On Aug. 8, the Angels awoke three games under .500 and three games out of playoff position. They then strung together their longest winning streak of the season, six consecutive victories against Baltimore and Seattle, some chief competition along their wild-card hunt.
On Friday, they will be back where they were, three games out for the first time since before the streak that vaulted them into the fray. They lost 5-2 to Houston on Thursday, after producing only five hits at Angel Stadium. Minnesota, the team they’re chasing, won by one run against Toronto.
That’s the thing: The Angels have come this far, further than most within the industry thought possible.