This pitcher has been a bright spot for Halos

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

HOUSTON -- Last year, it was the offense that let down the Angels.

They finished 25th out of the 30 MLB clubs in runs scored, but pitched relatively well with a 3.77 team ERA that ranked as the ninth-best mark in the Majors. But this season, it’s been the opposite. The Angels are sixth in runs scored but their 4.50 ERA ranks 20th.

Simply put, if the Angels pitched like they did in 2022, they’d firmly be in postseason contention. But instead, they’re 59-60 and are 6 1/2 games behind the Blue Jays for the third and final AL Wild Card spot with 43 games left to play.

“Our offense has been pretty darn good,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “What we've done offensively the last couple of weeks has been good enough to win a lot more games than we have. We’ve got to pitch better. We got to defend better. Most importantly, we haven't pitched well enough to win those games. That's just the way it is.”

Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has been their ace, but he hasn’t been as consistent as he was on the mound last season. His ERA is up from 2.33 last year to 3.17 this year. Similarly, left-hander Patrick Sandoval's ERA was 2.91 last year, but is 3.86 this year, and fellow lefty Reid Detmers had a 3.77 ERA as a rookie in '22, but has a 5.27 ERA this season. And lefty Tyler Anderson, who signed a three-year deal worth $39 million in the offseason, had a 2.57 ERA with the Dodgers last year, but a 5.28 ERA this season.

The pitching struggles have been even more magnified this month, as Angels pitchers have posted a 6.17 ERA that ranks as the third-highest mark in August. It’s a big reason why they’ve gone 3-9 since the Aug. 1 Trade Deadline.

Right-hander Chase Silseth has been a bright spot, however, and he threw five scoreless innings against the Astros on Sunday. He’s pitched well in four starts since joining the rotation in mid-July, posting a 1.59 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.

“It feels good, but you just have to keep pushing forward,” Silseth said. “I’ve been able to land the slider and been more consistent with the splitter. I’ve been able to get it in the zone more, which leads to more chase because they have to honor it in the zone. And my fastball command has been better.”

He’ll get the opportunity to stick in the rotation, especially with Ohtani set to skip his next start due to arm fatigue. Ohtani was scheduled to start on Tuesday, but he will now be pushed back to either Aug. 20 or Aug. 21 against the Reds at Angel Stadium.

New addition Lucas Giolito will be pushed up to start on normal rest on Tuesday, and Wednesday’s starter is yet to be determined. Right-hander Griffin Canning, who was reinstated from the injured list on Sunday after missing 14 games with right calf tightness, is the leading candidate to make that start.

Canning has bounced back to post a league-average 4.46 ERA in 16 starts this season after missing last year with a stress reaction in his back. He’s currently in the bullpen in case he’s needed in an emergency on Monday or Tuesday.

“I consider him a valuable weapon,” Nevin said. “Great arm. I like what he’s done so far this year. We’ll see how it goes going forward.”