3 players who need a stronger series against the Mariners
After an extremely disappointing Opening Day performance, the Los Angeles Angels bounced back and took two out of three in Oakland. They outscored them 20-3 in the three games and had a whole bunch of memorable moments.
Logan O'Hoppe hit a three-run homer for his first MLB home run and he drove in six runs in the three games. Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Anderson both delivered scoreless outings. Mike Trout and Ohtani went back-to-back on consecutive pitches!
While there were a lot of good moments, there were some bad ones. The Angels lost a winnable game and also had some players underperform in the first series of the year. For them to beat a much better Seattle team, these players will need to step up and give the Angels stronger series.
1) LA Angels RF Hunter Renfroe needs a strongser series against the Mariners
Hunter Renfroe had a strange series in Oakland. He made one of the weirdest and wildest catches I've ever seen in the opener. He turned the wrong way and made a no-look catch much to the delight of Shohei Ohtani. That was one of very few highlights in that game.
Renfroe is known for a couple of things. First, he's known for hitting a ton of home runs. We saw his power in Spring Training and know what he's capable of. Second, he's known for his cannon of an arm in right field. That's why the Angels moved Taylor Ward from right to left.
Renfroe making that catch showcased neither of those skills which is fun, but Angels fans want to see what he can do particularly at the plate.
Renfroe had just one hit, a single, in 13 at-bats against the Athletics. He hit fifth twice and cleanup in the final game of the series. While hitting in such crucial points in the lineup, Renfroe has to be a key run-producer. He didn't drive in a single one of the 20 runs the Halos scored the opening weekend.
The Angels will need offense against really good pitching. Coming from Renfroe would be huge.
2) LA Angels 3B Anthony Rendon needs a stronger series against the Mariners
Like Renfroe, Rendon had a memorable moment, albeit one that Angels fans will want to forget. Rendon's altercation thankfully didn't result in a suspension, at least not yet, but the Angels third baseman did also hurt his knee in the second game of the series running into the tarp chasing a foul pop-up.
Rendon was okay, but was pulled from the game early with the Angels holding a massive lead and sat the following day. The Angels said it was a pre-planned day off for Rendon which makes sense due to his injury history, but that same injury history is why it was a bit concerning to not see him starting the series finale.
Assuming he is okay, Rendon will be in the lineup for the opener and presumably all three games of this Mariners series. Assuming he plays, the Angels will need him to be better than he was in Oakland.
Rendon hit cleanup in each of the first two games of the series in Oakland and went hitless in six at-bats. He did draw a walk and also hit a sacrifice fly, both of which are good. Rendon, however, needs to be better than he was.
In the first game of the series, he had two at-bats with two baserunners on. The Athletics opted to intentionally walk Ohtani to face Rendon the second time. He went hitless in those at-bats and the Angels lost 2-1. It's certainly not only Rendon's fault that they lost that game, but he needs to come through with clutch hits so teams actually pitch to Trout and Ohtani.
3) LA Angels RP Aaron Loup needs a stronger series against the Mariners
Aaron Loup's first outing of the season was disastrous. The first batter he faced, the light-hitting Estuery Ruiz, singled to right. The following batter, another light-hitting Athletic who also just so happened to be left-handed, hit an RBI double to tie the game. Loup entered in a 1-0 lead and once Ryan Tepera gave up the go-ahead single to score Loup's runner, the Angels were down 2-1.
Just like Rendon, Loup is not the only reason the Angels lost that opener. He was, however, used in a critical situation and came up short. He recorded just one out and gave up the lead.
I don't know if Loup is still Phil Nevin's number one choice as the primary left-hander out of the bullpen, but assuming he is, he needs to be better.
Fortunately, the Mariners top hitters are mostly right-handed so Loup theoretically wouldn't be counted on as much in the highest-leverage spot, but if the Angels need someone to get Kolten Wong, Jarred Kelenic, or Tommy La Stella out, Loup could easily be the guy they turn to.
Loup having a productive series in Seattle would obviously help the Angels tremendously in the win-column, but will also help solidify Nevin's choice in having him as the primary lefty over guys like Matt Moore and Jose Quijada.
Getting good production from Loup and the rest of the Angels bullpen would provide a real confidence boost for not only the Angels but also Angels fans.