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The Los Angeles Angels are stuck in a serious offensive rut, and manager Ron Washington isn’t sugarcoating it. “We’re in an offensive funk right now, and it’s up and down the whole lineup,” Washington said after the Angels were shut out 3-0 by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. The team managed just two hits in the loss, extending a brutal stretch at the plate.
Since April 10, when the Angels erupted for 10 runs against the Rays, the offense has cratered. Over the last 11 games, the Angels have gone 3-8, scored just 2.4 runs per game, and hit a paltry .186. They’ve struck out in 33% of their plate appearances during that stretch — far above the league average of 22.4%.
Even Mike Trout is feeling it. The superstar went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Wednesday, dropping his season average to .169. “The energy’s down,” Trout admitted. “We’ve got to stay positive and keep pulling for each other.”
Washington, while not panicking, has been upfront about the slump. “They know they’re better than what they’re showing,” he said. “We just keep grinding. We’re only in the first month. If we can get it out of the way now, I’m good with that.”
Angels offensive struggles continue as they drop the first two games to Pirates
The offensive struggles are putting added pressure on the pitching staff. Jack Kochanowicz gave the Angels a quality outing Wednesday, allowing two runs over six innings. “He was real good,” Washington said. “He had a lot of ground balls, and his stuff was crisp.”
Reliever Reid Detmers also impressed, striking out four over two scoreless innings. But the offense gave them no support, failing to register a hit until the fifth inning and not advancing a runner to third base until the ninth.
Compounding matters is a questionable scheduling decision by the front office. The Angels are set to play a 6:29 p.m. getaway game Thursday — the latest allowed by MLB's collective bargaining agreement — before flying overnight to Minnesota for a Friday night game against the Twins.
“It’s not ideal for sure,” Trout said. Closer Kenley Jansen was more blunt: “It’s definitely not fair. I don’t think it’s healthy for anybody.”
Several players have expressed frustration, believing the decision prioritizes gate revenue over performance and recovery. “I don’t think it should be allowed, to be honest,” said outfielder Taylor Ward. For now, the Angels will try to power through the fatigue and the slump. But until the bats come alive, the pressure only intensifies.
