ANAHEIM — When Ron Washington was asked what he saw in the final at-bat of the Angels’ 4-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night, the shortness of his answer relayed his frustration.
“I saw him not swing the bat,” the Angels manager said after Mike Trout was called out on strikes to leave the bases loaded, ending the Angels’ fifth straight loss.
“Bases loaded,” Washington added. “Have an opportunity to at least tie it. Just gotta swing the bat.”
It was the second time in the last nine games that an Angels’ game ended with Trout striking out with the tying run in scoring position. Kenley Jansen got him swinging to end the April 14 game at Boston, and this time it was Orioles closer Craig Kimbrel. Trout took four straight high fastballs. He was behind, 1-and-2, when Kimbrel threw one at the top of the zone, ending the game.
“I knew what he was going to throw me,” Trout said. “They have been throwing me the same stuff the whole game. I’ve gotta come through. That’s it.”
Trout, who is now 2 for 18 with runners in scoring position this season, also regretted that he didn’t at least put the ball in play.
“I think in the past week or two I’ve been off and on at the plate, feeling wise, as opposed to what I was at the beginning of the season,” Trout said. “Just trying to find some things. But no excuse. I gotta come through.”
Trout has been cold lately, as have most of his teammates. He has 1 hit in his last 18 at-bats. The Angels as a team are hitting .211 in the five-game losing streak, scoring just seven runs.
The Angels (9-14) went 18 innings between runs, with a shutout on Sunday and then no runs on Monday until Jo Adell’s homer in the seventh.
A Nolan Schanuel RBI single cut the deficit to two, and they had a promising rally in the ninth. Adell was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and then Logan O’Hoppe dropped a single into right, his third hit of the game. Ehire Adrianza then struck out. Washington said he let Adrianza hit, as opposed to using a pinch-hitter, because he wanted him to bunt. Once Adell stole third, Washington figured he could get him in.
Pinch-hitter Luis Rengifo then walked to load the bases. Washington let Schanuel hit even though he had Brandon Drury available on the bench.
“He has to learn those type of experiences, so I left him in there,” Washington said.
Schanuel hit a pop-up, and then Trout’s strikeout ended another disappointing game for the Angels’ hitters.
“We’re working,” Washington said. “We’re talking every day. We’re going through the process every day. We’ve got to wait for the process to work. I’m sitting on the bench. The guys between the lines have to get it done. And we’re working at it every single day. And at some point, we will put it together.”
A fitting snapshot of the Angels’ futility came in the sixth inning.
Trout led off by drawing a walk. As Taylor Ward worked a full count, the Angels put Trout in motion. Ward then punched the 3-and-2 pitch right back to right-hander Albert Suarez. He snagged it and then casually flipped it to first, for a double play.
Trout had another opportunity in the seventh, after Schanuel’s single. He represented the tying run when he grounded out.
While the hitters struggled for most of the night, starter Reid Detmers pitched well enough to get through seven innings, allowing four runs.
The Orioles nicked him for single runs in the second, third, fifth and seventh innings.
James McCann pulled a homer just inside the left field pole to get the Orioles on the board. An inning later, Detmers walked No. 9 hitter Jorge Mateo to start the inning. Mateo then stole second and third. Adley Rutschman then poked a soft line drive over the drawn-in infield, knocking in a run.
In the fifth, Detmers nearly struck out Gunnar Henderson, but catcher Logan O’Hoppe had the foul tip bounce out of his glove. Henderson then rolled a single through the right side, and Rutschman drove him in with a double into the gap.
Detmers gave up a homer to Colton Cowser in the seventh.
“I battled,” Detmers said. “Got through seven, which is huge for the bullpen. I kept us in the game. At the end of the day, I just made a couple mistakes, about three or four pitches I’d like to have back. But other than that, I just went out there and competed. I battled and I felt pretty good.”