Angels Backup Deadline Moves with Series Win Over the Rangers

There hasn’t been a better time for the Angels to take a series from the Texas Rangers. With the trade deadline looming and the final AL Wild Card spot within reach, the timing couldn’t have been more critical. Heading into the weekend, the Angels didn’t look like serious contenders either in the postseason race or on the trade market. Yet, a sudden winning streak flipped the narrative just enough to force the front office’s hand. In a pivotal series against a division rival, the Halos finally showed signs of life and maybe a reason to make a move. 

Entering the final week of the trade deadline, the Angels were having a bit of an identity crisis. Were the Angels going to go for October baseball? Were the Angels going to be buying even with a losing record? Wouldn’t they just sell for a chance at the postseason in the future? 

On the field, the Angels backed up the narrative shift. They opened with a statement win against the Rangers’ starter Jacob deGrom on Monday, tagging the starter for five runs and ending the Rangers ' six-game winning streak. Kevin Newman, Luis Rengifo, and Taylor Ward all went deep, and the Angels looked like a team that was ready to fight back. Saturday brought more of the same, except the Halos showed how to win as a team. Tuesday’s game brought more of the same. Timely hitting, a big sixth inning, and now, a three-game winning streak for the Halos. Yoan Moncada’s pinch-hit, go-ahead single was the highlight of the night, but the Angels' ability to cash in on mistakes meant that six hits were all the Angels needed. 

Then came Wednesday. An hour before the series finale, the Angels officially decided to be buyers. The Angels acquired two veteran relievers, Luis Garcia and Andrew Chafin, from the Nationals, and sent lefty Jake Eder and Double-A first baseman Sam Brown to Washington. The message was clear: a move to motivate the team to push for a postseason spot. Back on the field, though, the Angels couldn’t manage a sweep. The series finale was a reality check. Jose Soriano gave the Halos a quality start, but it was the Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi who would silence the bats, as well as the Angels’ bullpen, who couldn’t hold the line. Texas then had an offensive explosion of its own in Wednesday’s game, putting up four runs across the board, with a two-run homer from Adolis Garcia. Nolan Schanuel tried to light a spark in the eighth inning for the Angels with a two-run homer of his own, but the rally ended there.  

The Angels proved that the team can hang with a division rival. They managed to take a series win and inch a little closer to the final AL Wild Card spot, just four games back. However, this series also showed that there are mistakes that the Angels must correct before they can become serious contenders for the postseason. The Angels can’t win on pure talent anymore.  Now, it’s going to take consistent, winning baseball to put them in a position of becoming contenders instead of pretenders.