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The Dodgers’ Enrique Hernandez #14 throws to first base for a double play as the Angels’ Jared Walsh #25 slides into second base in the top of the first inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Angels pitcher Andrew Heaney #28 looks down as the Dodgers’ Justin Turner #10 rounds the bases after Turner hit a home run in the bottom of the fifth inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ A.J. Pollock #11 hits a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout #27 is congratulated by David Fletcher #22 after Trout hit a three-run homer in the top of the third inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Dodger starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout #27 is congratulated by Luis Rengifo #4 after Trout hit a three-run homer in the top of the third inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ A.J. Pollock #11 hits a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Will Smith #16 rounds the bases after hitting a two run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Will Smith #16 is congratulated by Max Muncy #13 after Smith hit a two run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Jared Walsh #25 crosses home plate after hitting a home run in the top of the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Dodger starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 walks around the mound after giving up a three-run homer to the Angels’ Mike Trout #27 in the top of the third inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts #50 steals home in the bottom of the first inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Justin Upton #10 enters the dugout after hitting a home run in the top of the fourth inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Angels pitcher Matt Andriese #35 looks away as the Dodgers heads for home after Will Smith #16 hit a two run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Jared Walsh #25 enters the dugout after hitting a home run in the top of the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Justin Upton #10 heads for home plate after hitting a home run in the top of the fourth inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Angels starting pitcher Andrew Heaney #28 during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ A.J. Pollock #11 enters the dugout after hitting a home run in the bottom of the fourth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Corey Seager #5 throws to first base during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Justin Turner #10 hits a home run in the bottom of the fifth inning during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Luis Rengifo #4 makes a diving attempt to stop a Dodgers’ Max Muncy #13 single in the bottom of the first inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Dodger starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts #50 catches a fly ball hit by the Angels’ Anthony Rendon #6 for the out in the top of the fifth inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Jared Walsh #25 rounds the bases after hitting a home run as Dodgers pitcher Brusdar Graterol #48 looks on in the top fifth inning during their MLB game at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout #27 is congratulated after Trout hit a three-run homer in the top of the third inning during their MLB game against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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The Dodgers’ Enrique Hernandez #14 throws to first base during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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Dodger starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 during their MLB game against the Angels at Dodger Stadium, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Angels took a bumpy, wild ride to end up in a painfully familiar place.
The Angels’ 9-5 loss to the Dodgers on Friday night at Dodger Stadium eliminated them from contention for the postseason, once again barely missing the October party.
The Angels (26-32) ended up as the last team in the American League knocked out of postseason contention for the fourth time in Mike Trout’s tenure. They were also the “bubble team” in 2012, 2015 and 2017.
The only time they made the playoffs with Trout was in 2014, and they still haven’t won a playoff game with the best player in the majors.
On Friday night they led 3-1 in the third — on Trout’s first homer against Clayton Kershaw — and 5-3 in the fifth, before the Dodgers came back. Matt Andriese gave up a go-ahead homer to Will Smith in the fifth, and then the Dodgers tacked on late runs to put the Angels away.
“Kind of the mantra from the season: We’ve been unable to hold some leads at different times and that’s what happened again,” Manager Joe Maddon said. “But really proud of the guys, to fight back to this point. We’ve talked about this: If you did not get off to a good start, the team would fold and go away. Ours did not. I’m really proud of the group.”
Truthfully, the Angels season did seem to be over a while ago.
After their loss on Sept. 2, the Angels were 12-25 and nine games behind the Houston Astros for the playoff spot that goes to the second-place team in the American League West. The Angels were tied for the worst record in the American League.
But the Angels won 14 of their next 20 games to remain barely alive into the final weekend of the season. Heading into the 58th game of their 60-game season, the Angels needed to win the remaining three games and they needed the Astros to lose all three of theirs.
The Astros were leading by a run going to the bottom of the ninth in Arlington, but Rangers first baseman Ronald Guzman hit a homer to tie it with two outs and two strikes. The Rangers scored twice in the 10th to overcome another deficit and beat the Astros.
“Texas really helped us out a lot tonight,” Maddon said.
That rollercoaster of emotions for the Angels happened during the fourth and fifth innings of their game, as the teams were exchanging homers.
Trout’s three-run homer against Clayton Kershaw in the top of the third put the Angels on top 3-1. It was Trout’s first homer in 21 plate appearances against Kershaw.
It was also the first of six straight half innings that included at least one homer. The eight homers in the game were a Freeway Series record.
Justin Upton and Jared Walsh also homered for the Angels, as both players continued their torrid finishes. Upton is 23 for 73 (.315) with six homers in his last 21 games. Walsh is 24 for 67 (.358) with eight homers in his last 16 games.
Walsh’s homer gave the Angels a 5-3 lead in the fifth, but Andrew Heaney couldn’t get another out. Heaney gave up Justin Turner’s second homer and then a single to Max Muncy, just before Andriese gave up a two-run homer to Smith to put the Dodgers up 6-5.
The Dodgers insurance runs came against Felix Peña and Mike Mayers, who had been two of the most reliable relievers down the stretch.
“Obviously we ended up falling short but I don’t think anybody in our clubhouse was ever going to give up on the season, was ever going to give up on this team,” Heaney said. “That’s all you can ask, for guys to come in, put in the work put in the effort and do what you can to win ballgames and keep it rolling. I’m proud to be on this team. I’m proud to be a part of this group. Even though we obviously didn’t achieve our goals, the effort and the things that you can control were.”
The Angels will certainly look back at pitching failures, both in the rotation and the bullpen, for their slow start. In some games the starters got blown out early and in others the bullpen was blown out late. In any case, the run prevention failed them, and improvement in September came too late.
“We dug too deep of a hole early to overcome it,” Maddon said. “You can just go back if you’d like yourself and look at some games early on and, and how they were decided. Within 60 games, we just didn’t get it done. This is one time I’m yearning for 162. We would have a real solid chance of turning this around and pushing it in the right direction. But everybody is playing under the same circumstances. It didn’t work for us. We learned a lot about each other going into next year, I feel pretty good about that. We know what we have to do.”
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