NEW YORK -- The Angels were trying to reach .500 for the 11th time this season.
It didn’t happen on Monday night, after a 7-5 loss to the Mets at Citi Field.
Los Angeles had a 4-0 lead after three innings against Kodai Senga and then a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the seventh, but the Angels were denied because of bad defense and a bullpen that couldn’t get the job done.
Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery acknowledged that the frustrations were high after the game.
“We were in a really good position to take the game there. We just didn’t get it done,” Montgomery said.
Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson pitched well enough to win his first game since April 18 against the Giants. He was cruising through six innings of two-run ball, but in the seventh, he faced two batters without recording an out. He then left the game in favor of left-hander Reid Detmers, who -- like Anderson -- had trouble recording outs.
The first batter Detmers faced was Brandon Nimmo, whom he hit with a pitch to load the bases. Francisco Lindor, who was in an 0-for-24 slump when he entered the batter’s box, grounded into a force play that allowed Francisco Alvarez to score and make it a two-run game.
After Lindor stole second base to put two runners in scoring position, Juan Soto singled up the middle to plate both and tie the score at 5.
It was the defense that betrayed the Angels an inning later. With José Fermin on the mound and one out, Brett Baty worked a walk before Alvarez hit a ball to deep right field. It looked like right fielder Chris Taylor had plenty of room to catch the ball, but it ended up going over his head for a double to put runners on second and third.
“I wouldn’t say [Taylor] should have [caught the ball],” Montgomery said. “It looked like a ball he broke good on and then, obviously, getting into that corner where that fence is, it looked like he had a little issue out there.”
Left-hander Brock Burke then replaced Fermin to face pinch-hitter Ronny Mauricio. He hit a ground ball to third baseman Yoán Moncada, who tried to get Baty at the plate. It looked like a good throw from Moncada, but catcher Logan O’Hoppe let the ball go by him for an error, which allowed Baty to score and give New York the one-run lead.
“I thought [Moncada] gave [O’Hoppe] a decent enough throw. It’s obviously a bang-bang play.” Montgomery said. “You hope 'Hop' could handle it. I know the ball was sinking a little bit when [the runner] came in there. It really would have been a nice play to have right there in that situation. But we didn’t get it done.”
O’Hoppe didn’t mince words about what should have happened at the plate.
“I have to catch the ball, bottom line,” he said. “It’s frustrating. We have to win games in the second half. That’s the bottom line.”
Nimmo then hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Alvarez to score the seventh and final run for New York.
“We have to make plays behind [the bullpen] and they need to make pitches. … Situationally, there was some tough luck,” Montgomery said.