Angels lose again, as defense, offense struggle against A’s - OCRegister

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• Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval throws to the plate during the first inning of Saturday’s game against the Oakland A’s at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha (20) reaches third base ahead of a throw to Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon (6) during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Chris Bassitt (40) throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• Los Angeles Angels shortstop Jose Iglesias (4) throws to first after Oakland Athletics’ Ramon Laureano (22) was out at second during the second inning of a baseball game Friday, May 21, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jose Rojas (18) fails to catch a fly ball hit by Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. Canha reached second base. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Patrick Sandoval #43 of the Los Angeles Angels pitches during the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Jose Iglesias #4 of the Los Angeles Angels makes a double play against Ramon Laureano #22 of the Oakland Athletics during the third inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha (20) returns to the dugout after scoring off of a double hit by Matt Olson during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• Oakland Athletics Elvis Andrus (17) reacts after hitting a foul ball off of his foot during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Jose Iglesias #4 of the Los Angeles Angels tosses the ball to second base during the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: David Fletcher #22 of the Los Angeles Angels throws the ball for the double play against Matt Chapman #26 of the Oakland Athletics during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Patrick Sandoval #43 and Kurt Suzuki #24 of the Los Angeles Angels bump fists after a double play during the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• Oakland Athletics’ Matt Olson (28) celebrates with Jed Lowrie (8) after hitting a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Alex Claudio #58 of the Los Angeles Angels waits on the mound after giving up a home run to Matt Olson #28 of the Oakland Athletics during the sixth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts to a pitch during the sixth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) doubles with a slide in to second base during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reaches second base ahead of a throw to Oakland Athletics shortstop Elvis Andrus (17) during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• Los Angeles Angels left fielder Justin Upton (10) watches as a home run ball hit by Oakland Athletics’ Aramis Garcia flies over the fence during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) triples during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. Jose Iglesias scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels stands in the batters box during his at bat during the eighth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels runs after hitting a triple during the eighth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Ramon Laureano #22 of the Oakland Athletics fails to catch a ball by Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• Oakland Athletics center fielder Ramon Laureano (22) does not catch a line drive hit by Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. Jose Iglesias scored. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates his triple with Brian Butterfield #55 during the eighth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Jake Diekman #35 and Aramis Garcia #37 of the Oakland Athletics celebrate their 6-2 win against the Los Angeles Angels after the game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 22, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

• A fan waves as he walks up a ramp to his seat before a baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

ANAHEIM — Joe Maddon has been sitting in front of an American Legion flag all week during his pre- and postgame video conferences. It has been the symbol of the Angels manager’s attempt to shake the team out of its rut by having a more relaxed pregame routine.

Instead of doing extensive work on the field before the game, Maddon wanted his players to relax and focus more on playing and less on preparing, just like teenagers playing American Legion ball in the summer.

It hasn’t worked.

The Angels lost to the Oakland A’s, 6-2, on Saturday night, their fifth loss in seven games since Maddon tried to change the atmosphere.

Of course, it hasn’t helped that three-time American League MVP Mike Trout got hurt on Monday, but there have been numerous other issues throughout the week, and the previous weeks, with just about every element of the team failing at one point or another. They’ve lost 15 of their last 21 games. They fell to 19-27, a season-worst eight games under .500.

Maddon, however, insisted on Saturday night that the effort has been there.

“I can’t fault their work and their energy,” Maddon said. “I am watching it. I see it. There’s no fault there.”

Maddon said the primary issue has been the bullpen’s inability to hold the leads when the offense and starting pitchers do their jobs because those are the games they need to secure.

“When you’re not winning games you kind of have in hand, there’s normally a snowball effect with that,” Maddon said. “We can’t afford (to lose those). We have to win the games that we’re supposed to win. Our margins for error are really minimal. We’re not going to hit ourselves through a couple bad plays nor to this point have we been able to pitch through some bad moments.”

The Angels gave up a one-run seventh-inning lead on Friday night, but Saturday night they trailed almost immediately, thanks in part to their continued defensive issues.

Mark Canha led off the game with a drive into right center. Right fielder Jose Rojas might not have been able to catch it, but he took a poor route and the ball hit the fence. Center fielder Juan Lagares then bobbled the ball trying to pick it up, allowing Canha to turn his double into a triple. He then scored on a sacrifice fly.

In the second, shortstop José Iglesias booted a ground ball, his 10th error of the season. That’s the second-most errors in the majors, and just one fewer than his most in any full season. That error didn’t lead to anything but a few more pitches for Patrick Sandoval.

Canha benefitted from the Angels’ poor defense in the third, when he hit a fairly routine fly ball to right and Rojas overran it. It was scored a double, and Canha came around to score the second run of the game. Maddon said Rojas lost the ball in the lights.

Sandoval did not give up another run over his five innings, an encouraging outing overall. He threw 83 pitches in his second start of the year, continuing to stretch out toward a potential permanent spot in the rotation. His two starts were because Alex Cobb was on the injured list and the Angels had a doubleheader this week.

“Really good,” Maddon said of Sandoval. “Good mix of pitches. Good command. I thought he kept his composure well. I told him that as soon as he came out of the game. I thought he kept it together really well in some tough moments. It’s definitely a good growth moment against the good offensive club.”

Sandoval and the defense would have needed to be perfect, though, because the Angels offense was shut down by Chris Bassitt.

David Fletcher bounced one through the middle for a single in the third. Shohei Ohtani rolled a ball into center field and hustled his way into a double in the sixth.

The Angels trailed 6-0 in the eighth before they started to show some signs of life, scoring a pair of runs on five hits, including an Ohtani RBI triple.

They couldn’t get any closer, though, and took their third straight loss.

“Obviously losing is never fun,” Sandoval said. “We’re trying as hard as we can to manufacture a win however we can. It’ll come together soon.”

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