Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout snapped a skid on Saturday night, homering twice in what proved to be a 3-2 loss against the San Francisco Giants (box score). Trout, who entered 1 for his last 22 with 14 strikeouts, nearly completed the hat trick in the bottom of the ninth against Giants closer Ryan Walker. Alas, it wasn’t to be and the ball was caught on the track.
“I knew I hit it off the end of the bat but I thought it had a chance,” Trout told reporters, including MLB.com. “It’s tough early in the season, the marine layer comes in. I was just happy my swing tonight was a lot better than the last couple days.”
Trout added that he’s been working with the Angels hitting coaches, attempting to get his swing into better shape and himself out of the rut that began on April 12.
“Me and the hitting guys have been grinding. It’s nice some things finally clicked,” he said.
Trout, 33, is now hitting .189/.279/.527 (125 OPS+) following his 28th career multi-home run game. While many of his ball-tracking measures remain strong, there have been a few noticeable shifts in his statistical profile. To wit, he’s striking out more than he did last season (26.7% versus 21.4%). He’s also both pulling fewer balls than normal and pulling fewer balls in the air than he has at any point since 2016. That combination hasn’t kept him from homering eight times.
The Angels are now 10-10 on the season, albeit with a minus-10 run differential. The Angels have now lost five of their last six games, dropping them into a tie with the Houston Astros for third place in the American League West (+2100 to win the division, per FanDuel). Los Angeles will wrap up the weekend set against the Giants on Sunday before welcoming the Pittsburgh Pirates to town.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Three reasons why Inter can beat Barcelona and advance to the Champions League final
Getty Images BARCELONA -- If Inter wanted to have a chance to qualify for their second UEFA Champions League final in the last three seasons, they needed to contain FC Barcelona and Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal in the first leg at the Estadio Lluis Companys. If the second one was quite difficult to make happen, we can't say the Nerazzurri haven't done their best to bring a 3-3 draw back to Milan ahead of the second leg semifinal that will take place on Tuesday (live on Paramount+). Simone Inzaghi's Inter showed, once again, why they shouldn't be underestimated and why they are still a strong candidate to win, despite a disappointing recent form that led them to lose the lead of the Serie A standings after losing two Serie A matches in a row. It won't be easy, but Inter […]
Jimmy Butler or Stephen Curry — Who’s carrying the Golden State Warriors this postseason? | Speak
Jimmy Butler or Stephen Curry — Who’s carrying the Golden State Warriors this postseason? | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce and Ric Bucher debate who’s been the true leader for the Golden State Warriors this postseason — Jimmy Butler or Stephen Curry. JUST IN・speak・2:22
Jeff Sperbeck, John Elway’s longtime business partner, dies after golf cart incident
Jeff Sperbeck, the longtime business partner, former agent and friend of Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, died Wednesday at 62 as a result of injuries he sustained four days earlier in a “golf cart incident,” according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.According to reports, Sperbeck fell off the back of a golf cart.AdvertisementThe incident occurred Saturday night at a private golf community in La Quinta, Calif., according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in California.“After an initial investigation, it was determined that medical personnel responded and transported Sperbeck to a local hospital in critical condition. On April 30, Sperbeck was pronounced deceased as a result of his injuries,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is committed to conducting a thorough investigation into the death of Sperbeck and will take appropriate action […]
How impressive was Jamal Murray in the Denver Nuggets Game 5 win? | Speak
How impressive was Jamal Murray in the Denver Nuggets Game 5 win? | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce reacts to Jamal Murray’s dominant performance in the Denver Nuggets’ Game 5 win and explains why “Playoff Murray” might be the key to another championship run. JUST IN・speak・1:05
Lamine The Dream: Micah Richards coins nickname for Barcelona phenom Lamine Yamal after dazzling in UCL
Getty Images Where were you when you were 17? For Lamine Yamal, he's in the process of rewriting history with every kick of the ball. Scoring against Inter and also pushing Barcelona forward in a 3-3 draw in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals, what Yamal is doing is unheard of. Tuesday was his 100th appearance for Barcelona, and in that time, he has 50 goal contributions for the club (22 goals, 28 assists). Any player would be happy to do that, but he's doing it in braces before turning 18.It's truly remarkable, and while Yamal has us running out of words on how to describe his play, one thing that he doesn't have is a nickname, but that could be changing after CBS Sports' Micah Richards coined "Lamine The Dream" during the UEFA Champions League Today post-match […]
Those who believed in Astros prospect AJ Blubaugh relish his big league debut
HOUSTON — Belief brought AJ Blubaugh to the pinnacle of his profession, a place few presumed he’d ever reach. Those who did gathered on the backstop before the biggest day of Blubaugh’s life, swapping stories of how a “sidearm knuckleballer who played shortstop” found himself as a spot starter for the Houston Astros.Advertisement“We probably talk too much,” Drew Pearson said on Wednesday morning. “I probably bug him too much. We text all the time. Phone calls. We had that bond from the beginning, so I feel comfortable with it.”Blubaugh phoned Pearson around 11:30 on Monday night to tell him of his promotion. Astros amateur scouting director Cam Pendino followed, congratulating Pearson on the first major leaguer of his scouting career.Few members of a baseball organization relish a major-league debut more than the player’s signing scout. It is an affirmation of […]
Related
Three reasons why Inter can beat Barcelona and advance to the Champions League final
Getty Images BARCELONA -- If Inter wanted to have a chance to qualify for their second UEFA Champions League final in the last three seasons, they needed to contain FC Barcelona and Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal in the first leg at the Estadio Lluis Companys. If the second one was quite difficult to make happen, we can't say the Nerazzurri haven't done their best to bring a 3-3 draw back to Milan ahead of the second leg semifinal that will take place on Tuesday (live on Paramount+). Simone Inzaghi's Inter showed, once again, why they shouldn't be underestimated and why they are still a strong candidate to win, despite a disappointing recent form that led them to lose the lead of the Serie A standings after losing two Serie A matches in a row. It won't be easy, but Inter […]
Jimmy Butler or Stephen Curry — Who’s carrying the Golden State Warriors this postseason? | Speak
Jimmy Butler or Stephen Curry — Who’s carrying the Golden State Warriors this postseason? | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce and Ric Bucher debate who’s been the true leader for the Golden State Warriors this postseason — Jimmy Butler or Stephen Curry. JUST IN・speak・2:22
Jeff Sperbeck, John Elway’s longtime business partner, dies after golf cart incident
Jeff Sperbeck, the longtime business partner, former agent and friend of Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, died Wednesday at 62 as a result of injuries he sustained four days earlier in a “golf cart incident,” according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.According to reports, Sperbeck fell off the back of a golf cart.AdvertisementThe incident occurred Saturday night at a private golf community in La Quinta, Calif., according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office in California.“After an initial investigation, it was determined that medical personnel responded and transported Sperbeck to a local hospital in critical condition. On April 30, Sperbeck was pronounced deceased as a result of his injuries,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is committed to conducting a thorough investigation into the death of Sperbeck and will take appropriate action […]
How impressive was Jamal Murray in the Denver Nuggets Game 5 win? | Speak
How impressive was Jamal Murray in the Denver Nuggets Game 5 win? | Speak | FOX Sports <!--> --> Video Details Paul Pierce reacts to Jamal Murray’s dominant performance in the Denver Nuggets’ Game 5 win and explains why “Playoff Murray” might be the key to another championship run. JUST IN・speak・1:05
Lamine The Dream: Micah Richards coins nickname for Barcelona phenom Lamine Yamal after dazzling in UCL
Getty Images Where were you when you were 17? For Lamine Yamal, he's in the process of rewriting history with every kick of the ball. Scoring against Inter and also pushing Barcelona forward in a 3-3 draw in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals, what Yamal is doing is unheard of. Tuesday was his 100th appearance for Barcelona, and in that time, he has 50 goal contributions for the club (22 goals, 28 assists). Any player would be happy to do that, but he's doing it in braces before turning 18.It's truly remarkable, and while Yamal has us running out of words on how to describe his play, one thing that he doesn't have is a nickname, but that could be changing after CBS Sports' Micah Richards coined "Lamine The Dream" during the UEFA Champions League Today post-match […]
Those who believed in Astros prospect AJ Blubaugh relish his big league debut
HOUSTON — Belief brought AJ Blubaugh to the pinnacle of his profession, a place few presumed he’d ever reach. Those who did gathered on the backstop before the biggest day of Blubaugh’s life, swapping stories of how a “sidearm knuckleballer who played shortstop” found himself as a spot starter for the Houston Astros.Advertisement“We probably talk too much,” Drew Pearson said on Wednesday morning. “I probably bug him too much. We text all the time. Phone calls. We had that bond from the beginning, so I feel comfortable with it.”Blubaugh phoned Pearson around 11:30 on Monday night to tell him of his promotion. Astros amateur scouting director Cam Pendino followed, congratulating Pearson on the first major leaguer of his scouting career.Few members of a baseball organization relish a major-league debut more than the player’s signing scout. It is an affirmation of […]
Be the first to leave a comment