The Los Angeles Angels lost again, and now they sit at 60 wins and 98 losses. That is the worst record in franchise history, and it could get worse. Oakland beat Los Angeles 7-3 on Wednesday night, with Donovan Walton hitting a three-run homer and rookie Henry Bolte recording his first four-hit game. The result drops Los Angeles to 60-98, putting them on pace for the first 100-loss season in team history.
Walton’s two-out home run off rookie Walbert Ureña gave Oakland a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Lawrence Butler had driven in the first run with an RBI single. Bolte added to the damage in the second, going 4 for 5 with two runs scored and an RBI double that stretched the lead to 5-0.
The Home Run Pair
Mike Trout and Vaughn Grissom hit back-to-back homers off Jeffrey Springs in the fourth inning, cutting the deficit to 5-2. Alika Williams and Bolte singled off José Fermín in the sixth, scoring on a double by Shea Langeliers. Those runs made the final score 7-3.
Late Leads Keep Vanishing
Los Angeles has a real problem finishing games. They have lost 11 games when leading in the ninth inning, matching the 1978 New York Mets and 2012 Milwaukee Brewers for the MLB record. The team is 19-29 in one-run games and 6-14 in extra innings.
“We’re trying to get better every single day.”
That is what Manager Kurt Suzuki said after the game. He added: “I don’t have to give them an inspirational speech; they know what they have to do. That being said, we’d like to finish off the season strong.”
The Numbers Behind the Record
The run differential tells the story. Los Angeles carries a minus-89 mark, which corresponds to a 69-88 Pythagorean winning percentage. The math reflects the 60-98 record itself.
| Stat | Los Angeles Angels |
|---|---|
| Record | 60-98 |
| Loss streak | 11 straight losses in the ninth |
| One-run record | 19-29 |
| Extra-inning record | 6-14 |
| Run differential | Minus-89 |
| Pythagorean winning percentage | 69-88 |
What Went Wrong Tonight
Ureña allowed five runs on seven hits over four innings. Bolte’s four-hit game was a strong individual performance, though it did not change the outcome. The Angels offense could not sustain the response.
Trout and Grissom provided the only real momentum shift, but it was too little, too late.
Offseason Moves Already Underway
Los Angeles is not waiting for next year to start fixing things. They traded outfielder Jo Adell to the Cleveland Guardians while evaluating rookie Wade Meckler in the outfield. The club continues to search for outfield depth and a left-handed power hitter for next season.
Ownership Changes Hands
The season also marks an ownership transition from Arte Moreno to Stan Kroenke, who purchased the franchise this month. The changeover is part of the broader picture, but it is not the main story. The team is bad on the field, and the new owner inherits that reality.
A Long Drought
The Angels have secured their 11th consecutive losing season. They hold Major League Baseball’s longest active postseason drought, having last reached the playoffs in 2014. The franchise recorded its previous worst mark in 2024 with 99 losses.
This year’s 60-98 record matches that mark, and the team is on pace to lose 100 games for the first time in franchise history.
The Final Stretch
Los Angeles travels to Seattle on Thursday to kick off a four-game series to end the regular season against the Seattle Mariners. Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (4-8, 5.96 ERA) will take the mound for the Angels in the opening matchup.
The record is on the line. Los Angeles has not lost 100 games in a season, and it would be a historic moment if they did. The team knows it, the fans know it, and the numbers keep moving in the wrong direction.
The season ends in Seattle. The Angels will play their final four games there, and the outcome will settle the question of whether this year goes down as the worst in franchise history. The team has been talking about finishing strong, but the record suggests they have not been able to do it.
The Angels are close to the franchise rock bottom. The question is whether they can stop before reaching it.
Key Facts
- Record: 60-98
- Loss streak: 11 straight losses in the ninth
- One-run record: 19-29
- Extra-inning record: 6-14
- Run differential: Minus-89
- Pythagorean winning percentage: 69-88
- Next game: Thursday, vs. Seattle Mariners, at Angel Stadium
The 69-88 Pythagorean projection means the math expects a winning percentage closer to .700 than the actual .395 the Angels have posted. The gap between expected and actual results is wide, and the team has not shown signs of closing it yet. The offense has moments — Trout and Grissom homering in the fourth — but the bullpen and defense have let those moments slip away.
Suzuki’s message after the game was simple: improvement is the goal, not inspiration. “We’re trying to get better every single day,” he said. “I don’t have to give them an inspirational speech; they know what they have to do. That being said, we’d like to finish off the season strong.” The words sound familiar, but the record does not reflect them.
The 2024 mark of 99 losses remains the franchise low. This year’s 60-98 record matches that mark, and the team is on pace to lose 100 games for the first time in franchise history. The math is unforgiving, and the schedule offers no relief. Four games against Seattle, with Rodriguez starting the opener, will determine whether the franchise reaches a milestone it has never touched before.
The Angels have been working on getting better every day, according to Suzuki. Whether that effort translates into actual wins remains to be seen. The final games will show whether the progress is real or just talk.
The team has been talking about finishing strong, but the record suggests they have not been able to do it. The Angels are close to the franchise rock bottom. The question is whether they can stop before reaching it.
Source material: “Los Angeles Angels edge closer to franchise rock bottom,” Yahoo Sports.
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