Major League Baseball

Angels' offense in unfamiliar territory without a map after losing Game 2 of ALDS

Published Oct. 4, 2014 3:22 a.m. ET

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Matt Shoemaker was dealing against the Royals. The 28-year-old rookie made his postseason debut a dandy, allowing one unearned run through six innings for the Angels in Game 2 of the ALDS.

Remember when Shoemaker's oblique strain was the Angels' biggest concern?

The undeniable predicament for the Angels now is hitting. After another head-scratching offensive drought Friday, the Angels are in danger of being eliminated from the postseason in Kansas City.

It's difficult to fathom, considering the Angels owned the best offense in MLB all season. Unfortunately for the Angels, not hitting has become contagious.

Kansas City's Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer to right in the 11th inning to give the Royals an improbable 2-0 lead in the ALDS after a 4-1 win in Game 2. It's the third consecutive extra-inning postseason victory for the upstart Royals, something no other team has ever done in the playoffs.

The Angels will throw C.J. Wilson in Game 3 on Sunday against James Shields, the Royals' ace.

"We've been through some tough things," Albert Pujols said. "People think the postseason is a huge difference. It's only a huge difference if you want. To me, it's still just a game. Just more cameras, more people, more excitement. In the end, it's the same game ... Don't try to put pressure on yourself. Just go out there and have fun. Relax and enjoy. There's nobody in this clubhouse with their head down. We know what we can do. We did it this year. We just need to get that little break here or there to get us going."

The Angels won 98 games this season with solid starting pitching, a stingy bullpen and a powerful lineup.

Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Howie Kendrick, the heart of the Angels order, are a combined 2-for-25 with two walks and 1 RBI. Josh Hamilton, the Angel who was dropped to seventh in the batting order after missing most of September with injuries, is 0-for-9. Hamilton has been booed by Angels fans.

"We're having good at-bats, we're just missing our pitches," Trout said. "It's tough, but we've got to turn the page and try to win on Sunday."

Jered Weaver and Shoemaker pitched gems for the Angels in Games 1 and 2, and the Royals countered with excellent outings from Jason Vargas and Yordano Ventura, who was throwing 100-mph fastballs Friday to keep Angels hitters off-balance.

The odds aren't in the Angels' favor. Only eight teams in Major League history have rallied from an 0-2 deficit to win a five-game series. The Giants were the last team to accomplish that feat in 2012 against Cincinnati, and San Francisco went on to win the World Series.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia doesn't believe the Angels are downtrodden. He met with the players after the game.

"We got together and talked about a couple of things. Naturally, it's not the position we want to be in. Nobody has their head buried in the sand, and we need a three-game winning streak. That's really what we need to do.

"Our guys are determined. We're going to take the travel day and exhale a little bit and get out there and get after it on Sunday."

Asked about the Angels' inexplicably struggling offense, Pujols said: "Both sides are struggling. It's about pitching in the postseason ... It's not like they've come in here and beat our pitching up."

But the Royals got timely hits when they needed them. In Game 1, Mike Moustakas hit the game-winning home run in the 11th inning, and in Game 2, Hosmer homered in the 11th.

And now, the Angels must find a way to win.

"Take it one game at a time," Trout said. "You play Sunday. If you lose you go home. It's tough, but that's the way it is."

That wasn't the way it was during the Angels' season, but that's the pickle that the Angels will be in at Kansas City.

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