The Angels' Bottom Four Just Made History and Nobody in the League Is Ready For It

Woah. Did you guys see what the Los Angeles Angels just pulled off? Seriously, they just put on an offensive clinic, dodging a six-game Freeway Series sweep with an absolute explosion against the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers. We're talking a 13-5 victory on Sunday, and it wasn't just any win, it was a *historic* one. Now they're heading home to Anaheim, ready to kick off a three-game series against the Houston Astros tonight, and you gotta wonder if that momentum is for real.

Unbelievable Hitting From The Bottom of the Order

You know how sometimes the top of the lineup carries the team? Not Sunday. The bottom four batters for the Angels, Jo Adell, Nick Madrigal, Jose Siri, and Sebastian Rivero, went absolutely BONKERS. They combined for a ridiculous 13-for-15 at the plate, drawing four walks, scoring ten runs, and driving in ten RBIs. Can you even believe that? They started the game 11-for-11, which Elias Sports confirmed was the first time in the expansion era that a team's 6-9 hitters started 10-for-10. Their .867 average was the highest for those spots since at least 1900! Rivero, who had just eight RBIs in 67 major league games before Sunday, led the charge, going 5-for-5 with a double and six RBIs. His average shot up from .133 to .220, just like that! Adell added a 4-for-5 performance with a two-run homer and four runs scored, while Siri finished 3-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs, and two runs. "It was pretty special to watch," Adell said. "Rivero just had an absolute day. Or really even two weeks, with how well it was." That kind of hitting is contagious, and it's dangerous.

A Tall Order in Houston's Ace and MVP Candidate

But don't get too carried away, because tonight, the Angels run into a serious wall: Houston righty Spencer Arrighetti. This dude is a PROBLEM. He's rocking a 7-1 record with a filthy 1.94 ERA, and he was the American League Pitcher of the Month for May after giving up only three earned runs in five starts. He even took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers on May 15. The Astros have won his last four starts, even though he had a bit of a bump last Wednesday, allowing a season-high four runs in four innings in an 11-9 win over the Pirates, including a grand slam. Still, that was only the second time in nine starts he'd allowed more than one earned run. Houston manager Joe Espada summed it up, saying, "He's been picking us up; we picked him up today, and that's what good teams do." And if that wasn't enough, Yordan Alvarez is on fire, batting .316 with a league-high 22 dingers and 48 RBIs. He's been torching pitchers in June, hitting .476 with two homers and nine RBIs in just six games.

Angels Pitcher Grayson Rodriguez Looks To Rebound

For the Angels, they're sending Grayson Rodriguez to the mound. It's his fifth start of the season after missing almost two years with injuries, but it hasn't been smooth sailing. He's sitting with a 2-2 record and a 9.50 ERA. His last outing was his roughest yet, giving up seven earned runs on seven hits, including a 433-foot three-run blast, in just 3 2/3 innings during an 8-2 loss to Colorado. Against the Astros, he's 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA in two career starts. He knows what's up. "I just left pitches over the middle," Rodriguez admitted. "Being out of the zone isn't going to set you up for success, and when you leave it right over the middle on a tee, they're going to do a lot of damage." Can the Angels keep that historic offense rolling against a red-hot pitcher and a scorching MVP candidate? Or will Rodriguez find his form? It's going to be a tough test right out of the gate for this Angels team, and it'll tell us a lot about their early season momentum.

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