Street vents frustration with Angels' skid

ANAHEIM -- Huston Street got back into the dugout after giving up two hits but no runs in the ninth inning of the Angels' 15-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday night, and he wasn't happy. So he started yelling.

"Just mad at losing," the Angels' closer said. "Mad that I couldn't put those hitters away. Mad at the game. Mad at -- I don't know, just mad. I hate losing. I hate losing like this, and sometimes you just have to get in people's [ears] and get guys going, or -- I don't know. I was mad, though. I was mad because it just was frustrating. It's frustrating the way we've played, especially the last two nights."

The Angels entered their series against Toronto in the lead for the second American League Wild Card spot. The Blue Jays were the AL Wild Card leaders. Toronto has won the first two games of the series by a combined score of 24-5, knocking the Angels a half-game out of the playoff picture, behind the Rangers.

"There needs to be a sense of urgency," Street said. "Guys need to feel that, and I wanted people to at least hear it, or feel it, or something. Because it's time."

The Angels were coming off a series in which they won three of four games against the White Sox, but before that, they lost three of four to the Royals, another playoff team. Street blew the save in the finale. The series in Kansas City, coupled with the first two games against Toronto, left Street frustrated, and unsure if the Angels are playing with enough of that urgency.

"I don't know," Street said. "That's why I was screaming: 'Let's go!' 'Let's get something going!' That's exactly what I said. And sometimes you have to say that to each other. Sometimes you have to push each other. I'm not mad at any individual. I'm mad at us as a team. I'm a part of it. I blew the save in Kansas City. You win as a team, you lose as a team, but after tonight's game, I boiled over. That's why I let it out."

Street said he thinks it's good for him, and the team to feel that way.

"The Blue Jays are a phenomenal team. They score a lot of runs. But we're better than what we're playing," Street said. "We're making silly mistakes, silly errors, silly decisions with the baseball, not executing pitches, not getting guys out. We're a better baseball team than this, and so I think it's good to get mad. I think it's good to get frustrated. And you have to hate to lose. It's not enjoyable.

"Tonight's game, and especially after last night's game, I just -- I'm sickened, really. But at the same time, we'll wake up tomorrow morning and start a new day. I'm not gonna be mad tomorrow, but I was mad tonight."

That's not the same as worrying about the Angels' playoff chances. 

"I never say that I'm concerned," he said. "I'll be concerned when we're eliminated. It doesn't change the fact that you get mad.

"Sometimes you've got to fire people up, and guys have got to have that sense of urgency, and just decide we're not gonna play baseball like we have the last two nights."