ANAHEIM, Calif. — “You can’t win the division in April, but you can lose it.” That old baseball adage loomed large over the Los Angeles Angels as they entered a pivotal 10-game road trip — their season teetering on the edge of irrelevance after a brutal slump had undone the momentum of a strong start. After winning their first four series to open 2025, the Angels suddenly went cold — and fast. But now? They’ve heated right back up.

The Angels’ most recent road trip has been the high point of their season so far, as they have won seven straight and took 8 of 10, including sweeps of both the Dodgers and Athletics. They’ve climbed to fourth place in the AL West, now just a game and a half out of second. The sweep of the crosstown-rival Dodgers was the highlight — a statement series that revived a team that looked buried just weeks ago.

Today’s series finale against the Athletics was another high-scoring affair, with the Angels winning 10–5. They trailed until Taylor Ward — scorching hot during this stretch — launched a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning, his second in just 10 days. Earlier in the fifth, A’s right fielder Brent Rooker doubled with one out and a man on first, threatening to score — but Soderstrom was gunned down at the plate by shortstop Zach Neto, preventing the run. It’s been those kinds of moments — timely power at the plate and sharp execution in the field — that have defined this recent surge and set the Angels apart from their earlier skid.

The Angels have been putting up runs at a furious pace. Over the last 10 games, the Angels have a .271 team batting average, hit 22 home runs, driven in 65 runs, and rank second in MLB in OPS (.871), trailing only the Dodgers. Nolan Schanuel has emerged as a steady presence at the plate, batting .278 with a .372 OBP and showcasing advanced bat-to-ball skills for a young first baseman.

The bats are booming, but beneath the surface, the Angels’ pitching is a ticking time bomb. Despite the recent wins, the pitching staff has given up five or more runs in seven of the last 10 games. Their team ERA during that stretch stands at 5.01, and their bullpen ERA for the season is a league-worst 6.48. Each slugfest win serves as a reminder that this team is walking a razor’s edge every time they take the field.

“We really put some good at-bats together, and that’s what we have to keep doing,” manager Ron Washington said. “Just putting them together, just putting them together.” It’s a sound approach — until the offense inevitably cools down, as it often does in baseball.

The cracks are clear. The Angels’ top three starters — José Soriano (3.57 ERA), Tyler Anderson (3.60 ERA), and Yusei Kikuchi (3.50 ERA) — have been reliable. Even Jack Kochanowicz has stepped up lately, providing valuable depth in the starting rotation. He’s allowed just seven runs total in his last three starts — all wins — against the Orioles, Dodgers, and A’s. But once the ball is handed off beyond those four, things unravel. The sixth and seventh innings have become black holes — the very Achilles’ heel, as manager Ron Washington put it, that keeps derailing their momentum.

Offensively, the lineup may soon get another boost, with help on the way. Mike Trout has begun light running and could return in the coming weeks. The three-time MVP has been sidelined since April 30 with a bone bruise in his left knee. He told reporters this week that he’s ramping up the intensity and hopes to increase his running load soon.

If the Angels can tread water and stay in the mix, they may shift into buyer mode as the trade deadline approaches. But their bullpen has to show some life to sustain this winning streak.

Every team wins 60 games and loses 60 — it’s what you do with the other 42 that defines a season. At 24–25, the Angels are about to find out who they really are. This surge may be a fleeting high — or the first real step toward contention.