cling to words that may ring hollow to everyone outside the clubhouse.
After the Angels’ 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday dropped them a season-worst 12 games under .500, left-hander Reid Detmers provided his assessment of what has happen to turn this season around.
“Obviously we’re grinding,” Detmers said. “We’re doing everything possible to go out there and win. It’s not like we’re going out there to lose. Some of it’s unfortunate luck, and then obviously there’s some stuff we need to tighten up. But inside this clubhouse, we’re together. We’re good. We’ve got our heads down every day trying to get better.
“It’s one of those things where it sounds cheesy, but trust the process. It’s only the middle of May right now. There’s still four and a half, five months to go, whatever it is. And we’re only six games back, or six and a half, whatever it is. There’s still plenty of time. Just kind of trust the process. Keep grinding. It’s got to equal out eventually.”
More than a quarter of the way through the season, the Angels (16-28) are on pace for the first 100-loss season in franchise history. They started 11-10, showing signs that maybe they could be better than expected, but since then they have gone 5-18.
They were 0-6 on their previous trip, against the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox, and they won just one game on this six-game trip against the Toronto Blue Jays and Guardians. It was no surprise a trip to Cleveland extended their slump. The Angels have now lost 29 of their last 33 games here.
“The only thing that we can do is come here every single day, prepare the best we can, get ready to play in all assets of the game and go out there and perform,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “And sometimes you’re going to win, sometimes you’re going to lose. Obviously we don’t want this streak, but you can control what you can. That’s come out here, get ready to play. These guys have been doing a good job preparing themselves to play. It’s just not coming on the positive end there. Off day tomorrow. Come back for the Dodger series (starting Friday). Do the same thing and see what happens.”
What’s been happening mostly is the offense is failing to produce. The bullpen, which was a major issue a couple weeks ago, seems to have stabilized, and the rotation has been steady throughout the season. Wednesday’s game was the 14th time in the last 23 games that the Angels have failed to score more than two runs. They scored two runs or fewer in all five of their losses on this trip.
“We’re struggling big time,” shortstop Zach Neto said. “We’re not winning ballgames, but it’s a learning lesson for all of us. We’re just going to try to put this one behind us. Enjoy the off day tomorrow and we know who we’ve got coming in this weekend. It’s just a matter of playing our best ballgame. It doesn’t get easier from now.”
Suzuki shuffled his lineup, moving Neto from leadoff into the No. 6 spot, and at least that worked. Neto hit a two-run homer to provide both of the Angels’ runs. He also had a single, so he accounted for half of their four hits.
His fifth-inning homer briefly brought them within 3-2 after an ugly start.
Detmers gave up a homer to the first batter he faced. Guardians outfielder Angel Martinez did a nice job hitting a slider that was below the zone. Detmers also was hit in the hamstring by a comebacker for an infield hit. Detmers said that didn’t affect him, though.
Detmers also walked two batters and hit one. He allowed the Guardians to steal four bases in the first three innings.
Third baseman Yoán Moncada also made an error on a routine ground ball to start the third inning, leading to an unearned run.
After three innings, Detmers had thrown 30 strikes and 29 balls. However, he pulled it together for a couple innings, setting down the Guardians in order in the fourth and fifth innings, with three strikeouts.
“Took some time to kind of get in the rhythm, but once I found the kind of the rhythm we needed to get in, it went well, until the last inning, a couple bloop shots,” Detmers said. “Other than that, I was pretty happy with how the game went.”
In the sixth, though, Neto couldn’t make the play on a one-out ground ball in the hole. Detmers then gave up a pair of softly hit two-out singles to left-handed hitters, giving the Guardians an insurance run.
A two-run deficit was too steep of a hill for the Angels to climb the way their hitters have been producing lately.
At times in the slump, they have done a decent job of getting opportunities but a poor job of cashing them in, but in this game they barely even had any opportunities. They were 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position.
Suzuki chose to give props to Guardians left-hander Parker Messick.
“That pitcher was good, man,” Suzuki said. “Messick was mixing it up, balls moving. He throws some sinkers. We’re barreling balls up but straight into the ground. Just credit to him. He kept us off balance. He was good.”