The Angels Are Collapsing, And Their 7-24 Record Is Impossible To Ignore

Alright, Emerald City! While our M's were out there shutting down the Royals 2-0, racking up another win for the good guys, we gotta talk about what's going down with another AL West squad. The Angels, man, they're in a freefall. After actually smashing four homers and dropping nine runs on Friday for their best offensive night in nearly a month, they're still stuck trying to do something crazy: win two games in a row. Seriously, they haven't won back-to-back since way back on May 5-6 against the White Sox. This team is sitting at a brutal 7-24 over their last 31 games. That's not just a slump, that's a whole new level of bad.

A Rookie's Dream Night Can't Hide the Struggle

Despite that grim 7-24 stretch, Friday night saw some fireworks that gave their fans a glimmer of hope. Shortstop Zach Neto absolutely torched the ball, hitting two dingers, one on two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom's very first pitch! That's his 12th career leadoff homer, tying him for second in team history, just behind Brian Downing's 19. But the real storybook moment? Anaheim native Wade Meckler, making his first Angels start, crushed his first major league homer. A 403-foot, three-run blast that had his parents going wild in the stands. This kid grew up idolizing Mike Trout, who was playing right next to him in center field! Meckler even made a highlight-reel, backhanded catch in the first. Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said Neto's and Meckler's homers "really set the tone for the game." It was a "pretty surreal moment" for Meckler, who'd been to "50 or 60 games growing up." The Angels scored six runs in just three innings against deGrom, eventually totaling nine for the first time since April 26. But can they keep it up? That's the real question that matters.

An Immovable Force Meets a Budding Talent

Don't bet on it being easy for the Halos to get that elusive second win. They're staring down veteran right-hander Nathan Eovaldi from the Rangers, and this dude is on a roll. Eovaldi is 5-4 with a 3.62 ERA, but he's allowed just one run over his last 22 innings, winning three straight starts. Historically, he's a nightmare for the Angels, sporting a 7-3 record with a 3.04 ERA in 16 career appearances against them. Last season, he was practically unhittable, going 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA. After a brief scare with left side tightness on May 11, he bounced back to throw seven shutout innings against Houston, striking out eight and getting 19 swings-and-misses, 13 with his splitter alone! He said his "curveball was good, the splitter was really good, and the sinker as well. It was just trying to attack the zone." Facing Eovaldi will be the Angels' rookie hard-thrower Walbert Urena. Urena's 1-4 with a 2.70 ERA, but he's got a solid 1.64 ERA over his last four starts, and he just threw six shutout innings allowing only four hits in an Angels win over the Athletics. This will be his first time facing Texas, but the kid is clearly showing some serious stuff. So, the Angels are trotting out Urena, trying desperately to string together two wins. Will Neto's power and Meckler's magic keep the bats hot against Eovaldi, or will the veteran shut them down and keep this pathetic back-to-back slump alive? It's a true test for a team that desperately needs to find some consistency, while we, the 12s, will be watching our Mariners keep pushing forward, hopefully continuing their own winning ways.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.