The Los Angeles Angels lost their eleventh straight game in their series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies in Citizen's Bank Park. Sunday's game added extra misery to the pile when they choked away the lead in the 8th inning, as closer Raisel Iglesias surrendered a game-tying grand slam to 2021 National League Most Valuable Player Bryce Harper. However, the Los Angeles Angels fought back to take the lead in the top of the ninth inning, thanks to a Matt Duffy single, and seemed primed to restore a fragment of the hope their fans lost heading into the bottom of the ninth. However, that little optimism about the Los Angeles Angels season was crushed when 24-year-old infielder Bryston Stott cracked a game-winning three-run home run to end the series and give the Philadelphia Phillies the sweep.
Major League Baseball fans took to Reddit to bury the Los Angeles Angels
A lot of fans of Reddit are simply trying to figure out what happened to a Los Angeles Angels team that seemed so promising. The team had a wonderful off-season as they addressed their pitching woes in free agency by signing Noah Syndergaard and Aaron Loup from the New York Mets and were returning a healthy Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon to join the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, Shohei Ohtani. The team was leading the division on May 15 with a 23-14 record.
"It really did. The series opener at White Sox was nuts. Rendon, Trout, Ohtani and Ward were batting the leather off the balls. All of a sudden, the bats all died and the pitching regressed." u/verendum
"I just don't understand. I've been watching these games and cannot understand what caused the Angels pitching, defense, and offense to die all at the same time. Is there something going on off the field? Internal issues? They're better than this, and all teams have slumps, but wtf" -u/hanSoes
Some will point to the face of the franchise, Mike Trout. Trout's offensive woes are the worst of his career as the three-time MVP has been hitless in his last 26 at-bats.
"Mike 'Chris Davis' Trout" -u/ScroogeMcDust
"Mike '2021 Cody Bellinger' Trout- u/dba1990
The team has dropped to a losing record for the first time since the first week of the season. While some fans may cry, others choose to mask their pain with laughter...and puns.
"Loss Angeles Angels" - u/breakfast_cats
The team will head home to take on an equally dismal Boston Red Sox in a three-game series on Monday.