Angels' surprising weakness

After a rough April, the Los Angels Angels hit their stride in May and June. And while July didn't start off the same way, they finished the month by winning six of 10 and acquiring Zack Greinke to bolster their rotation. August, however, has seen the Angels fall from grace. They fell out of the top 10 in the ESPN Power Rankings last week, to 14th place, and this week they dropped one more spot to 15th. To make matters worse, they now trail not only the Texas Rangers but the Oakland Athletics in the American League West. And after being swept at home in embarrassing fashion by the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend, it's fair to wonder whether or not the Angels are playoff material.

Hitting has not been the Angels' issue. They have averaged more than five runs a game since the start of June, and while the fearsome foursome of Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Mark Trumbo and Torii Hunter have carried the offense, they have been supported by the returns of Erick Aybar and Chris Iannetta. Kendrys Morales has also hit well recently. In fact, looking at wRC+, which is a great resource for historical comparisons since it is adjusted for both park and league, the Angels' 110 wRC+ this season would be the third-best performance in franchise history, trailing only the 113 marks the team achieved in both 1979 and 1982.

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