TORONTO — The Angels’ offensive performance Friday night was all too typical.
Jo Adell hit a three-run homer. The Angels didn’t score another run.
The Angels have scored 49.5% of their runs on home runs this season, which is the highest percentage in the majors. The big-league average is 40%.
That explains how the Angels can rank fifth in the majors in homers while being 18th in the most important category: runs.
“Part of the construction of the team is that,” interim manager Ray Montgomery said. “With that, there’s going to be highs and lows. You’re going to have some trade-offs. I’m not complaining about having home runs and scoring runs. It’s usually a good thing, especially if they are multiple-run home runs. But there are times when we have to do other things too. Obviously at different parts in the lineup, to make sure we’re manufacturing runs, too.”
Homers are often a product of mistakes by pitchers more than good swings by hitters, so the Angels to some extent are at the mercy of whether the opponent on the mound is on his game. When that pitcher is not making mistakes that the Angels are hitting over the fence, they’ve struggled to find other ways to score.
That’s reflected in their batting average, which ranks 27th, and their strikeout rate, which ranks 29th.
“The responsibility shifts to us to make the adjustment in game and have a different plan of attack,” Montgomery said of the times when the homers aren’t there. “I don’t think we’d get away from what we’re doing necessarily, or what we consider our strengths, but you have to adapt in game.”
MONCADA UPDATE
Yoán Moncada, who has the kind of hitting profile that could help diversify the Angels’ offense, took a step closer to a return by playing in a game Friday night in the Arizona Complex League.
Moncada was 1 for 3 with two walks. He is scheduled to play third base Saturday.
Moncada, who has been out since June 2 because of a sore knee, has been cleared to swing from both sides of the plate.
ALL-STAR ADELL?
Major League Baseball will announce the full rosters for the All-Star team Sunday. At least one player from the Angels has to be on the roster, and Adell has vaulted himself into the conversation.
Adell was hitting .254 with 19 homers and an .836 OPS heading into Saturday’s game. The other outfielders who would be in competition for the reserve spots include Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins (19 homers, .880 OPS); Trent Grisham of the New York Yankees (16 homers, .828 OPS); Wilyer Abreu of the Boston Red Sox (17 homers, .824); and George Springer of the Toronto Blue Jays (15 homers, .892).
The starters selected by the fans were the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Riley Greene and Javy Baez of the Detroit Tigers.
Players vote for the next three, and their ballots were due last Sunday. MLB then fills out the rosters, typically selecting the most deserving players from teams not otherwise represented.
The Angels’ most likely representative besides Adell is left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who ranks 11th in the league with a 2.81 ERA.
UP NEXT
Angels (LHP Tyler Anderson, 2-5, 4.12) at Blue Jays (RHP Kevin Gausman, 6-6, 4.18), 10:37 a.m. Sunday, PT, FanDuel Sports Network West, 830 AM
