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Los Angeles Angels fans have gone from frustration and anger to disappointment and apathy. Most of them are now numb to the pain this team is causing. The Angels gifted away another game after a bizarre and absurd sequence of events. The Seattle Mariners won the game 6-2 after taking advantage of some basic errors in the bottom of the ninth.
Fans took to Twitter to vent their frustrations at what one fan referred to as "a circus act." The Angels lacked fundamentals on the night. The pitching was poor, and the decision-making was even worse.
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The game started brightly for the Angels. Shohei Ohtani pitched six quality innings. He gave up only two runs off seven hits, striking out eight batters. Luis Rengifo had a home run in the first inning and Jared Walsh drove in Taylor Ward in the fourth to keep the game tied.
After eight strong innings, the team seemed to lose their focus and disciple. The Los Angeles Angels were in total disarray in the ninth as the Mariners took full advantage.
Aaron Loup stepped up in the ninth to face the bottom of the order and started well after Cal Raleigh grounded out. Sam Haggerty was down to one strike before he hit a single into left field. Then, chaos ensued.
A pitch in the dirt seemed harmless, but Angels catcher Max Stassi fired a wild throw over the second baseman, allowing Haggerty to stroll into second. That turned out to be a costly error. Haggerty stole third base on the next pitch to put a man on third with one out.
Rookie of the Year favorite Julio Rodriguez hit a rocket to Rengifo, who dropped an easy catch. Instead of walking to second to start the double play, Rengifo threw to home plate. Haggerty found himself in a rundown but with no one covering the plate, he walked into home.
The game was still manageable, but the Angels, as they have done countless times this season, decided to hit the self-destruct button.
Los Angeles Angels star player Shohei Ohtani will be a free agent after the 2023 season
The Mariners took at 3-2 lead, but things went from bad to worse for the Angels. Ty France grounded to Andrew Velasquez, who threw a bullet to Stassi at home. It looked like routine out, but the ball got away from Stassi on the tag, and Dylan Moore came in. Instead of limiting the damage, the Angels now trailed 4-2
The Mariners scored two more runs before Phil Nevin finally pulled Loup. The 23,096 fans in attendance looked disgusted.
This was a new low for the Los Angeles Angels in a season that has been filled with disappointment. Despite Ohtani's solid outing, the team looked disorientated in an inning riddled with errors and mistakes.
The Los Angeles Angels sit fourth in the American League West with a 51-65 record. They are 23.5 games behind the Houston Astros.
Aside from Shohei Ohtani's outstanding year, the team can take few positives from this season. In 1958 Ernie Banks won the MVP award with a 72-82 Chicago Cubs team. This year may be another rare case where the MVP award is handed to a player whose team does not match his ablity and talent.
