Angels' slide corresponds with RISP struggles
CHICAGO -- The Angels' clubhouse was the quietest it had been in three games at U.S. Cellular Field. After a grueling 13-inning game, most barely spoke or looked up to watch the TV.
And the statistics at the end of the Los Angeles' 3-2 loss to the White Sox in extra innings on Wednesday night were telling of the somber mood. The Angels finished 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners on base in dropping their ninth straight road game and taking their 14th loss in their last 19 games overall.
Los Angeles advanced a runner to third in every inning from the ninth to the 13th, but it scored only once in that span, on a fielder's choice to tie the game in the ninth. The Angels' other run, in the fifth inning, scored from first base.
"We lost that game long before the 13th inning," said manager Mike Scioscia. "We had a lot of opportunities, we just didn't execute on a number of fronts."
After being swept by the White Sox in the three-game series, Los Angeles finished 1-for-37 with runners in scoring position. It left a combined 27 runners on base while scoring a total of four runs.
This month, the Angels are hitting .160 (13-for-81) with runners in scoring position, but are hitting .248 overall with RISP for the season.
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"We just didn't put anything together offensively," said second baseman Johnny Giavotella. "We had a bunch of chances to score, and we just didn't execute. I think we're better than that. We take pride in playing hard, taking advantage of opportunities, and we didn't this series."
Added center fielder Mike Trout: "We're a good-hitting team, and we know it. We're just searching right now, and we'll come in tomorrow with a different mind."
The Angels aren't panicking just because they couldn't capitalize when they had the chance.Their solution is simple, and given the heart of the lineup, they have the potential to break out at any point.
They were one of the better offensive teams prior to the All-Star break, with 368 runs scored and a collective team .250 batting average. The batting average and on-base percentage have dropped 20 points in the second half.
"We just gotta relax," Giavoltella said. "Instead of doing too much, we just gotta take what the pitcher gives us, wait for our pitch, and not swing at any of his pitches. He's in the pressure situation, not us, and we just gotta make him pay."