Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels center fielder Kevin Pillar catches a fly ball hit by the Detroit Tigers’ Matt Vierling during the first inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Brant Hurter throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto reacts after striking out the Detroit Tigers’ Spencer Torkelson during the second inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto reacts after striking out the Detroit Tigers’ Spencer Torkelson during the second inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers right fielder Matt Vierling catches a fly ball hit by the Angels’ Brandon Drury during the second inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Brant Hurter throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels left fielder Taylor Ward, left, and center fielder Kevin Pillar misplay a ball hit for a triple by the Detroit Tigers’ Parker Meadows during the fourth inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Detroit Tigers’ Parker Meadows, right, celebrates with third base coach Joey Cora after hitting a triple during the fourth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Detroit Tigers’ Matt Vierling hits an RBI double during the fourth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
The Detroit Tigers’ Matt Vierling connects for an RBI double during the fourth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Detroit Tigers’ Matt Vierling safely slides into third base during the fourth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels pitching coach Barry Enright visits starting pitcher Johnny Cueto on the mound during the fourth inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels shortstop Zach Neto catches a pop-up hit by the Detroit Tigers’ Colt Keith during the fourth inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels center fielder Kevin Pillar catches a fly ball hit by the Detroit Tigers’ Trey Sweeney during the fifth inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
The Angels’ Taylor Ward watches the flight of his sacrifice fly to center field that scored Jo Adell during the fifth inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Angels’ Jo Adell is greeted in the dugout after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Ward during the fifth inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Angels’ Jo Adell is greeted in the dugout after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Ward during the fifth inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Angels’ Nolan Schanuel grounds out during the fifth inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Angels center fielder Kevin Pillar sits against the center field wall after a home run hit by the Detroit Tigers’ Jake Rogers during the fifth inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
The Detroit Tigers’ Jake Rogers crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
The Detroit Tigers’ Jake Rogers looks skyward after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels center fielder Kevin Pillar is unable to catch a ball that was hit for a solo home run by the Detroit Tigers’ Riley Greene during the sixth inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Detroit Tigers’ Riley Greene runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Detroit Tigers’ Riley Greene approaches home plate after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
The Detroit Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter connects for a two-run home run during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers designated hitter Kerry Carpenter rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run off of Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, left, during the sixth inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers designated hitter Kerry Carpenter, right, is greeted by teammate Matt Vierling after Carpenter’s two-run home run during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto walks off the mound after giving up a two-run home run to Detroit Tigers designated hitter Kerry Carpenter during the sixth inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto looks on after giving up a two-run home run to the Detroit Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter during the fifth inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (36) is removed by Manager Ron Washington, left, after giving up a two-run home run to Detroit Tigers designated hitter Kerry Carpenter during the sixth inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto sits in the dugout after being removed during the sixth inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels relief pitcher Brock Burke throws to the plate during the sixth inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Brenan Hanifee throws to the plate during the eighth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Shelby Miller throws to the plate during the eighth inning of their game against the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels relief pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn throws to the plate during the eighth inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Angels shortstop Zach Neto throws out the Detroit Tigers’ Matt Vierling at first base during the eighth inning on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, left, shakes hands with relief pitcher Jason Foley after the final out of the ninth inning in their 6-2 victory over the Angels on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
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Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
DETROIT —Whatever positive vibes the Angels generated during their 90-minute pregame meeting must have dissipated during the subsequent 2-hour, 45-minute rain delay.
When the tarp was pulled and the Angels returned to the field, they looked like the same team that has been limping along for weeks, doing very little right.
The Angels lost, 6-2, to the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night, dropping their sixth straight game and 14th in the last 17.
Veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar said one of the messages during the pregame meeting was to try to focus on the little things to win a game, rather than thinking about individual numbers.
“It’s not saying let’s go win six, seven, eight in a row,” Pillar said. “Let’s just go out and try to win today, whatever it takes to win today’s game. However you need to do that, move a runner, bunt, advance on a dirt ball. Whatever that takes, it takes the focus off of what you’re doing and the focus on the team and trying to win a game. At the end of the day, numbers are going to be there. And that’s a message that was shared in here multiple times over.”
Pillar said the Angels are learning hard lessons right now.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys here, growing and maturing,” Pillar said. “And a lot of guys in here are getting opportunities to play. It’s exciting for a lot of these guys. And you know, this game’s humbling, and I think a lot of guys are being humbled right now. And I think there’s a lot of lessons that can be learned from this.”
What’s mostly going wrong lately is that the Angels (54-78) aren’t hitting. They had five hits on Tuesday, their batting average dropping to .196 over the last 17 games. They are averaging 2.7 runs per game.
Manager Ron Washington said the bats “are still frozen.”
Asked what he could do to help them thaw, he said: “We’re doing everything we can. I don’t see where I can do much with the lineup. We just need those guys to come through, string some base hits together. If we can string some base hits together and put a few runs on the board, it can make a difference. If you’re not scoring runs, the pitchers gotta be perfect. You can’t be perfect in the big leagues and the plays that have to be made, we have to make them.”
Starter Johnny Cueto wasn’t perfect, and the Angels also didn’t make plays behind him. Three misplays in the fourth inning led to two runs after had retired all nine hitters in the first three innings.
Left fielder Taylor Ward got his glove on a ball at the warning track, but he couldn’t make the play and it went for a leadoff triple. Right fielder Jo Adell also misplayed a ball, allowing Matt Vierling to take third base on a double. Vierling then scored when shortstop Zach Neto couldn’t make the play on a ball hit just to his left.
Neto then made a nice running catch of a pop-up to help Cueto avoid further damage.
Then Cueto gave up three homers in the fifth and sixth.
“He was using the inside part of the plate (in the first three innings) and then he started going away,” Washington said. “And his changeup wasn’t getting down where he wanted it, and his sinker was down the middle of the plate.”
Cueto, a 38-year-old who spent most of the season in the minors, started the game with a clinic for the Angels’ young pitchers on how to finesse your way through a lineup without overpowering stuff. He retired all nine hitters on just 29 pitches.
“I didn’t change anything,” Cueto said through an interpreter. “I had the same aggressiveness. Three pitches beat me.”
Cueto allowed to homers Jake Rogers, Riley Greene or Kerry Carpenter. Cueto also walked Vierling just before Carpenter’s homer, putting the Angels down by four.
That was too big of a deficit for the Angels the way they’re hitting these days. One of their five hits was Nolan Schanuel’s dribbler in front of the plate and another was a Neto pop-up that the Tigers allowed to drop in right field.
It was a quiet night for a team grinding toward the end of a lost season.
“We’ve got to do whatever it takes to shore up the little things, you know, before the end of the season,” Pillar said. “Because this was a year of development and growth. But the message in here is, come back in spring training. When that last game’s played, there’s no excuse anymore. It’s about winning. So trying to balance those two things, and it’s a difficult thing to do.”
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