Joe Maddon, the club's bench coach and resident computer nerd, has a laptop filled with statistics, tendencies and other tidbits essential to preparing a game plan.
But he says none of it can explain precisely how or why the Angels won 10 of 11 before starting a seven-game trip to Milwaukee and Chicago. Maddon admits he would be better off sometimes discarding much of his information and simply going with his instincts.
"Stats sometimes reflect confidence [on the field], but there are so many intangibles that go with winning," Maddon said.
Here are a few statistics that help explain the Angels' recent run:
In the past 12 games, they have averaged 7.7 runs and 13 hits. They have outscored the opposition, 92-59.
During their six-game losing streak before that, they averaged 2.2 runs and 6.8 hits. They were outscored, 51-13.
"We haven't changed anything," Maddon said. "We're doing nothing different. We got fundamentally better, but we've stuck with the plan. For whatever reason, we just couldn't get it done early in the year."
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Manager Marcel Lachemann will decide today who will pitch the second game of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. He could do worse than hand the ball to rookie right-hander Ryan Hancock.
