BALTIMORE — After the Angels’ 13-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, their second blowout defeat in two games, Ron Washington felt the need to call a meeting.
Although Washington wouldn’t disclose what he said, the Angels manager made it clear the message was one of encouragement rather than anger.
“Just to let them know that we only played two games and we can’t get off track,” Washington said. “Our focus is the 162-game championship season, not two games. It hasn’t gone the way we want it to go. But we’ve just got to make certain that we come to the ballpark ready to go still.”
Catcher Logan O’Hoppe said he and his teammates are trying to maintain the proper perspective on what happened in this nightmarish start to their season.
“We work too hard for that to happen,” O’Hoppe said. “And it is two games and we have 160 left. So no one’s hitting the panic button. We’re not happy with it by any means. Just come and trust the process and work tomorrow.”
One horrible game would be tough enough to swallow to open the season, but the Angels have now seen it happen twice in a row, after losing by eight runs in the opener on Thursday. They had an off day on Friday — with a workout — and then came out on Saturday and saw it happen again.
The Orioles are arguably the best team in the American League, while the Angels are expected to finish fourth in the American League West, so merely losing two games should not raise any eyebrows.
However, the way they played in the two games is certainly disturbing for the Angels and their fans.
The Angels’ -17 run differential in their first two games was the worst in franchise history, and tied for the seventh worst in major-league history. It was the first time the Angels allowed at least 10 runs in their first two games of the season.
“I think all of us need to take a look at what we did tonight and learn from it and then turn the page quickly,” said Taylor Ward, who homered and drove in two runs. “There’s stuff I could do better. I think everyone could probably say that. Whatever that is, learn from it, turn the page and come back tomorrow ready to go.”
The Angels were in this game until the sixth inning. Starter Griffin Canning gave up two runs in the first, but then steadied himself and allowed just one more through the next four. The Angels were down 3-1 when he took the mound in the bottom of the sixth, having retired seven of the previous eight hitters.
Canning then walked Ryan Mountcastle after getting ahead of him, 0-and-2. Canning then gave up a single to Ryan O’Hearn, sending Mountcastle to third.
That was all for Canning. The Angels then opened the gate to their revamped bullpen, but there was no relief in sight.
Right-hander Luis Garcia gave up hits to the first three batters he faced. He then got a ground ball that should have been a routine double play, but shortstop Zach Neto bobbled it and the Angels didn’t get an out.
Next came right-hander Guillo Zuñiga. He was on the mound as the Orioles scored five more runs, including three on an Anthony Santander homer.
By the time the inning was over, the Angels had allowed nine runs.
“We just couldn’t stop them there in the sixth,” Washington said, “no matter who we brought in.”
While the pitching was the biggest issue in these games, the Angels also haven’t hit until showing some signs of life after the games were out of reach.
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Their only run in the first eight innings Saturday was a Ward homer. In the ninth, when they were down by 12 runs, they managed three runs on five hits. Jo Adell tripled, smoking a line drive at 113 mph. Ward, Nolan Schanuel and O’Hoppe drove in the runs.
Miguel Sanó also showed some positive signs with two balls hit over 107 mph, including one double down the left-field line.
Washington said the overall quality of the at-bats was better in the second game than in the first, when the Angels managed just two hits and they struck out 14 times. He said he’s expecting things to continue getting better.
“Sometimes in this game, there’s two things that happen,” Washington said. “You get off good or you get off bad. And if you get off good, when you go bad — because it’s going to go bad — you’ve got something to fall back on. But when you get off bad, you just got to come and go to work. And tomorrow we’re going to come back and go to work.”
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