The Los Angeles Angels dismissed general manager Perry Minasian on Friday, shortly before their 9-3 defeat to the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium. The move comes as the team endures its sixth consecutive losing season under Minasian’s leadership, with the Angels currently holding a 34-49 record and sitting last in their division.
In the wake of Minasian’s departure, the Angels appointed former St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak as interim GM. Mozeliak takes over amid ongoing struggles that have extended the Angels’ streak to 10 straight losing seasons and 11 consecutive years missing the playoffs—the longest such streaks in Major League Baseball. Additionally, the team’s farm system remains among the league’s weakest, complicating efforts to rebuild.
The team’s loss to the Athletics featured a dramatic turning point in the fifth inning. Angels starter Walbert Ureña began strongly, retiring his first 12 batters on just 36 pitches and holding a 1.93 earned-run average over his previous 10 starts. However, his performance faltered in the fifth inning. After walking two of the first three batters, Ureña threw nearly as many pitches in that inning as in the previous four combined. Max Muncy ended Ureña’s no-hit bid with an infield single, loading the bases. The Athletics then unleashed a seven-run rally, capped by Shea Langeliers’ RBI single. Jeff McNeil, Alika Williams, Henry Bolte, and Nick Kurtz also contributed key hits during the sequence as the Athletics surged to a 7-1 lead.
For the Angels, Donovan Walton had given the team an early lead with an RBI single in the fourth inning, and Jo Adell added a two-run home run in the fifth. Nevertheless, Oakland’s offensive outburst overwhelmed the hosts.
Elsewhere, Angels star Mike Trout indicated he will likely forgo participation in this year’s All-Star Home Run Derby, though no official decision has been finalized.
The Angels now face the challenge of regrouping under new management while addressing persistent on-field struggles and organizational shortcomings that have hindered their competitiveness in recent years.