Dodgers - Angels

USA - MLB, Round 1

The Angels suffered a 11-4 defeat in their series opener on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, marking their fourth consecutive loss and their eighth in the last nine games. The recent string of injuries has hit the team hard and created a significant impact. With this loss, the Angels' record has fallen to .500 at 45-45, as they have now dropped 12 of their last 16 games. This is the first time they have reached the .500 mark since being 30-30 in June, and if they lose on Saturday, they could head into the All-Star break with a losing record.

Right-hander Griffin Canning struggled for the second consecutive outing, allowing three solo home runs in just 2 2/3 innings. He would have surrendered another home run if it wasn't for Jo Adell's leaping catch against the center-field wall, robbing Max Muncy of a blast. Adell's play was spectacular and fired up the team, but unfortunately, the Angels couldn't capitalize on the momentum.

Despite scoring all four of their runs through home runs, it wasn't enough for the Angels, who have recently suffered injuries to superstar center fielder Mike Trout, infielders Anthony Rendon, Zack Neto, Brandon Drury, and Gio Urshela. Rendon and Neto are expected to return shortly after the All-Star break, but Drury's shoulder hasn't been recovering as anticipated, leading to further testing on Friday.

Let's hope that this challenging period comes to an end soon for the Anaheim Angels.