Cross posted at SoCal Sports Hub.
I was starting to think I was a jinx. The Angels had lost all of the four previous games I've recapped here, and after the first inning last night, it looked like more of the same. But Jon Garland settled down, the bats woke up, and the Angels finished off a 7-5 victory, dropping their magic number to 13.
Garland started the game by finding a lot of bats. He allowed five hits in the first, and four runs, three coming in on Milton Bradley's homer to right center field. Mark Teixeira went deep in the bottom of the third for the Angels first run, but the Rangers pushed the lead back to four on Chris Davis' home run in the top of the fourth. The Angels responded with a run in the sixth inning on Garret Anderson's double (and Nelson Cruz's error), but continued to struggle getting runners home in clutch situations.
That changed in the bottom of the eighth. After singles from Vlad Guerrero and Torii Hunter, Joaquin Benoit proceeded to walk both Garret Anderson and Mike Napoli to cut the lead to two. Brandon Wood, fresh up from Salt Lake, couldn't add to the rally, but Juan Rivera, hitting for Sean Rodriguez, drilled a three run double to deep right center (just missing a grand slam), giving the Angels a one run lead. Two singles later (Figgins and Willits), the Angels had turned a three run deficit into a two run lead.
Francisco Rodriguez entered in the ninth. He opened by striking out Davis before giving up a single to Jared Saltalamacchia. He then hit Brandon Boggs, who quite frankly deserved it for the half hour he took to get to the plate. Frankie induced a double play ball from Michael Young to put the game away, and walked off with is 51st save of the season.
Top three Angels performers:
1) A night after one of his most disappointing games of the season, Torii Hunter delivered three hits, and scored twice. His eighth inning single was one of the keys to the Angels rally in that inning.
2) Juan Rivera's clutch three run double in the eighth was the most important hit of the night for the Angels.
3) I could go with Teixeira, who hit his 8th home run as an Angel, but believe it or not, Jon Garland gets the nod here. After his rough first inning, he lasted seven more, only gave up one run, and stuck around long enough to get the win.
Jeff Weaver of the game:
I hate to be too critical, but Brandon Wood and Sean Rodriguez gave a taste of why the Angels had the league's worst offense in May and June. They combined to go 0-7 with Rodriguez striking out twice.
What to look for tonight:
Ervin Santana brings a string of five straight solid (if unspectacular) starts to the mound against Dustin Nippert, who makes his second start of the season, and the seventh of his career. He comes in with an ERA near 8.00, and gave up seven runs in four innings in his other start last week.
Game time is 7:05 PST on FSN.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
A's 6; Angels 5
Cross posted at SoCal Sports Hub
On August 10th, Joe Saunder tossed seven innings against the New York Yankees and allowed three runs on his way to picking up his 14th victory. His ERA stood at 3.07. After last night's 6-5 loss to the A's, Saunders has now taken the mound three times since August 10th, lost all three times, given up 15 earned runs in 11 and 2/3 innings, and has seen his ERA go all the way up to 3.67.
Last night, Rajai Davis led the game off with an infield single that glanced off of Saunders' left hand, but based on recent performance, it's hard to blame what followed on an injury. Davis eventually scored the only run of the first inning, but the A's completed their scoring for the night with five runs in the second inning, coming on three singles, a two run double from Bobby Crosby, and a two run homer from Emil Brown.
The Angels threatened, clawing back with four runs of their own in the fourth inning, started off by a Garret Anderson triple, helped along by a two run single from Erick Aybar and an RBI single from Mark Teixeira. They added another in the fifth on another RBI single from Aybar, but ultimately failed to do enough with the nine free passes granted by A's pitchers, and wouldn't score again. Huston Street picked up the win with 1.2 perfect innings.
With Texas winning in Kansas City, the Angels failed to reduce their magic number, which currently sits at 15. To make matters worse, but Howie Kendrick AND Erick Aybar appeared to have hamstring issues, which prompted Juan Rivera to spend the ninth inning manning second base. On a final note, Mike Scioscia was ejected in the seventh inning during a pitching chance, presumably for arguing balls and strikes, prompted primarily from a bad called third strike on Aybar in the second inning with the bases loaded.
Angels top three performers:
1) Erick Aybar had two hits (a double and single) and drove in three runs before leaving the game in the ninth inning.
2) Mark Teixeira reached base four times, drove in one run, and his three hits pushed his Angels batting average to .379. He also recorded his 100th RBI of the season, spanning both leagues.
3) Rested during last night's complete game from John Lackey, the bullpen provided 7 and 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed the Angels to mount a comeback. Shane Loux pitched three solid innings, Jose Arredondo pitched in for two (with three strikeouts), Darren Oliver added 1.2 before being replaced (at which point Scioscia was tossed), and Justin Speier had another scoreless outing.
Jeff Weaver of the game: The easy pick is Saunders, his six runs allowed digging a hole that the Angels couldn't crawl out of. But Torii Hunter is a good pick here as well. He went 0-4, struck out three times, and left six runners on base, most of them in scoring position.
What to look for tonight: Jon Garland tries to get back on track. He's put up a couple bad performances following a string of mediocre performances. He faces former White Sox teammate Brandon McCarthy, who went four innings and allowed one run to Cleveland in his first start of the season last week. You can also look for Kendrick and Aybar, but you may have to look hard, because after last night's hamstring problems, neither may be on the field.
Game Time is 7:05 PST on FSN.
On August 10th, Joe Saunder tossed seven innings against the New York Yankees and allowed three runs on his way to picking up his 14th victory. His ERA stood at 3.07. After last night's 6-5 loss to the A's, Saunders has now taken the mound three times since August 10th, lost all three times, given up 15 earned runs in 11 and 2/3 innings, and has seen his ERA go all the way up to 3.67.
Last night, Rajai Davis led the game off with an infield single that glanced off of Saunders' left hand, but based on recent performance, it's hard to blame what followed on an injury. Davis eventually scored the only run of the first inning, but the A's completed their scoring for the night with five runs in the second inning, coming on three singles, a two run double from Bobby Crosby, and a two run homer from Emil Brown.
The Angels threatened, clawing back with four runs of their own in the fourth inning, started off by a Garret Anderson triple, helped along by a two run single from Erick Aybar and an RBI single from Mark Teixeira. They added another in the fifth on another RBI single from Aybar, but ultimately failed to do enough with the nine free passes granted by A's pitchers, and wouldn't score again. Huston Street picked up the win with 1.2 perfect innings.
With Texas winning in Kansas City, the Angels failed to reduce their magic number, which currently sits at 15. To make matters worse, but Howie Kendrick AND Erick Aybar appeared to have hamstring issues, which prompted Juan Rivera to spend the ninth inning manning second base. On a final note, Mike Scioscia was ejected in the seventh inning during a pitching chance, presumably for arguing balls and strikes, prompted primarily from a bad called third strike on Aybar in the second inning with the bases loaded.
Angels top three performers:
1) Erick Aybar had two hits (a double and single) and drove in three runs before leaving the game in the ninth inning.
2) Mark Teixeira reached base four times, drove in one run, and his three hits pushed his Angels batting average to .379. He also recorded his 100th RBI of the season, spanning both leagues.
3) Rested during last night's complete game from John Lackey, the bullpen provided 7 and 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed the Angels to mount a comeback. Shane Loux pitched three solid innings, Jose Arredondo pitched in for two (with three strikeouts), Darren Oliver added 1.2 before being replaced (at which point Scioscia was tossed), and Justin Speier had another scoreless outing.
Jeff Weaver of the game: The easy pick is Saunders, his six runs allowed digging a hole that the Angels couldn't crawl out of. But Torii Hunter is a good pick here as well. He went 0-4, struck out three times, and left six runners on base, most of them in scoring position.
What to look for tonight: Jon Garland tries to get back on track. He's put up a couple bad performances following a string of mediocre performances. He faces former White Sox teammate Brandon McCarthy, who went four innings and allowed one run to Cleveland in his first start of the season last week. You can also look for Kendrick and Aybar, but you may have to look hard, because after last night's hamstring problems, neither may be on the field.
Game Time is 7:05 PST on FSN.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Schweitzer
I try to keep this blog non-political, and this may be my first every political post (though possibly not my last), but I'm a lifelong Democrat, and an Obama supporter. Have been since day one. I'm proud to be a current resident of Illinois (though I'm still an Angeleno at heart), and I'm proud that he represents my state.
But my dad was born and raised in Montana. I still have a ton of family back there. An aunt, three cousins (two more that grew up there before moving away), three cousin's spouses, eight second cousins, one spouse of a second cousin, and their two kids. I love the state of Montana, and I love going back to Sidney to visit my family (big fish in a small pond, someone once called them "the Kennedys of Sidney"). The Seitzes have been business owners for something like 60 years, from my grandfather's (who I never met) clothing shop to my uncle's insurance agency, now operated by my cousins.
And as much as I like living in Illinois, damn, I wish this guy was my governor.
My aunt might tell you he doesn't do enough for eastern Montana. As if a town going through a major oil boom needs governmental support. And of course, 98% of the population lives WEST of Sidney, so yeah, a politician is going to focus on that part of the state. But these are the types of politicians that make Democrats viable in the Mountain West. Just because I don't think you need an AK-47 on the streets of Chicago doesn't mean I want to take your hunting rifle away. My cousins are hunters, and they're real conservationists. That's common ground. I actually was rooting for Schweitzer for Veep, but I'll settle for Democrats in the top three positions in Montana politics.
Now we just need to get rid of the most corrupt Republicans in government up in my brother's home state of Alaska.
But my dad was born and raised in Montana. I still have a ton of family back there. An aunt, three cousins (two more that grew up there before moving away), three cousin's spouses, eight second cousins, one spouse of a second cousin, and their two kids. I love the state of Montana, and I love going back to Sidney to visit my family (big fish in a small pond, someone once called them "the Kennedys of Sidney"). The Seitzes have been business owners for something like 60 years, from my grandfather's (who I never met) clothing shop to my uncle's insurance agency, now operated by my cousins.
And as much as I like living in Illinois, damn, I wish this guy was my governor.
My aunt might tell you he doesn't do enough for eastern Montana. As if a town going through a major oil boom needs governmental support. And of course, 98% of the population lives WEST of Sidney, so yeah, a politician is going to focus on that part of the state. But these are the types of politicians that make Democrats viable in the Mountain West. Just because I don't think you need an AK-47 on the streets of Chicago doesn't mean I want to take your hunting rifle away. My cousins are hunters, and they're real conservationists. That's common ground. I actually was rooting for Schweitzer for Veep, but I'll settle for Democrats in the top three positions in Montana politics.
Now we just need to get rid of the most corrupt Republicans in government up in my brother's home state of Alaska.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A's 2; Angels 1
Cross posted at Socal Sports Hub.
If you skipped this one to watch convention coverage, you didn't miss much. Neither team generated much offense, and a sloppy game from the Angels saw a sloppy play lead to their demise. Dallas Braden scattered seven hits over seven innings, allowing only Mike Napoli to score on a solo home run. He wasn't overpowering by any means. He didn't strike out a batter, but was helped out numerous times as Angels hitters swung at pitches out of the strike zone, which helped him complete seven innings without walking a hitter.
Jered Weaver actually pitched one of his better games over the last month, though we need to normalize for the offense he faced. If you haven't been following the A's very closely this season, you probably recognized Bobby Crosby, Frank Thomas, maybe Jack Cust and Kurt Suzuki, and that's about it. They sent all of one batter to the plate hitting over .250 (Suzuki). Injuries, trades, and poor performances have hampered the offense all season, and it's tough to give Weaver full credit for his good numbers. Still, he only allowed five baserunners (three hits and two walks), and struck out 8.
Napoli's home run was matched by Daric Barton's third inning blast. Following a fourth inning Frank Thomas walk and a Jack Hannahan double, Weaver uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Thomas to score the eventual winning run. The Angels put one baserunner on in the ninth when Mark Teixeira reached on a two out error by the first baseman Barton, but Torii Hunter's ground ball to Crosby at short ended the evening.
Top three Angels performers:
1) Weaver was solid through seven with the numbers mentioned above. He threw 67 strikes against 41 balls and dropped his ERA by a tenth of a run.
2) Mike Napoli deserves credit for actually creating a run, which no other Angel could do.
3) The bullpen combination of Justin Speier and Jason Bulger gave the Angels a chance. It was nice to see Speier keep the ball in the ballpark for once.
Jeff Weaver of the game:
Tough call here when the whole offense is awful (though it should be noted that Vlad was resting). I've got to go with Chone Figgins, the only Angel with two hits, who still managed to get himself out on the basepaths both times. He was picked off in the first inning after a lead off single, setting the tone for the game. He was also caught stealing in the third inning.
What to look for tonight:
John Lackey brings his dominance of the A's to the mound against a less than stellar lineup, while Greg Smith goes for the A's. Smith's 6-12 record belies a solid 3.75 ERA. Scioscia wants to give Vlad a few days off his feet, but after last night's offensive display (you choose which syllable to emphasize), he may want his bat in the lineup tonight at DH.
Game time 7:05 PST; Televised on FSN
If you skipped this one to watch convention coverage, you didn't miss much. Neither team generated much offense, and a sloppy game from the Angels saw a sloppy play lead to their demise. Dallas Braden scattered seven hits over seven innings, allowing only Mike Napoli to score on a solo home run. He wasn't overpowering by any means. He didn't strike out a batter, but was helped out numerous times as Angels hitters swung at pitches out of the strike zone, which helped him complete seven innings without walking a hitter.
Jered Weaver actually pitched one of his better games over the last month, though we need to normalize for the offense he faced. If you haven't been following the A's very closely this season, you probably recognized Bobby Crosby, Frank Thomas, maybe Jack Cust and Kurt Suzuki, and that's about it. They sent all of one batter to the plate hitting over .250 (Suzuki). Injuries, trades, and poor performances have hampered the offense all season, and it's tough to give Weaver full credit for his good numbers. Still, he only allowed five baserunners (three hits and two walks), and struck out 8.
Napoli's home run was matched by Daric Barton's third inning blast. Following a fourth inning Frank Thomas walk and a Jack Hannahan double, Weaver uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Thomas to score the eventual winning run. The Angels put one baserunner on in the ninth when Mark Teixeira reached on a two out error by the first baseman Barton, but Torii Hunter's ground ball to Crosby at short ended the evening.
Top three Angels performers:
1) Weaver was solid through seven with the numbers mentioned above. He threw 67 strikes against 41 balls and dropped his ERA by a tenth of a run.
2) Mike Napoli deserves credit for actually creating a run, which no other Angel could do.
3) The bullpen combination of Justin Speier and Jason Bulger gave the Angels a chance. It was nice to see Speier keep the ball in the ballpark for once.
Jeff Weaver of the game:
Tough call here when the whole offense is awful (though it should be noted that Vlad was resting). I've got to go with Chone Figgins, the only Angel with two hits, who still managed to get himself out on the basepaths both times. He was picked off in the first inning after a lead off single, setting the tone for the game. He was also caught stealing in the third inning.
What to look for tonight:
John Lackey brings his dominance of the A's to the mound against a less than stellar lineup, while Greg Smith goes for the A's. Smith's 6-12 record belies a solid 3.75 ERA. Scioscia wants to give Vlad a few days off his feet, but after last night's offensive display (you choose which syllable to emphasize), he may want his bat in the lineup tonight at DH.
Game time 7:05 PST; Televised on FSN
Friday, August 22, 2008
Twins 2; Angels 1
See also here.
Following a blistering July and first half of August, the Angels offense appears to be slowing down to June levels. They struggled to generate any offense last night, and they failed to exert any pressure on the Twins defense. They managed only one hit and three baserunners in the last eight innings of play last night, and wasted an otherwise solid performance from John Lackey. On the other side, Scott Baker threw eight innings of four hit baseball to lower his ERA to 3.74.
The Angels took the lead on a first inning home run from Mark Teixeira, his fifth since the trade. The Twins scratched out a run in the fifth inning to tie the score on a two out double from Nick Punto and an RBI single from Carlos Gomez. That was all the offense until the 12th inning.
In the 12th, Mike Scioscia made the inexplicable decision to turn to Justin Speier, who has now allowed at least one run in five of his last seven appearances (an 8.64 ERA over that span). Punto led off the 12th with a triple on a ball that, quite frankly, should have been caught by Torii Hunter. Two batters later, Denard Spann drove a single past the drawn in Chone Figgins for the eventual winning run.
Angels Top Three Performers:
1) John Lackey pitched eight innings of one run ball, allowing seven baserunners and striking out five. He pitched his way out of a jam in the eighth (which he helped create with his second error of the night), with some help from Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar, who turned a nifty double play.
2) Mark Teixeira was the only Angel with more than one hit, and provided all the offense with his 5th home run as an Angel.
3) The bullpen (non-Speier division). Frankie Rodriguez, Scot Shields, and Darren Oliver combined for three scoreless innings. Each allowed a hit, and Shields walked a batter, but struck out two.
Jeff Weaver of the game:
Take your pick between Scioscia, for going with Speier when he could have extended Oliver (or gone with Arredondo), Speier (who's simply been awful this year), or Hunter, who in addition to failing to catch a very catchable ball, went 0-4 and left four runners on base.
What to look for tonight:
Joe Saunders goes after win number 15 again. The Twins counter with Glenn Perkins, a 25 year old Minnesota local with a very nice 10-3 record and a 4.17 ERA. He's struggled a bit in four of his last five starts, but tossed eight innings of scoreless baseball against the Yankees a week and a half ago. Garret Anderson looks to start a new hitting streak after having his 23 gamer snapped last night (though in all likelihood, he'll get the day off).
Game time: 7:05 PDT; Television: KCOP
Following a blistering July and first half of August, the Angels offense appears to be slowing down to June levels. They struggled to generate any offense last night, and they failed to exert any pressure on the Twins defense. They managed only one hit and three baserunners in the last eight innings of play last night, and wasted an otherwise solid performance from John Lackey. On the other side, Scott Baker threw eight innings of four hit baseball to lower his ERA to 3.74.
The Angels took the lead on a first inning home run from Mark Teixeira, his fifth since the trade. The Twins scratched out a run in the fifth inning to tie the score on a two out double from Nick Punto and an RBI single from Carlos Gomez. That was all the offense until the 12th inning.
In the 12th, Mike Scioscia made the inexplicable decision to turn to Justin Speier, who has now allowed at least one run in five of his last seven appearances (an 8.64 ERA over that span). Punto led off the 12th with a triple on a ball that, quite frankly, should have been caught by Torii Hunter. Two batters later, Denard Spann drove a single past the drawn in Chone Figgins for the eventual winning run.
Angels Top Three Performers:
1) John Lackey pitched eight innings of one run ball, allowing seven baserunners and striking out five. He pitched his way out of a jam in the eighth (which he helped create with his second error of the night), with some help from Howie Kendrick and Erick Aybar, who turned a nifty double play.
2) Mark Teixeira was the only Angel with more than one hit, and provided all the offense with his 5th home run as an Angel.
3) The bullpen (non-Speier division). Frankie Rodriguez, Scot Shields, and Darren Oliver combined for three scoreless innings. Each allowed a hit, and Shields walked a batter, but struck out two.
Jeff Weaver of the game:
Take your pick between Scioscia, for going with Speier when he could have extended Oliver (or gone with Arredondo), Speier (who's simply been awful this year), or Hunter, who in addition to failing to catch a very catchable ball, went 0-4 and left four runners on base.
What to look for tonight:
Joe Saunders goes after win number 15 again. The Twins counter with Glenn Perkins, a 25 year old Minnesota local with a very nice 10-3 record and a 4.17 ERA. He's struggled a bit in four of his last five starts, but tossed eight innings of scoreless baseball against the Yankees a week and a half ago. Garret Anderson looks to start a new hitting streak after having his 23 gamer snapped last night (though in all likelihood, he'll get the day off).
Game time: 7:05 PDT; Television: KCOP
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Angels 2; Rays 4
Another in my series of recaps for Socal Sports Hub.
Ten years ago, the New York Yankees had an historic season, winning 114 games against just 48 losses. Six of those losses came against the Angels. Ever since, the Angels have consistently been thorns in the Yankees collective side, true proof of which wouldn't manifest itself on a grander stage until the 2002 ALDS, a triumph the Angels would duplicate in 2005. The Tampa Bay Rays are quickly becoming the Calanaheim Angels to the Angels' Yankees. The Angels have a winning record against every team in the American League, except for the Rays, who continued their dominance over the Angels last night with a 4-2 victory.
The Angels got the ball rolling early with a home run from Vladimir Guerrero, his 23rd of the season, to lead off the second inning. They would go on to squander a great opportunity to add to the lead when Torii Hunter was cut down at the plate on a strike from B.J. Upton. And I'm serious about it being a strike. I'm pretty sure that peg went through the strike zone. The Angels added a second run in the fourth inning when Garret Anderson's double, which extended his hitting streak to 22 games, drove in Guerrero, who had doubled to lead off the inning.
Meanwhile, Ervin Santana was quietly twirling a gem. He didn't allow a baserunner until there were two outs in the fourth inning, and didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning, when he finally ran into trouble, and got a little help from umpire Jerry Meals at first base. Following a double by Jason Bartlett and an infield single by Akinori Iwamura, Upton hit a bouncer to first base. Mark Teixeira thought about going to the plate, and his hesitation fooled Santana, who was on his way to cover first base. Teixeira's throw to first subsequently flew by Santana and was picked up by an alert Howie Kendrick. Upton ran through first base, and it looked to me as if he thought about going to second on the error for a split second before coming to a stop. Kendrick alertly tagged Upton, and Meals called him out. Rule 7.08(c) says that a player overrunning first base must immediately return to the base. If the umpire can discern any intent to advance toward second base, the player is fair game. In Meals' judgment, Upton hesitated (a big no-no), and was in play. Joe Maddon disagreed and got the gate after letting Meals know.
Scot Shields made it all academic, however, in the bottom of the eighth. He came in with absolutely no concept of the strike zone, and walked Gabe Gross. Jason Bartlett tried to bunt him over, and Jeff Mathis' throw to first sailed into right field, putting the tying run on third and the go ahead run on second. Shields then walked the bases loaded before striking out Upton on a fastball at the knees. Darren Oliver was summoned to face lefty Carlos Pena, but he too couldn't find the strike zone when it mattered and walked in the tying run. Following a strike out of Cliff Floyd, Willie Aybar singled home Bartlett and Iwamura to provide the winning margin.
Angels three top performers:
1) Vladimir Guerrero went two for four with a homer and a double, and scored both Angel runs.
2) Ervin Santana threw seven innings of one run ball and allowed only six baserunners against nine strikeouts. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning.
3) Jerry Meals made a questionable call that kept the Angels in the lead until the eighth inning implosion. No one else really qualified here, so Meals gets the nod over any actual Angels.
Jeff Weaver of the game: Scot Shields, with a tip of the cap to Jeff Mathis. Shields' job is to get the Angels through the eighth inning in close games, and failed dramatically. Mathis runs a close second for not only allowing the eventual winning run to reach base with a wild throw to first, but for also striking out with a runner in scoring position.
What to look for tonight: Jered Weaver rides the roller coaster against Matt Garza. Acquired before the season from the Twins, Garza has been sharp this year with a 10-7 record and 3.63 ERA. After two straight shaky performances (nine runs in 10.2 innings), he's coming off a shut out of the Rangers. Weaver has been unreliable of late, with an ERA over six in his last four starts.
Next game: Tonight at 4:10 PDT, on FSN and ESPN2Thursday, August 14, 2008
Post-Game Report: Angels vs. Mariners (8/13/08)
If the Angels are undecided on which of their big pending free agents to pursue after the season, last night's game made the decision a little easier. Mark Teixeira struck twice for home runs, the first of which, a two run shot, gave the Angels a 3-1 lead in the third inning. The Mariners climbed back to tie the game at 3-3, in the 7th, then 4-4 in the 8th.
Following a Garret Anderson walk and Howie Kendrick double, the Angels pushed across two runs in bottom of the eighth with back to back sac flies from Juan Rivera and Jeff Mathis for a 6-4 lead. But the Mariners stormed back, getting three in the top of the ninth against Frankie Rodriguez. The Mariners got the benefit of two close calls in the inning, the first when Miguel Cairo walked on what looked like a very borderline pitch, and the second when Cairo appeared to be double off second following a line drive to Vladimir Guerrero in right field. A Jeremy Reed double and Raul Ibanez single drove three runs across to give the Mariners a 7-6 lead. Rodriguez left the game following Ibanez's single, and gave home plate umpire Gerry Davis an earful that would lead to his ejection, though it was essentially meaningless at that point.
But Rodriguez wasn't the only closer to fail last night. J.J. Putz surrendered a lead off home run to Mark Teixeira in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings. The scored held at 7-7 until the top of the 12th, when the Angels, having burned through Jose Arredondo, Scot Shields, Rodriguez, and Darren Oliver (who threw 2.2 perfect innings), were forced to call on Justin Speier. With two on and two out, Wladimir Balantien hit his sixth home run of the season, the 11th allowed by Speier in just 49 innings, a three run shot that all but put the game out of reach.
Top performing Angels:
1) Mark Teixeira went three for six, with two homers and three RBIs. He's now hit four homers with the Angels, and is hitting a robust .340 since the trade.
2) Maicer Izturis, hitting in front of Teixeria, added three hits, two of them doubles, in his five at bats before leaving the game with a sprained thumb, an injury he aggravated diving for a ground ball in the ninth inning.
3) Darren Oliver kept the Angels hope's alive, getting them out of the tumultuous ninth inning, and tossing perfect frames in the 10th and 11th innings.
4) Ervin Santana rates a mention for his 6.1 innings and seven strikeouts. He left the game with a lead that the bullpen was unable to maintain.
Jeff Weaver of the game: Pick just about anyone from the Angels bullpen except Oliver. Jose Arredondo inherited a difficult situation, with runners on second and third with only one out in the seventh. He allowed the tying run to score on an RBI ground out. Scot Shields allowed a double and two out RBI single in the eighth. Rodriguez and Speier melted down as described above.
Play of the game: Mark Teixeira's lead off game tying blast in the bottom of the ninth gave the Angels hope, for a few innings.
What to look for on Friday: Jered Weaver brings his roller coaster act to Cleveland against the Indians and Cy Young candidate Cliff Lee. Lee faces the American League's best offense since the the All Star break.
Game is @ 4:05 PDT on Fox Sports Net.
Following a Garret Anderson walk and Howie Kendrick double, the Angels pushed across two runs in bottom of the eighth with back to back sac flies from Juan Rivera and Jeff Mathis for a 6-4 lead. But the Mariners stormed back, getting three in the top of the ninth against Frankie Rodriguez. The Mariners got the benefit of two close calls in the inning, the first when Miguel Cairo walked on what looked like a very borderline pitch, and the second when Cairo appeared to be double off second following a line drive to Vladimir Guerrero in right field. A Jeremy Reed double and Raul Ibanez single drove three runs across to give the Mariners a 7-6 lead. Rodriguez left the game following Ibanez's single, and gave home plate umpire Gerry Davis an earful that would lead to his ejection, though it was essentially meaningless at that point.
But Rodriguez wasn't the only closer to fail last night. J.J. Putz surrendered a lead off home run to Mark Teixeira in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings. The scored held at 7-7 until the top of the 12th, when the Angels, having burned through Jose Arredondo, Scot Shields, Rodriguez, and Darren Oliver (who threw 2.2 perfect innings), were forced to call on Justin Speier. With two on and two out, Wladimir Balantien hit his sixth home run of the season, the 11th allowed by Speier in just 49 innings, a three run shot that all but put the game out of reach.
Top performing Angels:
1) Mark Teixeira went three for six, with two homers and three RBIs. He's now hit four homers with the Angels, and is hitting a robust .340 since the trade.
2) Maicer Izturis, hitting in front of Teixeria, added three hits, two of them doubles, in his five at bats before leaving the game with a sprained thumb, an injury he aggravated diving for a ground ball in the ninth inning.
3) Darren Oliver kept the Angels hope's alive, getting them out of the tumultuous ninth inning, and tossing perfect frames in the 10th and 11th innings.
4) Ervin Santana rates a mention for his 6.1 innings and seven strikeouts. He left the game with a lead that the bullpen was unable to maintain.
Jeff Weaver of the game: Pick just about anyone from the Angels bullpen except Oliver. Jose Arredondo inherited a difficult situation, with runners on second and third with only one out in the seventh. He allowed the tying run to score on an RBI ground out. Scot Shields allowed a double and two out RBI single in the eighth. Rodriguez and Speier melted down as described above.
Play of the game: Mark Teixeira's lead off game tying blast in the bottom of the ninth gave the Angels hope, for a few innings.
What to look for on Friday: Jered Weaver brings his roller coaster act to Cleveland against the Indians and Cy Young candidate Cliff Lee. Lee faces the American League's best offense since the the All Star break.
Game is @ 4:05 PDT on Fox Sports Net.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Foul
So tonight I did something I've never done before. I caught a foul ball at Major League game. Gary Sheffield ripped one off of John Danks into the left field upper deck at the Cell, it bounced off a co-worker, right into my hands. Pretty cool. Gave the ball to my boss's kid, who I think gave it to another kid. It's really dumb luck, and it's not like it was an epic grab or anything, but it was still kind of neat. Plus, it ought to buy me another few weeks of employment.
I still have the ball I grabbed at a Texas League game in Wichita about ten years ago, which was subsequently autographed by the legendary Mick Fieldbinder.
I still have the ball I grabbed at a Texas League game in Wichita about ten years ago, which was subsequently autographed by the legendary Mick Fieldbinder.
Orioles 4; Angels 9
After failing to push a run across last night, the Angels struck early in this afternoon's game. Vladimir Guerrero's two out two run homer in the first inning gave Ervin Santana a lead an early lead that the Angels would never relinquish. The Angels scored all of their runs in the first four innings, putting up crooked numbers in the first, third, and fourth. Jeff Mathis added his ninth homer in the second inning.
Ervin Santana sharp for the most part, allowing four runs over seven innings while striking out seven and walking none. He made two mistakes, and the Orioles took advantage of both. Luis Montanez drove the second pitch of his major league career over the left field wall for his first career home run, and Nick Markakis added a three run shot of his own in the fifth inning. Jose Arredondo took over in the eighth and retired all six hitters he faced.
The day's best...
1) Vladimir Guerrero went two for three, reached base three times, scored twice, and drove in four runs, two coming on his 20th homer of the season.
2) Mark Teixeira reached base three times in four plate appearances, and scored each time. He also delivered his first double as an Angel.
3) Garret Anderson added three more hits, one of them a double, pushing his batting average since the All-Star break to .426, and his slugging percentage to .639.
Jeff Weaver of the game: Howie Kendrick was hitless in four at bats, and left three men on base.
What to look for on Friday: Jered Weaver has had a couple rough starts over the past few months, but he's generally bounced back strong in his next outing. He'll try to get back on track against the same Yankees team that roughed him up last Saturday. The Yankees counter with young Dan Giese, making his third major league start. The Anaheim native is 0-2 as a starter, with an ERA over 5.00, but has put up better numbers out of the bullpen.
Ervin Santana sharp for the most part, allowing four runs over seven innings while striking out seven and walking none. He made two mistakes, and the Orioles took advantage of both. Luis Montanez drove the second pitch of his major league career over the left field wall for his first career home run, and Nick Markakis added a three run shot of his own in the fifth inning. Jose Arredondo took over in the eighth and retired all six hitters he faced.
The day's best...
1) Vladimir Guerrero went two for three, reached base three times, scored twice, and drove in four runs, two coming on his 20th homer of the season.
2) Mark Teixeira reached base three times in four plate appearances, and scored each time. He also delivered his first double as an Angel.
3) Garret Anderson added three more hits, one of them a double, pushing his batting average since the All-Star break to .426, and his slugging percentage to .639.
Jeff Weaver of the game: Howie Kendrick was hitless in four at bats, and left three men on base.
What to look for on Friday: Jered Weaver has had a couple rough starts over the past few months, but he's generally bounced back strong in his next outing. He'll try to get back on track against the same Yankees team that roughed him up last Saturday. The Yankees counter with young Dan Giese, making his third major league start. The Anaheim native is 0-2 as a starter, with an ERA over 5.00, but has put up better numbers out of the bullpen.
Orioles 3; Angels 2 (hits)
Bear with me. I'm doing a few recaps per week for another site, and I'm working my way back into it.
The Angels, it seems, have had a habit over the years of making guys who should still be in triple A look like Cy Young. And when that guy is a soft tossing lefty, you can guess that it's probably going to be a long night.
Chris Walters, making his major league debut thanks to a recent Hayden Penn mishap, befuddled the Angels all night with soft stuff away, getting 14 of his 24 outs via the ground ball, along with three strikeouts, the first of which coming on three straight that Chone Figgins watched sail right through the zone. He held the Angels to two hits on the night before coming out after eight innings and 104 pitches.
The Orioles picked up where they left off last night. After plating four in the ninth to tie the game the night before, they pushed two across in the first inning of tonight's game. The first four batters Garland faced all reached base, with Brian Roberts scoring on a Nick Markakis double. Markakis was subsequently driven home by Melvin Mora's single. Garland would induce a double play (one of three on the night) and fly ball to get out of the inning, but the damage was done, and it turned out to be all Walters and the Orioles needed. Luke Scott added a superfluous third run with a two out homer in the seventh.
The lone bright spot for the Angels was Shane Loux's debut. Called up to replace the struggling Darren O'Day, Loux tossed two hitless innings, allowing one baserunner via a walk.
Ervin Santana takes on Garret Olson and 5+ ERA tomorrow under the sun. Ervin has righted the ship on the road this year, but he's struggled during day games, going 1-2 with a 5.59 ERA.
The Angels, it seems, have had a habit over the years of making guys who should still be in triple A look like Cy Young. And when that guy is a soft tossing lefty, you can guess that it's probably going to be a long night.
Chris Walters, making his major league debut thanks to a recent Hayden Penn mishap, befuddled the Angels all night with soft stuff away, getting 14 of his 24 outs via the ground ball, along with three strikeouts, the first of which coming on three straight that Chone Figgins watched sail right through the zone. He held the Angels to two hits on the night before coming out after eight innings and 104 pitches.
The Orioles picked up where they left off last night. After plating four in the ninth to tie the game the night before, they pushed two across in the first inning of tonight's game. The first four batters Garland faced all reached base, with Brian Roberts scoring on a Nick Markakis double. Markakis was subsequently driven home by Melvin Mora's single. Garland would induce a double play (one of three on the night) and fly ball to get out of the inning, but the damage was done, and it turned out to be all Walters and the Orioles needed. Luke Scott added a superfluous third run with a two out homer in the seventh.
The lone bright spot for the Angels was Shane Loux's debut. Called up to replace the struggling Darren O'Day, Loux tossed two hitless innings, allowing one baserunner via a walk.
Ervin Santana takes on Garret Olson and 5+ ERA tomorrow under the sun. Ervin has righted the ship on the road this year, but he's struggled during day games, going 1-2 with a 5.59 ERA.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Broken Social Scene
These guys are very, very good. Just caught them on Saturday night for the second time (first time was Intonation/Pitchfork a couple years ago), and wow, what a set. I'll be the first to admit that they do a lot of stuff that isn't always my cup o tea, but when they're on, they're on. Good examples below (Stars and Sons, Cause = Time).
Also, they're a supergroup with a new concept: Showcase their stars. Their last two albums have been presented as "Broken Social Scene Presents (Kevin Drew/Brendan Canning). The new Canning album has the inside track for the title of my favorite album of the year, alongside the Whigs "Mission Control".
Anyway, I have a new Song of the Day up over at the appropriately named "Song of the Day" which discusses two of my favorite tracks from the new album. Check it out, in addition to the awesomeness below. If you don't like it, I can't help you.
Thanks.
Also, they're a supergroup with a new concept: Showcase their stars. Their last two albums have been presented as "Broken Social Scene Presents (Kevin Drew/Brendan Canning). The new Canning album has the inside track for the title of my favorite album of the year, alongside the Whigs "Mission Control".
Anyway, I have a new Song of the Day up over at the appropriately named "Song of the Day" which discusses two of my favorite tracks from the new album. Check it out, in addition to the awesomeness below. If you don't like it, I can't help you.
Thanks.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Frankie Rodriguez, and Questions for Anonymous and MSS
My last two posts have prompted comments regarding the potential (probable?) departure of Frankie Rodriguez following this season. MSS thinks his leaving will be good for the Angels, as he is apparently no longer the "great reliever he once was". Meanwhile Anonymous thinks we won't miss his antics after all of those saves "he almost blows".
So for MSS, is a 26 year old closer with almost 200 career saves who, by the way, just learned a new pitch no longer dominant, even while still saving well over 90% of his chances? He just dropped his ERA to 2.42, saving a 1-0 game, while retiring the games best player, and one of the AL's best hitters in the process. He made A-Rod look stupid on a 3-2 change up, a pitch he didn't even know how to throw before this season. Does anyone doubt that in a year or two, he'll probably also add a splitter to he repertoire? He is not only still dominating, he's learning while doing it. Oh, and for good measure, one of the guys you'd probably list as dominant, Mariano Rivera, he couldn't get it done tonight. Big L next to his name in the box score.
And Anonymous, does this count as one of the saves he "almost" blew? I mean, he did throw three balls to A-Rod before making him look stupid in the process. And those two fly balls he gave up were only about 70 feet from going out. Yes occasionally Frankie makes things more interesting than we'd like. What closer doesn't? Troy Percival, God love him (heck, I sponsor his B-R page) wasn't always without drama. Bryan Harvey seemed like he always walked the bases loaded before striking out the side. But I think there's a tendency to remember the drama, and unfortunately the failures, more than the successes.
You can count on one hand the guys who have been dominant over Frankie's tenure in his role. Rivera, maybe Wagner, Nathan, and who else? Frankie has been part of that group for four years now, and he's much younger than all of them. Though his save totals have been high, his work rate hasn't been outrageous. You have to ask yourself, why are there so few guys on that list? It's because it's not easy to perform at that level year in year out. That's why guys like Derek Turnbow and Joe Borowski can look great one year, and get cut the next. There are very few closers with long track records of sustained success. And of those three mentioned above, Wagner's got an ERA over 8.00 in the post-season.
So you can cheer the departure of Frankie all you want, but it will, without a doubt, weaken the Angels. They will be worse without him.
I've said this so many times I may as well get it tattooed on my forehead, but here it is again, in boldface. The comparison is not between what Frankie is and what Frankie could be, or was for one great season, or what you wish he would be. The comparison is between what Frankie is and what currently exists in the game. Regardless of the fact that he no longer mows through three innings in 25 pitches with six strikeouts, like he did in 2002, he's still at the top of an elite group of players who, night in and night out, answer the bell in the last inning and deliver their team to victory. If you can't see that, then I guess I can't help you. But facts are facts, and the fact is Frankie is one of a select few that turns the vast majority of games he enters into eight inning affairs. And yes, that's a very, very valuable commodity. The Angels will regret the day he signs with someone else.
So for MSS, is a 26 year old closer with almost 200 career saves who, by the way, just learned a new pitch no longer dominant, even while still saving well over 90% of his chances? He just dropped his ERA to 2.42, saving a 1-0 game, while retiring the games best player, and one of the AL's best hitters in the process. He made A-Rod look stupid on a 3-2 change up, a pitch he didn't even know how to throw before this season. Does anyone doubt that in a year or two, he'll probably also add a splitter to he repertoire? He is not only still dominating, he's learning while doing it. Oh, and for good measure, one of the guys you'd probably list as dominant, Mariano Rivera, he couldn't get it done tonight. Big L next to his name in the box score.
And Anonymous, does this count as one of the saves he "almost" blew? I mean, he did throw three balls to A-Rod before making him look stupid in the process. And those two fly balls he gave up were only about 70 feet from going out. Yes occasionally Frankie makes things more interesting than we'd like. What closer doesn't? Troy Percival, God love him (heck, I sponsor his B-R page) wasn't always without drama. Bryan Harvey seemed like he always walked the bases loaded before striking out the side. But I think there's a tendency to remember the drama, and unfortunately the failures, more than the successes.
You can count on one hand the guys who have been dominant over Frankie's tenure in his role. Rivera, maybe Wagner, Nathan, and who else? Frankie has been part of that group for four years now, and he's much younger than all of them. Though his save totals have been high, his work rate hasn't been outrageous. You have to ask yourself, why are there so few guys on that list? It's because it's not easy to perform at that level year in year out. That's why guys like Derek Turnbow and Joe Borowski can look great one year, and get cut the next. There are very few closers with long track records of sustained success. And of those three mentioned above, Wagner's got an ERA over 8.00 in the post-season.
So you can cheer the departure of Frankie all you want, but it will, without a doubt, weaken the Angels. They will be worse without him.
I've said this so many times I may as well get it tattooed on my forehead, but here it is again, in boldface. The comparison is not between what Frankie is and what Frankie could be, or was for one great season, or what you wish he would be. The comparison is between what Frankie is and what currently exists in the game. Regardless of the fact that he no longer mows through three innings in 25 pitches with six strikeouts, like he did in 2002, he's still at the top of an elite group of players who, night in and night out, answer the bell in the last inning and deliver their team to victory. If you can't see that, then I guess I can't help you. But facts are facts, and the fact is Frankie is one of a select few that turns the vast majority of games he enters into eight inning affairs. And yes, that's a very, very valuable commodity. The Angels will regret the day he signs with someone else.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
A Couple Days Removed
Now that the initial shock has subsided, I'm warming to this trade a little bit. I still don't think it's really in the long term interests of the club. I still think that the Angels are not likely to sign Teixeira. I still think that their pursuit of Teixeira will cost them Frankie as well.
But the positives, as have mentioned mentioned numerous places, include the likelihood of picking up four picks before the second round, and they free up plenty of money to sign those guys. In addition, if Kendry Morales' recent display indicate a real improvement, then he may not be a huge downgrade over Kotchman. To top it off, Kotchman's comments about no ties to the franchise, and the sentiment that he was not pleased with Scioscia's decision to sit him against some lefties makes it a bit easier to wave goodbye.
This team, as currently constructed, is proving that they are the best team in baseball, and as I mentioned the other day, I do believe that this makes the Angels better right now, no question. It's (hopefully) going to be a long two months while we all wait for the post-season to get underway, but if everyone remains healthy, then the Angels should be the odds on favorite for the World Series. I can live with that.
But the positives, as have mentioned mentioned numerous places, include the likelihood of picking up four picks before the second round, and they free up plenty of money to sign those guys. In addition, if Kendry Morales' recent display indicate a real improvement, then he may not be a huge downgrade over Kotchman. To top it off, Kotchman's comments about no ties to the franchise, and the sentiment that he was not pleased with Scioscia's decision to sit him against some lefties makes it a bit easier to wave goodbye.
This team, as currently constructed, is proving that they are the best team in baseball, and as I mentioned the other day, I do believe that this makes the Angels better right now, no question. It's (hopefully) going to be a long two months while we all wait for the post-season to get underway, but if everyone remains healthy, then the Angels should be the odds on favorite for the World Series. I can live with that.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
First Reaction: Don't Like It
I've written about this a bunch on other sites today, but the short version is, I'm not a fan of the Teixeira trade. I will grant that it make the Angels better today than they were yesterday.
Unfortunately, I think it makes them worse in the future. I do not think they will be able to re-sign Tex, and I think that their focus on him will also lead to the loss of Frankie. The Angels will be weaker in the bullpen and at first base next year. They've essentially dealt a productive young player for a two month rental, and in the process signaled that anything short of a World Series Championship this year is a failure.
Tex does not want to stay on the West Coast, and you can forget about the exclusive negotiating window. Tex is a Boras client, and he WILL test the market. The Angels won't outbid all of the Yankees, Red Sox, and Orioles. And if his status hangs for a while, which it likely will with at least four teams involved, Frankie will probably be gone before it's resolved.
The Angels have either misplaced faith in their ability to bring Tex back, or they think Morales will be ready. The counter argument is that this frees up a lot of money to be active on the market AND it gets them probably four draft picks. The picks I like, but the Angels have not shown the ability to be consistently smart on the free agent market. Just ask Steve Finley, Shea Hillenbrand, and Gary Matthews. Not to mention the full court press they put on Paul Konerko.
So short run, it means they have a better chance to win. It also means they have to win, or the deal blows up in their faces. The team will be worse come November and going forward. Now they MUST sign Juan Rivera, and they may need to buy him a first baseman's glove.
I do not like this deal.
Unfortunately, I think it makes them worse in the future. I do not think they will be able to re-sign Tex, and I think that their focus on him will also lead to the loss of Frankie. The Angels will be weaker in the bullpen and at first base next year. They've essentially dealt a productive young player for a two month rental, and in the process signaled that anything short of a World Series Championship this year is a failure.
Tex does not want to stay on the West Coast, and you can forget about the exclusive negotiating window. Tex is a Boras client, and he WILL test the market. The Angels won't outbid all of the Yankees, Red Sox, and Orioles. And if his status hangs for a while, which it likely will with at least four teams involved, Frankie will probably be gone before it's resolved.
The Angels have either misplaced faith in their ability to bring Tex back, or they think Morales will be ready. The counter argument is that this frees up a lot of money to be active on the market AND it gets them probably four draft picks. The picks I like, but the Angels have not shown the ability to be consistently smart on the free agent market. Just ask Steve Finley, Shea Hillenbrand, and Gary Matthews. Not to mention the full court press they put on Paul Konerko.
So short run, it means they have a better chance to win. It also means they have to win, or the deal blows up in their faces. The team will be worse come November and going forward. Now they MUST sign Juan Rivera, and they may need to buy him a first baseman's glove.
I do not like this deal.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Transcendent
Three years ago, while the Wrens and AC Newman were the big interests for me at the Intonation Festival, at the time curated by Pitchfork, later to become the Pitchfork Festival, it was Broken Social Scene that really blew me away. I owned "You Forgot it in People" at the time, but it wasn't until I saw them at that show that it really clicked for me, and that set was the highlight.
Two years ago it was the Walkmen and Destroyer that piqued my interest, and both were excellent, but when all was said and done, it was Ted Leo that made the biggest impression on me. He was someone I hadn't listened to very much at the time, and I left the park a big fan, and immediately bought Shake the Sheets and Hearts of Oak.
Last year, I'm not gonna lie. The lineup mostly sucked. And the people I usually go with couldn't make it. So I had tickets that went unused for Friday and Saturday, but I showed up for a couple hours on Sunday to hear New Pornographers play a few tracks from their, at that time, unreleased new album Challengers.
This year, Sunday was the big draw, with Les Savy Fav, the Apples in Stereo, Spoon, etc. But for the first time in four years, it was the one band that I really wanted to see that delivered the best performance, and easily the best set I've ever seen at a festival setting, leaving me hungry for a show at a more intimate, or at least indoor venue. Spiritualized delivered far and away the best set.
I'll admit that I came to the show expecting to hear a stripped down, mostly acoustic, mellow set of material off the new album. Most of the shows that J. Spaceman played since his return to health were of the Acoustic Mainline variety (a take off on the Electric Mainline - Pure Phase album). But to my surprise, he showed up with two awesome backup vocalists, and a fully plugged in five piece setup. And while they did the mellow stuff at times, they simply blew doors when they wanted to. He played a few songs off the new album, most notably Sweet Talk and the first single, Soul On Fire. He also reached back to Amazing Grace for Cheapster and She Kissed Me (and it Felt Like a Hit).
But the highlights came early and late. They opened with You Lie, You Cheat off of the new album (Songs in A&E). As that faded out, the band slowly worked it's way into downright numbing version of Shine a Light, from Lazer Guided Melodies. If you've got a copy of the track handy, fast forward to about the 11 minute mark, picture the sax is a guitar, and imagine that the wall of background fuzz is about 100 times louder than you'd expect, and you'll get the idea. After working through the rest of the set, they finally launched into Come Together, the one song my friend wanted to hear, and for me, that was set to be a real highlight, until they segued out of the song, into some distortion and reached back into the Spacemen 3 catalogue for arguably my favorite Pierce associated track ever, Take Me To the Other Side, which was a really terrific way to end the set. If I weren't a Spiritualized fan before the show, I would have been on the way out. It really was transcendent, and it was probably one of the five best live sets I've ever seen, regardless of setting. I'll try to link to some videos as soon as P4k puts them up.
This should be a link to their set for streaming via audio. If it's not, then enter the time and date (July 20, 5:00 pm) and it should work.
Two years ago it was the Walkmen and Destroyer that piqued my interest, and both were excellent, but when all was said and done, it was Ted Leo that made the biggest impression on me. He was someone I hadn't listened to very much at the time, and I left the park a big fan, and immediately bought Shake the Sheets and Hearts of Oak.
Last year, I'm not gonna lie. The lineup mostly sucked. And the people I usually go with couldn't make it. So I had tickets that went unused for Friday and Saturday, but I showed up for a couple hours on Sunday to hear New Pornographers play a few tracks from their, at that time, unreleased new album Challengers.
This year, Sunday was the big draw, with Les Savy Fav, the Apples in Stereo, Spoon, etc. But for the first time in four years, it was the one band that I really wanted to see that delivered the best performance, and easily the best set I've ever seen at a festival setting, leaving me hungry for a show at a more intimate, or at least indoor venue. Spiritualized delivered far and away the best set.
I'll admit that I came to the show expecting to hear a stripped down, mostly acoustic, mellow set of material off the new album. Most of the shows that J. Spaceman played since his return to health were of the Acoustic Mainline variety (a take off on the Electric Mainline - Pure Phase album). But to my surprise, he showed up with two awesome backup vocalists, and a fully plugged in five piece setup. And while they did the mellow stuff at times, they simply blew doors when they wanted to. He played a few songs off the new album, most notably Sweet Talk and the first single, Soul On Fire. He also reached back to Amazing Grace for Cheapster and She Kissed Me (and it Felt Like a Hit).
But the highlights came early and late. They opened with You Lie, You Cheat off of the new album (Songs in A&E). As that faded out, the band slowly worked it's way into downright numbing version of Shine a Light, from Lazer Guided Melodies. If you've got a copy of the track handy, fast forward to about the 11 minute mark, picture the sax is a guitar, and imagine that the wall of background fuzz is about 100 times louder than you'd expect, and you'll get the idea. After working through the rest of the set, they finally launched into Come Together, the one song my friend wanted to hear, and for me, that was set to be a real highlight, until they segued out of the song, into some distortion and reached back into the Spacemen 3 catalogue for arguably my favorite Pierce associated track ever, Take Me To the Other Side, which was a really terrific way to end the set. If I weren't a Spiritualized fan before the show, I would have been on the way out. It really was transcendent, and it was probably one of the five best live sets I've ever seen, regardless of setting. I'll try to link to some videos as soon as P4k puts them up.
This should be a link to their set for streaming via audio. If it's not, then enter the time and date (July 20, 5:00 pm) and it should work.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
WANT!
Since the end of January, I've been dieting and exercising more. The exercise primarily consists of riding my bike, which is set up on a mag trainer, for about 30 minutes a night, fairly strenuously (at a cadence between 85 and 120). I'm currently down about 40 pounds over that time. I may just need to celebrate by treating myself to one of these:
These things look totally awesome, and way more comfortable than a regular trainer.
These things look totally awesome, and way more comfortable than a regular trainer.
Friday, July 04, 2008
NHL, Free Agency, and the Kings
The Kings have done nothing in free agency this season. For all none of you that give a shit about the Kings, you can move on, but I'm actually happy about this. No free agent is going to make the Kings appreciably better than they already are, and unless you're an idiot like Marian Hossa, you wanted a deal that was of a length that would block prospects.
So the Kings go into the next season with a really awful team, but one that will be full of kids getting experience. The worst case scenario is that they're competitive and end up with the sixth or seventh pick instead of the first or second.
So this year they're going to suck. That's pretty clear. But I still think they'll be fun to watch. In 2009, they'll have two goaltenders ready to shoulder the load with Bernier and Zatkoff. The defense will consist of Jack Johnson, Thomas Hickey, Drew Doughty, Colton Teubert, Vjateslav Voinov, and Alec Martinez. The first two lines will feature Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Patrick O'Sullivan, Alexander Frolov, Brian Boyle, and Teddy Purcell. That's assuming Matt Moulson, Oscar Moller, and Scott Parse don't force their way on to those lines.
The goaltending will be solid. The defense will be skilled and very physical. The offense will produce. And the best part will be the depth. Dean Lombardi is building a team that will not only be good, but will be able to withstand injury.
Make no mistake, 2008-2009 won't be very good. But they will be fun to watch, and starting in 2009, the Kings will be ass-kickers.
So the Kings go into the next season with a really awful team, but one that will be full of kids getting experience. The worst case scenario is that they're competitive and end up with the sixth or seventh pick instead of the first or second.
So this year they're going to suck. That's pretty clear. But I still think they'll be fun to watch. In 2009, they'll have two goaltenders ready to shoulder the load with Bernier and Zatkoff. The defense will consist of Jack Johnson, Thomas Hickey, Drew Doughty, Colton Teubert, Vjateslav Voinov, and Alec Martinez. The first two lines will feature Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, Patrick O'Sullivan, Alexander Frolov, Brian Boyle, and Teddy Purcell. That's assuming Matt Moulson, Oscar Moller, and Scott Parse don't force their way on to those lines.
The goaltending will be solid. The defense will be skilled and very physical. The offense will produce. And the best part will be the depth. Dean Lombardi is building a team that will not only be good, but will be able to withstand injury.
Make no mistake, 2008-2009 won't be very good. But they will be fun to watch, and starting in 2009, the Kings will be ass-kickers.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Embarrassing
There's no other way to describe it. The Dodgers basically just said "You guys suck so bad that we don't even need a hit to beat you."
I'd say that Lackey needs to go out and pick them up tomorrow, but other than hitting a couple of homers, I'm not sure what he can do. This is the most pathetic performance I've ever witnessed. I'll admit, I was hoping that Ethier's ball would go over GA's head, just so they'd have a hit.
This is quite possibly the lowest moment in the history of the franchise. This is laughing stock territory. This is losing to Appalachian State territory. This is something you never, ever live down.
I'd say that Lackey needs to go out and pick them up tomorrow, but other than hitting a couple of homers, I'm not sure what he can do. This is the most pathetic performance I've ever witnessed. I'll admit, I was hoping that Ethier's ball would go over GA's head, just so they'd have a hit.
This is quite possibly the lowest moment in the history of the franchise. This is laughing stock territory. This is losing to Appalachian State territory. This is something you never, ever live down.
Friday, June 20, 2008
You build from the net out
And Dean Lombardi has committed the Kings to doing just that. They had a tremendous first round tonight. In Drew Doughty, the Kings selected a defenseman who, alongside Jack Johnson, can lead the Kings power play for the foreseeable future. Thomas Hickey will figure into that as well. And in case you thought those guys were too small, they dealt Cammalleri, took Colton Teubert with the 13th pick, and added a third rounder next year in the process. Teubert is 6'3", and has knack for cracking skulls that dare skate through the crease.
So the Kings future includes the top goalie prospect from juniors, the top college goalie from last season, and a top four defense corps of Jack Johnson, Thomas Hickey, Drew Doughty, and Colton Teubert. The only problem I see with that group is that it only includes two Americans.
Last season the Kings, as a team, were bad. But they were fun to watch, at least for me, because they had guys I could pay attention to that were interesting players. Johnson, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Patrick O'Sullivan. This year they'll work Teddy Purcell, Matt Moulson, and Brian Boyle into the mix. Hickey may make the big club, and Doughty is very likely to be in L.A. next season.
The Kings aren't going to win the cup next year. They may not even make the playoffs. But the tide is turning, and the team is moving in the right direction. Now let's sit back and see what Dean does with the other boatload of picks he has in this draft.
So the Kings future includes the top goalie prospect from juniors, the top college goalie from last season, and a top four defense corps of Jack Johnson, Thomas Hickey, Drew Doughty, and Colton Teubert. The only problem I see with that group is that it only includes two Americans.
Last season the Kings, as a team, were bad. But they were fun to watch, at least for me, because they had guys I could pay attention to that were interesting players. Johnson, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Patrick O'Sullivan. This year they'll work Teddy Purcell, Matt Moulson, and Brian Boyle into the mix. Hickey may make the big club, and Doughty is very likely to be in L.A. next season.
The Kings aren't going to win the cup next year. They may not even make the playoffs. But the tide is turning, and the team is moving in the right direction. Now let's sit back and see what Dean does with the other boatload of picks he has in this draft.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Night to Remember
I am an Angeleno. I've lived in Illinois for almost ten years now, about seven of those in Chicago, but no matter how long I make this part of the country my home, it will always feel temporary. I will never stop being an Angeleno (I know, technically I grew up in Temple City/San Gabriel, not Los Angeles, but it's a regional thing). I rarely read the local papers here, unless I'm reading something about the Illini, or laughing at their coverage of an incredibly minor earthquake. I don't want local news. All I know about what's going on Chicago can be attributed to listening to Morning Edition on NPR, which covers some local news.
But the first thing I do every morning when I sit at my computer is pull up the L.A. Times website. I never watch the Cubs, Sox, Blackhawks, or Bulls, but I watch every Angels game, every Kings game, and the Lakers when they're on regular cable. My blood is completely Southern Californian (with a pinch of Montana thrown in there on my dad's side).
That's why what I did Friday night was so special. Due to some earlier travel plans for work that fell through, I had a plane ticket home last weekend, and I used the trip to take my parents to see John Wooden and Vin Scully live and on stage with T.J. Simers, with whom I have a smidgen of history and for whom I have a fondness. It's a night that won't soon be forgotten by anyone who attended, or by the folks at the two charities, for whom the event raised nearly a million dollars.
About 13 or 14 years ago, I was at the L.A. Open at Riviera, on the balcony overlooking the first tee when Byron Nelson walked out. I can't remember why exactly he was there, but the crowd around the tee spontaneously gave him a rousing ovation. I said to my dad at that time that there are a few people in town who would get the same reception almost no matter where they were. John Wooden and Vin Scully were among them (maybe to a lesser extent Magic, or Dave Taylor at the time). When they entered the stage Friday night, the place erupted in a standing ovation before Wooden and Scully even made it out from behind the curtains.
Simers was terrific, with his typical playful irreverence, but was massively overshadowed by the two legends, who gave as good as they got all night long. They traded jabs with Simers, regaled the crowd with stories from the Dodgers' and Bruins' past, and talked about their upbringing, their families, and philosophies for a successful life. It was a great event from start to finish, and the opportunity to spend it with my parents made the night even better.
My dad hasn't been in the best of health over the last few years. I won't go into details, but he can't quite do some of the things that he used to do. That's why the weekend was so special. I got a chance to play golf with him, something I thought I'd never be able to do again, but his condition has improved a bit recently. We watched the U.S. Open on Saturday afternoon, and headed down to Anaheim for the Angels game on Saturday night, something we did all the time when my brother, sister and I were growing up, but something we hadn't done in six or seven years. It was the perfect fathers day/birthday weekend.
The only unfortunate part of the Wooden/Scully event is that it likely will never happen again. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. There are no two figures in the Southern California sports landscape who are more iconic and legendary. If you missed it, you should really try to catch one of the replays on Fox Sports. It may not feel like it felt for those of us lucky enough to witness it in person, but it would be a good start.
But the first thing I do every morning when I sit at my computer is pull up the L.A. Times website. I never watch the Cubs, Sox, Blackhawks, or Bulls, but I watch every Angels game, every Kings game, and the Lakers when they're on regular cable. My blood is completely Southern Californian (with a pinch of Montana thrown in there on my dad's side).
That's why what I did Friday night was so special. Due to some earlier travel plans for work that fell through, I had a plane ticket home last weekend, and I used the trip to take my parents to see John Wooden and Vin Scully live and on stage with T.J. Simers, with whom I have a smidgen of history and for whom I have a fondness. It's a night that won't soon be forgotten by anyone who attended, or by the folks at the two charities, for whom the event raised nearly a million dollars.
About 13 or 14 years ago, I was at the L.A. Open at Riviera, on the balcony overlooking the first tee when Byron Nelson walked out. I can't remember why exactly he was there, but the crowd around the tee spontaneously gave him a rousing ovation. I said to my dad at that time that there are a few people in town who would get the same reception almost no matter where they were. John Wooden and Vin Scully were among them (maybe to a lesser extent Magic, or Dave Taylor at the time). When they entered the stage Friday night, the place erupted in a standing ovation before Wooden and Scully even made it out from behind the curtains.
Simers was terrific, with his typical playful irreverence, but was massively overshadowed by the two legends, who gave as good as they got all night long. They traded jabs with Simers, regaled the crowd with stories from the Dodgers' and Bruins' past, and talked about their upbringing, their families, and philosophies for a successful life. It was a great event from start to finish, and the opportunity to spend it with my parents made the night even better.
My dad hasn't been in the best of health over the last few years. I won't go into details, but he can't quite do some of the things that he used to do. That's why the weekend was so special. I got a chance to play golf with him, something I thought I'd never be able to do again, but his condition has improved a bit recently. We watched the U.S. Open on Saturday afternoon, and headed down to Anaheim for the Angels game on Saturday night, something we did all the time when my brother, sister and I were growing up, but something we hadn't done in six or seven years. It was the perfect fathers day/birthday weekend.
The only unfortunate part of the Wooden/Scully event is that it likely will never happen again. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. There are no two figures in the Southern California sports landscape who are more iconic and legendary. If you missed it, you should really try to catch one of the replays on Fox Sports. It may not feel like it felt for those of us lucky enough to witness it in person, but it would be a good start.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Fakey Fake
Always been down with one of them too
You were the fake and I was the fool
But you were too young to know all the rules
So I was the fake and you were the fool
I went to law school with a guy named Jimmy. Bostonian. Great guy, but typical Boston fan. So anyway, I was at his place tonight watching the Lakers and Celtics in game one of the NBA finals.
Let the record show that the minute Paul Pierce went down with his "injury", I predicted that he'd milk it for all it was worth, and come back in the fourth quarter. I was wrong about the timing, but right about him being a fucking faker. Seriously, have you ever known someone who injured A knee, yet couldn't put weight on his GOOD knee to walk off the court? Only Boston fans could be dumb enough to buy into his act.
It wasn't the Lakers' night. Countless shots went down only to rattle back out. And the officiating, was of course, atrocious. But this is the NBA, so I expect it to be atrocious in the other direction next week. But the point is, Paul Pierce is a faker, Ray Allen is old, and Kevin Garnett only plays three quarters per game, so I'm not particularly concerned.
Go Lakers.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Major Leaguers
When I started doing this a few years ago, and I was doing game recaps every night, I always tried to write about things I observed that maybe didn't get talked about by the broadcasters or written up in the paper. After a couple of years, I felt like I was writing about the same things all the time, and it sapped a little bit of the interest I had in writing. It just felt like I was writing things I had written before.
Last night, however, I saw something that really got my dander up, so to speak. Now, I understand that the Angels offensive philosophy is to be aggressive, and they're going to swing a lot. If you haven't figured that out by now, you haven't been watching very long. But what happened in the sixth inning was ridiculous. To take you back, you'll remember that the bottom of the fifth inning finished with the Mariners scoring three unearned runs, thanks in large part to Howie Kendrick's error on a routine grounder, and Robb Quinlan's inexplicable decision to go the long way on a throw for the third out, instead of a quick flip to second, which resulted in the second error of the inning. The defense hung Joe Saunders out to dry, and made him throw 12 more pitches than he should have to get out of the inning.
I don't know about you, but if I were a hitter due up the next inning, and my pitcher just had to work a lot harder than he should have to get out of an inning, I might want to slow things down a bit, take a few pitches, and let him catch his breath before taking the mound again. The Angels offense gave Saunders about 45 seconds. Maicer Izturis actually saw four pitches in his at bat, but Kendrick and Torii Hunter combined saw half that. Isn't this baseball 101? In the NL, if you pitcher grounds out, and you're the next hitter, you take a few extra seconds in the on deck circle. You walk more slowly to the plate. You give the guy a break.
I don't know, maybe it's just me, but this goes hand in hand with the insane number of times you see one of these guys swing at a pitch from a pitcher who has just thrown six or seven straight pitches out of the strike zone. I understand aggressiveness, but sometimes, you need to use your head. You need to help your own pitcher, and not help out your opponent.
Still, they're winning. That makes six series in a row that the Angels have had the upper hand. If they win two out of three all year, I think they'll be alright. Congratulations to Hokie Joe on win #9, and nice work from Arredondo and Frankie to lock things down. Let's see them get that sweep.
Last night, however, I saw something that really got my dander up, so to speak. Now, I understand that the Angels offensive philosophy is to be aggressive, and they're going to swing a lot. If you haven't figured that out by now, you haven't been watching very long. But what happened in the sixth inning was ridiculous. To take you back, you'll remember that the bottom of the fifth inning finished with the Mariners scoring three unearned runs, thanks in large part to Howie Kendrick's error on a routine grounder, and Robb Quinlan's inexplicable decision to go the long way on a throw for the third out, instead of a quick flip to second, which resulted in the second error of the inning. The defense hung Joe Saunders out to dry, and made him throw 12 more pitches than he should have to get out of the inning.
I don't know about you, but if I were a hitter due up the next inning, and my pitcher just had to work a lot harder than he should have to get out of an inning, I might want to slow things down a bit, take a few pitches, and let him catch his breath before taking the mound again. The Angels offense gave Saunders about 45 seconds. Maicer Izturis actually saw four pitches in his at bat, but Kendrick and Torii Hunter combined saw half that. Isn't this baseball 101? In the NL, if you pitcher grounds out, and you're the next hitter, you take a few extra seconds in the on deck circle. You walk more slowly to the plate. You give the guy a break.
I don't know, maybe it's just me, but this goes hand in hand with the insane number of times you see one of these guys swing at a pitch from a pitcher who has just thrown six or seven straight pitches out of the strike zone. I understand aggressiveness, but sometimes, you need to use your head. You need to help your own pitcher, and not help out your opponent.
Still, they're winning. That makes six series in a row that the Angels have had the upper hand. If they win two out of three all year, I think they'll be alright. Congratulations to Hokie Joe on win #9, and nice work from Arredondo and Frankie to lock things down. Let's see them get that sweep.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Engel Notitzen
- Yes, the Angels have finally come to my city. No, I won't be going until Sunday night's game. And really, this is the worst game to go to, since it's on ESPN. That means it's the one game that won't have Hawk and DJ calling the game in this town. Then again, I LOVE listening to those guys when the Angels win, like they did tonight. I do have tickets for two games when the Angels return in the fall.
- I think we're far enough into the season where we can say that Joe Saunders is a stud, and Ervin Santana is turning into the pitcher we thought he could be. He had his issues last night, but he pitched well enough to win. Saunders, meanwhile, was awesome again tonight. His BAD games are still pretty good. And he's what, 23-9 in his major league career? Those are MLB '08 - The Show numbers.
- Nick Adenhart hasn't been lights out since returning to Salt Lake, but he still hasn't given up a homer this year, and that includes about 50 innings between Salt Lake and Los Angeles of Anaheim. Pitchers can control three things - walks, strikeouts, and home runs. He's already doing one about as well as it can be done. If he can start keeping the ball closer to the strike zone, he'll be very good
- Meanwhile, John Lackey is already very good, and his return has been excellent. Two starts, 14 innings, two runs. That's a little better than Dustin Moseley and Adenhart were doing. And even without him and Escobar, they're still in first place. This is what we call 'poised to deliver'.
- As for Escobar, the emergence of Saunders and the resurgence of Santana, coupled with the struggles of the bullpen have to have the Angels braintrust thinking. It's like a perfect storm. Five fully functioning starters, a lackluster pen, and a terrific arm that a) may have trouble pitching deep into games, and b) can be very effective in short spurts. Might we see a 2005 redux with Escobar coming back but pitching primarily out of the pen? I'm up for it.
- It's nice to see how much the Mariners suck, isn't it?
- Remember how much A's fans whined last year about injuries? The Angels have been hammered by injuries this year, and yet they're still winning series after series. That's all about depth. And you may get discouraged if you're a subscriber to The Prospect Report. The Angels don't have the boatload of young prospects that they've had in years past. But almost no team in baseball has the depth that the Angels have right now. And there's more more to this depth than just an ability to fill in. I'm a firm believer that a taste of the bigs from time to time makes a prospect a better, hungrier player. The Angels are competing with Sean Rodriguez and Brandon Wood in the majors right now, when they shouldn't be here. I believe it will make the Angels better when those guys should be here.
- Still, I want to see this team in October with Lackey, Escobar, Figgins, and Kendrick at full steam. I think with a full roster, they're one of the two or three best teams in the game. They happen to be fortunate this year that they may still be able to cruise in the division with a depleted roster.
- The 2010 All-Star game. If you haven't been before, you should pay a lot of money and go to all of the events. I was there in 2003 when it was at Commiskey, and it was a lot of fun, though I don't feel the need to go again. I got to see GA win the home run derby AND the MVP, so it was worth it, but it was expensive. Still, if you have the means, go and enjoy.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Book on Nick Adenhart
Or rather, the pamphlet, since this is going to be short. It's gonna sound stupid, but right now, the way to get to Nick Adenhart is to get someone, anyone, on base. So far, that hasn't been a problem. He's allowed almost half of the hitters he's faced to reach base safely, 31 (18 hits and 13 walks) out of 63. His WHIP is over 2.50.
There's no way to sugar coat it, he hasn't been very good, although he's shown flashes. In fact, in the first inning of all three major league starts, he hasn't allowed a baserunner. Even better, seven of those nine outs have either been ground outs or strike outs. Actually, he's retired the first four hitters in order in every start (five in the Royals start).
But in each of those starts, he's allowed a man to reach base in the second inning, and that's where the trouble starts. He's given up nine runs in those second innings, despite the advantage of having retired the leadoff hitter. And the reason he's running into trouble is because he has not been able to successfully pitch with runners on base. Blame it on jitters perhaps, but more likely it's a mechanical flaw that comes from pitching out of the stretch. He's a little wild as it is. He gets worse with runners on.
Adenhart has faced 33 hitters with the bases empty. Seven of them have reached via the hit, and five via the walk, for an OBP against of .364, which isn't great, but isn't awful. Once a batter reaches, however, he goes from adequate to much worse. He's faced 30 batters with runners on base, and allowed an alarming 19 of them to reach. That's OBP against of .633! In other words, once one man gets on base, almost two of the next three are also likely to reach base. That's nuts. Keep in mind that he's not a strikeout pitcher to begin with, and he only has four strikeouts in his 12 major league innings, but none of those have come with runners on base, so he's not helping himself out once he gets into trouble (though he has induced three hitters to ground into double plays).
Those numbers are pretty distressing, or they would be for any other pitcher, and of course all of the caveats about sample size still apply. But first of all, he's only 21, so to the extent these are a function of nerves, he has plenty of time to learn to deal with them. Second, he was only slated to make three starts, assuming the healthy return of John Lackey, so he's got some things to work on, and he can do it in the minors. Perhaps most importantly, the one thing he doesn't do is give up home runs. He's now pitched 404 innings in professional baseball, and has seen only ten of his pitches leave the yard in fair territory. That means he can get away with allowing a few more hitters to reach over the course of a season, because he's not susceptible to the back breaking three run homer. But he simply can't allow the number of baserunners he's allowed at the major league level. Shockingly, he's actually 1-0 in his major league career, thanks to the 23 runs the Angels have scored in his starts.
I have no reason to believe that with some additional minor league seasoning, he won't turn into solid, if not spectacular major league pitcher, and he has a great deal of upside. His minor league numbers compare favorably to Brandon Webb. Not that he'll be that successful, but if he be 75% of a Brandon Webb, that's a damn good major league starter. I think the Nick Adenhart experiment was a success in that it will eventually make him a better pitcher. I could see him being a fixture in the rotation as early as next year if there's a spot, and as we're learning from the current health situation, there's always a spot.
There's no way to sugar coat it, he hasn't been very good, although he's shown flashes. In fact, in the first inning of all three major league starts, he hasn't allowed a baserunner. Even better, seven of those nine outs have either been ground outs or strike outs. Actually, he's retired the first four hitters in order in every start (five in the Royals start).
But in each of those starts, he's allowed a man to reach base in the second inning, and that's where the trouble starts. He's given up nine runs in those second innings, despite the advantage of having retired the leadoff hitter. And the reason he's running into trouble is because he has not been able to successfully pitch with runners on base. Blame it on jitters perhaps, but more likely it's a mechanical flaw that comes from pitching out of the stretch. He's a little wild as it is. He gets worse with runners on.
Adenhart has faced 33 hitters with the bases empty. Seven of them have reached via the hit, and five via the walk, for an OBP against of .364, which isn't great, but isn't awful. Once a batter reaches, however, he goes from adequate to much worse. He's faced 30 batters with runners on base, and allowed an alarming 19 of them to reach. That's OBP against of .633! In other words, once one man gets on base, almost two of the next three are also likely to reach base. That's nuts. Keep in mind that he's not a strikeout pitcher to begin with, and he only has four strikeouts in his 12 major league innings, but none of those have come with runners on base, so he's not helping himself out once he gets into trouble (though he has induced three hitters to ground into double plays).
Those numbers are pretty distressing, or they would be for any other pitcher, and of course all of the caveats about sample size still apply. But first of all, he's only 21, so to the extent these are a function of nerves, he has plenty of time to learn to deal with them. Second, he was only slated to make three starts, assuming the healthy return of John Lackey, so he's got some things to work on, and he can do it in the minors. Perhaps most importantly, the one thing he doesn't do is give up home runs. He's now pitched 404 innings in professional baseball, and has seen only ten of his pitches leave the yard in fair territory. That means he can get away with allowing a few more hitters to reach over the course of a season, because he's not susceptible to the back breaking three run homer. But he simply can't allow the number of baserunners he's allowed at the major league level. Shockingly, he's actually 1-0 in his major league career, thanks to the 23 runs the Angels have scored in his starts.
I have no reason to believe that with some additional minor league seasoning, he won't turn into solid, if not spectacular major league pitcher, and he has a great deal of upside. His minor league numbers compare favorably to Brandon Webb. Not that he'll be that successful, but if he be 75% of a Brandon Webb, that's a damn good major league starter. I think the Nick Adenhart experiment was a success in that it will eventually make him a better pitcher. I could see him being a fixture in the rotation as early as next year if there's a spot, and as we're learning from the current health situation, there's always a spot.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Where I've been
In short, working, traveling, playing golf, and attending birthday parties for one year olds. Oh, and drinking.
So that's part of the reason I haven't been writing. I was in Atlanta last week, and travel itself kept me from watching Tuesday's game. The hotel I was at has crappy internet service, so it's virtually impossible to watch a game over the computer, so that took out Wednesday. Friday was travel back from Atlanta, and meeting up with drunk friends after the Cubs game (which they attended and I didn't). Saturday was golf, birthday party, and drinking with a different set of friends. Sunday's game was pathetic and made me not want to write.
Actually, I did see a game Wednesday night. I headed down State Highway 400 from Alpharetta to Atlanta to see the Braves play the Padres. Funny that almost every Padres game I've seen in the last 20 years has been against Braves, going back to 1988 when I was the Braves bat boy for one game in San Diego. I saw a couple more at the Murph in the interim, and this was my first game at the Ted. Nice park. Parked for free since I got there in the second inning. Paid $20 to a scalper for a ticket and sat in the general vicinity of that seat. It was not by any means a full building, so you could more or less sit wherever you wanted down the lines. Enjoyed a couple beers and some peanuts.
From my vantage point, it appears you can only weather so many injuries, especially when Vlad is not hot. Lackey and Escobar? They can manage. Kendrick? They can still put runs up. Add Figgins to that, and Maicer, and you're starting to run into tough sledding. They need Figgins back ASAP, and if Kendrick can come back this week, it will be a nice boost to the offense. I like the experience that Rodriguez and Wood are getting, as it's always nice to know what you should expect when it becomes time to stick at the big league level, but those guys need to play every day against pitchers they can hit more consistently, and the Angels need their best hitters back in the lineup.
Also, Justin Speier has been less than impressive lately. Tonight's the first of four with the White Sox, which means I'll need to sync the radio from the net with the video from the local station, because I can't listen to the douchebags who call the Sox games.
So that's part of the reason I haven't been writing. I was in Atlanta last week, and travel itself kept me from watching Tuesday's game. The hotel I was at has crappy internet service, so it's virtually impossible to watch a game over the computer, so that took out Wednesday. Friday was travel back from Atlanta, and meeting up with drunk friends after the Cubs game (which they attended and I didn't). Saturday was golf, birthday party, and drinking with a different set of friends. Sunday's game was pathetic and made me not want to write.
Actually, I did see a game Wednesday night. I headed down State Highway 400 from Alpharetta to Atlanta to see the Braves play the Padres. Funny that almost every Padres game I've seen in the last 20 years has been against Braves, going back to 1988 when I was the Braves bat boy for one game in San Diego. I saw a couple more at the Murph in the interim, and this was my first game at the Ted. Nice park. Parked for free since I got there in the second inning. Paid $20 to a scalper for a ticket and sat in the general vicinity of that seat. It was not by any means a full building, so you could more or less sit wherever you wanted down the lines. Enjoyed a couple beers and some peanuts.
From my vantage point, it appears you can only weather so many injuries, especially when Vlad is not hot. Lackey and Escobar? They can manage. Kendrick? They can still put runs up. Add Figgins to that, and Maicer, and you're starting to run into tough sledding. They need Figgins back ASAP, and if Kendrick can come back this week, it will be a nice boost to the offense. I like the experience that Rodriguez and Wood are getting, as it's always nice to know what you should expect when it becomes time to stick at the big league level, but those guys need to play every day against pitchers they can hit more consistently, and the Angels need their best hitters back in the lineup.
Also, Justin Speier has been less than impressive lately. Tonight's the first of four with the White Sox, which means I'll need to sync the radio from the net with the video from the local station, because I can't listen to the douchebags who call the Sox games.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Inauspicious Debuts - with a bunch of updates
As I write this, the Angles trail Oakland 4-0 in the second inning. After a nice start, Nick Adenhart, making his major league debut, gave up a hit, four walks, and another hit, which led to those four runs.
It's times like these I like to recall Ervin Santana's major league debut. On May 17, 2005, Ervin Santana faced the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland. He gave up a triple to Grady Sizemore, a double to Coco Crisp, a Single to Travis Hafner, and home run to Ben Broussard. He gave up the cycle to the first four batters he faced in his career. Since that game, he's 40-29, and that inlcudes an awful year last year, plus he's only 25.
The moral of the story? Stuff happens. Adenhart will be fine.
Oh, and now it's 4-1, thanks to Jack "Glove-butcher" Cust.
Update: Now it's 5-4 Angels, thanks to Cust and a lack of mental toughness on the part of the Duke. Back to you, Nick.
Further Updated: The Angels bullpen proves that if you're the Angels brass, it's pretty much damned if you do, damned if you don't when it comes to the Angels seventh starter position.
Updated again: This is what I wrote on BTF in response to all of the doom and gloom:
Ervin Santana - Major League Debut: 4 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 2 HR, and he gave up the cycle to the first four batters he faced.
Ervin Santana - Next Major League Start: 9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1BB, 7 K. That was against the eventual World Champion White Sox.
Something tells me that when a kid who is a top prospect is called up and stuggles in his debut, it's not the end of the world. It's May fer chrissakes. Can we please pull back from the ledge?
OR
It's times like these I like to recall Ervin Santana's major league debut. On May 17, 2005, Ervin Santana faced the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland. He gave up a triple to Grady Sizemore, a double to Coco Crisp, a Single to Travis Hafner, and home run to Ben Broussard. He gave up the cycle to the first four batters he faced in his career. Since that game, he's 40-29, and that inlcudes an awful year last year, plus he's only 25.
The moral of the story? Stuff happens. Adenhart will be fine.
Oh, and now it's 4-1, thanks to Jack "Glove-butcher" Cust.
Update: Now it's 5-4 Angels, thanks to Cust and a lack of mental toughness on the part of the Duke. Back to you, Nick.
Further Updated: The Angels bullpen proves that if you're the Angels brass, it's pretty much damned if you do, damned if you don't when it comes to the Angels seventh starter position.
Updated again: This is what I wrote on BTF in response to all of the doom and gloom:
Ervin Santana - Major League Debut: 4 IP, 6 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 2 HR, and he gave up the cycle to the first four batters he faced.
Ervin Santana - Next Major League Start: 9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1BB, 7 K. That was against the eventual World Champion White Sox.
Something tells me that when a kid who is a top prospect is called up and stuggles in his debut, it's not the end of the world. It's May fer chrissakes. Can we please pull back from the ledge?
OR
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Catching up
Last night's game notwithstanding, I think we can look back and say that the Angels had a pretty successful road trip. If you could pick one player who was the key to their success, it would probably be Casey Kotchman. All he did over the six games in Boston and Detroit was put up a 400/520/700 line, with two homers, four RBIs, and 5 walks. His six homers was good enough to tie for the league lead through the end of the trip. He continues to be their best hitter, with a line of 326/392/565, including last night's 0-fer. And that's before taking his gold glove defense into account. Despite all of the complaints about his proclivity for injury and illness, all of the rumors of his eventual trade from Anaheim, all of the attempts to sign a "slugging" first baseman to replace him, he's emerging as the best hitter on the team. All of this goes to show that people could stand to be a bit more patient. Very few guys enter the league and kick ass at 22 or 23 years of age.
Their numbers on the recent trip weren't wonderful, but the catcher spot continues to pleasantly surprise. Last year, the Angels got 14 home runs from that position, with a line of 229/299/372. That's over 162 games. This year, Napoli and Mathis have nine homers, and have combined for a line of 263/323/589. They're actually getting offensive production from the catcher position.
Chone Figgins has come back to earth a bit, but he hasn't plummeted. He's still hitting .314, and he had a pretty wretched trip, but he's got 18 walks in 129 plate appearances (one HBP), for an ISO OBP of .105. That's excellent for a leadoff hitter, especially one who will hit around .300.
Hokey Joe continues to impress, and Ervin Santana has been nothing short of outstanding so far. The Angels' fifth and sixth starters have combined to go 8-0 with a 2.75 ERA. They're allowing barely more than a baserunner per inning, they're striking out almost two and a half hitter for every walk, and they're keeping the ball in the park (6 homers in 68.2 innings). And to think but for the injuries, one of those guys would have started in the pen. They've nicely covered for shaky starts by Weaver and Garland.
And to close it out, the front end of the bullpen has been getting the job done as well. Despite shaky starts to the season, Justin Speier, Scot Shields, and Frankie Rodriguez all have it going. Frankie has saved his last six games, and has allowed four hits and two walks in that time. Three of those hits came in one appearance. Shields has been even better, allowing 9 baserunners in his last 10 innings, and two runs in mop-up work against the Red Sox.
Critics of the Angels bullpen have been silent lately, and all of the sudden, re-signing Frankie is looking more and more like a priority. A quick glance at the league's top closers shows a group that are either not on the market (Rivera, Papelbon, Jenks, Cordero), or not reliable (Sherrill, Isringhausen, Gagne). There's a reason Coco got that big contract over the off-season. And the only other reliable 9th inning guy on the market (Joe Nathan) is seven years older than Frankie. Remember, the comparison is not what Frankie is vs. what we'd like Frankie to be. It's between what he is vs. what else is out there (including going in house). If you're going to break the bank for Gary Matthews Jr., how do not do it for a franchise hero who is still one of the most effective players in the league at his position?
So a tough loss last night, but hopefully they got that performance out of the way early. Kendrick is set to return soon, as is John Lackey. And despite the early season loss of 37 wins from the previous year, the Angels still sit in a pretty good position as we head into May.
Their numbers on the recent trip weren't wonderful, but the catcher spot continues to pleasantly surprise. Last year, the Angels got 14 home runs from that position, with a line of 229/299/372. That's over 162 games. This year, Napoli and Mathis have nine homers, and have combined for a line of 263/323/589. They're actually getting offensive production from the catcher position.
Chone Figgins has come back to earth a bit, but he hasn't plummeted. He's still hitting .314, and he had a pretty wretched trip, but he's got 18 walks in 129 plate appearances (one HBP), for an ISO OBP of .105. That's excellent for a leadoff hitter, especially one who will hit around .300.
Hokey Joe continues to impress, and Ervin Santana has been nothing short of outstanding so far. The Angels' fifth and sixth starters have combined to go 8-0 with a 2.75 ERA. They're allowing barely more than a baserunner per inning, they're striking out almost two and a half hitter for every walk, and they're keeping the ball in the park (6 homers in 68.2 innings). And to think but for the injuries, one of those guys would have started in the pen. They've nicely covered for shaky starts by Weaver and Garland.
And to close it out, the front end of the bullpen has been getting the job done as well. Despite shaky starts to the season, Justin Speier, Scot Shields, and Frankie Rodriguez all have it going. Frankie has saved his last six games, and has allowed four hits and two walks in that time. Three of those hits came in one appearance. Shields has been even better, allowing 9 baserunners in his last 10 innings, and two runs in mop-up work against the Red Sox.
Critics of the Angels bullpen have been silent lately, and all of the sudden, re-signing Frankie is looking more and more like a priority. A quick glance at the league's top closers shows a group that are either not on the market (Rivera, Papelbon, Jenks, Cordero), or not reliable (Sherrill, Isringhausen, Gagne). There's a reason Coco got that big contract over the off-season. And the only other reliable 9th inning guy on the market (Joe Nathan) is seven years older than Frankie. Remember, the comparison is not what Frankie is vs. what we'd like Frankie to be. It's between what he is vs. what else is out there (including going in house). If you're going to break the bank for Gary Matthews Jr., how do not do it for a franchise hero who is still one of the most effective players in the league at his position?
So a tough loss last night, but hopefully they got that performance out of the way early. Kendrick is set to return soon, as is John Lackey. And despite the early season loss of 37 wins from the previous year, the Angels still sit in a pretty good position as we head into May.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Checking in
Blogging will probably return to its normal, infrequent frequency sometime soon. I really want to say something about the Red Sox series, but between a busy week at work, a couple of concerts, and heavy practicing for the state Mid-Amateur championship, I've been a little busy and a lot tired over the last week or so.
But damn, the catcher and first base positions are kicking some serious ass right now, and the pen appears to have righted itself. I was going to call Rob out, but he did it to himself, so no need. Now let's get the Tigers, who have been scoring a lot of runs lately. Look for very high scoring games in this series.
But damn, the catcher and first base positions are kicking some serious ass right now, and the pen appears to have righted itself. I was going to call Rob out, but he did it to himself, so no need. Now let's get the Tigers, who have been scoring a lot of runs lately. Look for very high scoring games in this series.
Friday, April 18, 2008
New UCLA Post
I have a new post up at the SoCal Sports Hub on the decisions of Love, Westbrook, Mbah A Moute, and possibly Collison and Shipp to declare for the draft. Here's an excerpt:
Click here for the rest. I'm going to be do some more occasional posting over there in addition my stuff here.
Yesterday, freshman Kevin Love and sophomore Russel Westbrook declared their intentions to enter the NBA draft. Both have been projected to go anywhere from the lottery to the late first round. It has been widely rumored that juniors Darren Collison and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will do the same. Word is that Josh Shipp is also considering going this route. When the season started, it was generally assumed that Love was one and done, and Collison was also probably gone after this year. Both had their ups and downs, and we can all look for faults in their game, but at the end of the day, nothing has really changed since those pre-season assessments. In the meantime, Westbrook showed the athleticism and scoring ability in starter minutes that had us all salivating after watching him in limited minutes last year. In doing so, he turned himself into a likely first rounder, and possibly lottery pick. Shipp and Mbah A Moute didn’t have tremendous seasons. Shipp likely regressed a bit. But their decisions, should they decide to enter the draft, don’t surprise me one bit.
These decisions have prompted a number of critical comments from UCLA fans. They generally fall into a few categories. I’m going to attempt to categorize those complaints and deal with them in this post.
Click here for the rest. I'm going to be do some more occasional posting over there in addition my stuff here.
Trends
Chone Figgins has hit in nine straight games, and his batting average has been barely affected. After the rash of walks to start the season, he's slowed down a bit. He's now averaging one walk every 5.7 plate appearances, which is still pretty damn good. We can talk all night about how they need production out of Vlad, GA, Hunter, etc., but if Figgins can get on base four times out of ten all year, it's really going to make the offense go, assuming he's not immediately eliminated by Matthews every time.
Scot Shields has allowed one base runner in his last four outings (3.2 innings), and none in his last three. He's also struck out four in that span. Worries over the arm troubles that landed him on the DL to start the season, well, they aren't so worrying anymore. Beyond the numbers, he's looked fairly sharp.
Another big series with the Mariners, but I think last weekend soaked up most of the early season drama. They should be able to just relax and play baseball for a while. Well see tonight whether Hokie Joe can keep it going.
Scot Shields has allowed one base runner in his last four outings (3.2 innings), and none in his last three. He's also struck out four in that span. Worries over the arm troubles that landed him on the DL to start the season, well, they aren't so worrying anymore. Beyond the numbers, he's looked fairly sharp.
Another big series with the Mariners, but I think last weekend soaked up most of the early season drama. They should be able to just relax and play baseball for a while. Well see tonight whether Hokie Joe can keep it going.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Angels Sweep Rangers
Finally a bit of a return to normalcy after the way the Rangers took the Angels apart in the second half of last season. They got a decent start out of Ervin Santana on Monday, who looked like the road version of last year's model in the first inning. From there he settled down and tossed six scoreless innings before turning it over the bullpen.
Yesterday they got a less than adequate start out of Dustin Moseley, who gave up four runs in four innings, and really did himself in with five walks. It was the type of start that normal teams expect out of a fifth starter. The good news for the Angels is that Moseley is their seventh starter. The key for the April Angels is to get this team into May without a lot of damage done so that when Lackey and (God willing) Escobar return, they'll be poised for the mid-season run that puts the division away in late July/early August.
Don't look now, but over the last two days, the bullpen has provided seven innings of earned run free baseball, the only blemish coming when Erick Aybar's throwing error in the eight inning on Monday led somewhat indirectly to Frankie Rodriguez's save opportunity. Speaking of Frankie, two innings, two base runners (both walks), two strikeouts, and two scoreless saves, yesterday's being of the 1-2-3 variety. They actually looked like the real Angels bullpen this series. And don't forget Scot Shields' 1.2 IP, 0 baserunners, 2 Ks performance in the two games. It's no secret that the bullpen is going to be essential to the Angels' success this year, and if they can get the 7-8-9 inning guys going, things may turn out OK.
On the offensive side of things, Chone Figgins picked up three more hits in nine at bats, and saw his average drop 10 points. After two straight games without a free pass, he picked up number 13 in 69 plate appearances yesterday. His ability to get on base (currently a .507 clip) is probably THE reason the Angels have the top scoring offense in the league to this point, well, that and the fact that they've played as many or more games than everyone else. Mike Napoli (four homers) continues to pour on the power when he's in the lineup, and Casey "he'll top out at 20-25 homers" Kotchman also hit his fourth of the season. Maybe the experts are right, but my gut tells me he's got 35 homer power in him. Maybe not this year, but at some point.
Next up will be a contrast in styles as the Angels head home to take on the surprising Royals, who aren't plating many runners (3.5 per game), but are allowing even fewer to cross (just over 3 per). Fortunately they miss Brian Bannister and Zack Grienke, but Gil Meche is better than his ERA shows to this point (though Brett Tomko likely isn't). The Angels counter with Jered Weaver and Jon Garland, who could use a game against a low scoring opponent just about now. Just a quick two game set before another showcase series with Seattle this weekend. It would be nice to see them keep the momentum going.
Yesterday they got a less than adequate start out of Dustin Moseley, who gave up four runs in four innings, and really did himself in with five walks. It was the type of start that normal teams expect out of a fifth starter. The good news for the Angels is that Moseley is their seventh starter. The key for the April Angels is to get this team into May without a lot of damage done so that when Lackey and (God willing) Escobar return, they'll be poised for the mid-season run that puts the division away in late July/early August.
Don't look now, but over the last two days, the bullpen has provided seven innings of earned run free baseball, the only blemish coming when Erick Aybar's throwing error in the eight inning on Monday led somewhat indirectly to Frankie Rodriguez's save opportunity. Speaking of Frankie, two innings, two base runners (both walks), two strikeouts, and two scoreless saves, yesterday's being of the 1-2-3 variety. They actually looked like the real Angels bullpen this series. And don't forget Scot Shields' 1.2 IP, 0 baserunners, 2 Ks performance in the two games. It's no secret that the bullpen is going to be essential to the Angels' success this year, and if they can get the 7-8-9 inning guys going, things may turn out OK.
On the offensive side of things, Chone Figgins picked up three more hits in nine at bats, and saw his average drop 10 points. After two straight games without a free pass, he picked up number 13 in 69 plate appearances yesterday. His ability to get on base (currently a .507 clip) is probably THE reason the Angels have the top scoring offense in the league to this point, well, that and the fact that they've played as many or more games than everyone else. Mike Napoli (four homers) continues to pour on the power when he's in the lineup, and Casey "he'll top out at 20-25 homers" Kotchman also hit his fourth of the season. Maybe the experts are right, but my gut tells me he's got 35 homer power in him. Maybe not this year, but at some point.
Next up will be a contrast in styles as the Angels head home to take on the surprising Royals, who aren't plating many runners (3.5 per game), but are allowing even fewer to cross (just over 3 per). Fortunately they miss Brian Bannister and Zack Grienke, but Gil Meche is better than his ERA shows to this point (though Brett Tomko likely isn't). The Angels counter with Jered Weaver and Jon Garland, who could use a game against a low scoring opponent just about now. Just a quick two game set before another showcase series with Seattle this weekend. It would be nice to see them keep the momentum going.
Monday, April 14, 2008
One of Three
I think we all wish things would have gone a little differently in Seattle over the weekend, but them's the breaks, and when all is said and done, 1-2 in their building isn't all that awful.
Cause for concern:
In Figgins' case, I think we're getting past the point where we can call his success over the last four and a half months of regular season action a fluke. I've mentioned before that I think somewhere between .300 and .310 is a fairly conservative, yet realistic estimate of what he can do this year, and if the plate discipline (12 walks in 50 plate appearances) is real, and I suspect it is (to an extent - I think one walk every 8-9 appearances is a realistic goal), then he could be poised for a very fine season.
Kendrick is Kendrick, and if he's in the lineup, he's going to hit. He doesn't seem to be a guy that pitchers can figure out for very long. As he makes his way around the league a few times, they may catch up to him a bit, but he's had sustained success at the lower levels, and he just seems like the type that will be able to adjust to what the pitchers at this level will do.
As for Kotchman, the average isn't a surprise. I don't expect .370, but it's a small sample, and I do expect him, if healthy, to stay north of .300 all year, and if things break right, .325 or so isn't out of the question. As for the three homers, I'm not surprised. I know the pundits don't expect him to ever show a ton of power, and maybe their right. But what I saw last year and this are: 1) a lot of doubles, which usually portend decent power numbers; and 2) although he didn't hit a lot of homers last year, many of them were LONG home runs. He wasn't hitting shots that scraped the wall. He crushed a few of them deep into the right field seats, which isn't easy to do in Anaheim. Already this year he killed one in Minnesota, AND he hit one out in Seattle that was on a pretty good pitch, not a pitch a guy with little power should have been able to hit out. The predictions are that he'll top out around 25 homers. I think we may see that many, or more, this year assuming good health (a big assumption).
The Angels routinely have trouble firing on all cylinders at this point in the season. They muddle along doing some things well and other things not so well until they hit a summer stretch where they start to assert themselves. That's pretty much what I see happening this year as well.
Cause for concern:
- Two straight poor outings from Jon Garland.
- The bullpen continues to be less than impressive.
- Nobody seems to be able to get Raul Ibanez out.
- Gary Matthews Jr. is an out-making machine.
- Despite the flood of offense so far this season, the Angels sit just one game over .500.
- Howie Kendrick can't seem to stay healthy.
- The defense is at times not so good.
- Lackey's throwing again.
- Frankie's velocity was up a bit yesterday, even though his location wasn't great. Maybe getting guys back into their normal roles will help everyone calm down a bit.
- Raul Ibanez doesn't play for the Rangers.
- I'm sorry, I can't think of anything positive about Matthews.
- Howie, when healthy, is on fire.
In Figgins' case, I think we're getting past the point where we can call his success over the last four and a half months of regular season action a fluke. I've mentioned before that I think somewhere between .300 and .310 is a fairly conservative, yet realistic estimate of what he can do this year, and if the plate discipline (12 walks in 50 plate appearances) is real, and I suspect it is (to an extent - I think one walk every 8-9 appearances is a realistic goal), then he could be poised for a very fine season.
Kendrick is Kendrick, and if he's in the lineup, he's going to hit. He doesn't seem to be a guy that pitchers can figure out for very long. As he makes his way around the league a few times, they may catch up to him a bit, but he's had sustained success at the lower levels, and he just seems like the type that will be able to adjust to what the pitchers at this level will do.
As for Kotchman, the average isn't a surprise. I don't expect .370, but it's a small sample, and I do expect him, if healthy, to stay north of .300 all year, and if things break right, .325 or so isn't out of the question. As for the three homers, I'm not surprised. I know the pundits don't expect him to ever show a ton of power, and maybe their right. But what I saw last year and this are: 1) a lot of doubles, which usually portend decent power numbers; and 2) although he didn't hit a lot of homers last year, many of them were LONG home runs. He wasn't hitting shots that scraped the wall. He crushed a few of them deep into the right field seats, which isn't easy to do in Anaheim. Already this year he killed one in Minnesota, AND he hit one out in Seattle that was on a pretty good pitch, not a pitch a guy with little power should have been able to hit out. The predictions are that he'll top out around 25 homers. I think we may see that many, or more, this year assuming good health (a big assumption).
The Angels routinely have trouble firing on all cylinders at this point in the season. They muddle along doing some things well and other things not so well until they hit a summer stretch where they start to assert themselves. That's pretty much what I see happening this year as well.
Labels:
Angels,
Casey Kotchman,
chone figgins,
Howie Kendrick,
MLB
Sunday, April 13, 2008
0 for 2. Series Finale Tomorrow
Until then, enjoy some Paisley Underground. This be the Long Ryders. Unfortunately, there is a severe lack of "Here Comes That Train Again" and "The Light Gets In The Way" on youtube.
Looking For Lewis and Clark
Lights of Downtown
Gunslinger Man
Looking For Lewis and Clark
Lights of Downtown
Gunslinger Man
Thursday, April 10, 2008
10 Games In
After ten games and three series, the Angels sit at 6-4. It's been a bit of a roller coaster start, with standout performances on the mound by Joe Saunders and Jon Garland, and awful perfomances from Dustin Moseley and......Jon Garland. A couple of blow out losses have pushed the team ERA up a bit, but for the most part, all things considered, the starters have been fairly decent. Ervin Santana has been solid in two starts and has a 1-0 record to show for it. Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders have also tossed two quality starts. When John Lackey returns and replaces Dustin Moseley, the staff will look very strong.
The bullpen, on the other hand, has been shaky at best, not exactly a surprise. Darren O'Day is the only reliever with an ERA under three, but he's pitched a little worse than that suggests, allowing nearing two baserunners per inning. Frankie is hobbled, and it's affecting his velocity. Shields is still trying to work his way back. Speier had a chance to show everyone that maybe letting Frankie walk wouldn't be such a bad decision, and promptly gave up a two run bomb to Travis Hafner. Best case, Frankie gets healthy, Shields works to full strength, and this becomes a strong unit again, but for now, the bullpen is a weak link.
Offensively, the punchless Angels are tied for the AL lead in homers with 14, four coming from newly acquired Torii Hunter, including a walk-off grand slam the other night. Six different Angels have homered, and five have done it more than once. Hindered by a slow start last season, Chone Figgins is showing that his hot finish was no fluke. His 14 hits leads the AL, and don't look now, folks, but he has eight, count 'em EIGHT walks. He trails only Luke Scott in OBP, and that's in 20 more plate appearances. Of course everything in this post comes with the sample size caveat, but if the plate discipline is real, he could have a tremendous season. Staying on the infield, Howie Kendrick is showing that both his ability to hit for average, and his propensity for injury are real. His 429/467/571 start is terrific, but he's already missing time because of a hand injury sustained on a pitch that didn't even hit him. He's looked very good on defense as well. Meanwhile, Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis, while getting it done in the field, have left their good springs in Tempe and are struggling at the plate.
In the outfield, Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits can't be happy the way things are shaking out, and you have to figure that at least one of them will be gone in a couple of months for bullpen help. But you just never know who is going to get injured, especially with four aging starters in the current outfield/DH rotation. The two have four at bats between them. The rest of the outfield has nine home runs collectively. Hunter, Matthews, and Guerrero have combined for seven of those homers, and all are hitting .300 or above. Behind the dish, Mike Napoli's underwhelming .231/.286 is nicely offset by his three homers (one a grand slam) and .615 slugging percentage. Jeff Mathis isn't going to hit, but he can play defense.
So at this point of the season, there haven't been any big surprises, outside of Figgins' sudden ability to take a walk or eight. Over his career, he generally draws about one walk every ten or eleven plate appearances, which isn't bad, but not ideal for a lead off hitter. This year he's up to one every five or six. I don't think anyone expects him to maintain that pace, but if he can keep it around 1/8 or so, that would be a fantastic ISO OBP, combined with a batting average around .300, that would put his OBP around .400 or above, a mark he's never surpassed in a season, not even last year when he hit .330. That's where it all starts. If he can jumpstart the offense like that, the Angels will be in very good shape, especially with a lineup that doesn't really give a pitcher a break until the 8th spot, and even then, you'll mostly have Mike Napoli and his power in that lineup position.
A big series up in Seattle starts tomorrow night. The games themselves aren't particularly important (though every game is somewhat important), but right now, the Mariners are trying to convince themselves that they're the team to beat in the West. If the Angels can go up into their building and take a couple of victories, it could help to sow the seeds of doubt that still linger around the Mariners. If the Mariners come away with a sweep, it will be a big boost of confidence that can take them through the early portion of their schedule. Both teams have their top three starters lined up, and both teams have bullpens that are really struggling, so it should be a very competitive series.
The bullpen, on the other hand, has been shaky at best, not exactly a surprise. Darren O'Day is the only reliever with an ERA under three, but he's pitched a little worse than that suggests, allowing nearing two baserunners per inning. Frankie is hobbled, and it's affecting his velocity. Shields is still trying to work his way back. Speier had a chance to show everyone that maybe letting Frankie walk wouldn't be such a bad decision, and promptly gave up a two run bomb to Travis Hafner. Best case, Frankie gets healthy, Shields works to full strength, and this becomes a strong unit again, but for now, the bullpen is a weak link.
Offensively, the punchless Angels are tied for the AL lead in homers with 14, four coming from newly acquired Torii Hunter, including a walk-off grand slam the other night. Six different Angels have homered, and five have done it more than once. Hindered by a slow start last season, Chone Figgins is showing that his hot finish was no fluke. His 14 hits leads the AL, and don't look now, folks, but he has eight, count 'em EIGHT walks. He trails only Luke Scott in OBP, and that's in 20 more plate appearances. Of course everything in this post comes with the sample size caveat, but if the plate discipline is real, he could have a tremendous season. Staying on the infield, Howie Kendrick is showing that both his ability to hit for average, and his propensity for injury are real. His 429/467/571 start is terrific, but he's already missing time because of a hand injury sustained on a pitch that didn't even hit him. He's looked very good on defense as well. Meanwhile, Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis, while getting it done in the field, have left their good springs in Tempe and are struggling at the plate.
In the outfield, Juan Rivera and Reggie Willits can't be happy the way things are shaking out, and you have to figure that at least one of them will be gone in a couple of months for bullpen help. But you just never know who is going to get injured, especially with four aging starters in the current outfield/DH rotation. The two have four at bats between them. The rest of the outfield has nine home runs collectively. Hunter, Matthews, and Guerrero have combined for seven of those homers, and all are hitting .300 or above. Behind the dish, Mike Napoli's underwhelming .231/.286 is nicely offset by his three homers (one a grand slam) and .615 slugging percentage. Jeff Mathis isn't going to hit, but he can play defense.
So at this point of the season, there haven't been any big surprises, outside of Figgins' sudden ability to take a walk or eight. Over his career, he generally draws about one walk every ten or eleven plate appearances, which isn't bad, but not ideal for a lead off hitter. This year he's up to one every five or six. I don't think anyone expects him to maintain that pace, but if he can keep it around 1/8 or so, that would be a fantastic ISO OBP, combined with a batting average around .300, that would put his OBP around .400 or above, a mark he's never surpassed in a season, not even last year when he hit .330. That's where it all starts. If he can jumpstart the offense like that, the Angels will be in very good shape, especially with a lineup that doesn't really give a pitcher a break until the 8th spot, and even then, you'll mostly have Mike Napoli and his power in that lineup position.
A big series up in Seattle starts tomorrow night. The games themselves aren't particularly important (though every game is somewhat important), but right now, the Mariners are trying to convince themselves that they're the team to beat in the West. If the Angels can go up into their building and take a couple of victories, it could help to sow the seeds of doubt that still linger around the Mariners. If the Mariners come away with a sweep, it will be a big boost of confidence that can take them through the early portion of their schedule. Both teams have their top three starters lined up, and both teams have bullpens that are really struggling, so it should be a very competitive series.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
UPDATED: On The Plus Side, UCLA Will Get Younger
UPDATE: Apparently the reports are false, for now. Love and Collison both say they haven't even talked to their families about their decisions yet, and as such, no decisions have been made. Either someone has made something up, or was bamboozled. Still, I'll leave this up in the event that a week from now, this information becomes relevant again.
Kevin Love? Gone
Darren Collison? Gone
Russel Westbrook? Leaning towards going.
And that's just the beginning.
According to both the L.A. Times and Brian Dohn, UCLA will likely take the floor next year without their three best players, which really isn't a surprise to anyone who's been following the team for the past few months. Love and Collison were expected to go before the season even started, and Westbrook's draft status has been on the rise all season.
As Nestor pointed out, there is a scenario in which up to eight players on this year's roster could be gone. Lorenzo Mata-Real is graduating. LRMAM will likely put his name into the draft and get evaluated before making a decision to hire an agent. Alfred Aboya has hinted that he may not return after earning his degree this year. Nikola Dragovic, hurting for playing time, may head back to Europe. And finally, Josh Shipp may decide that four years and the exit of the rest of his draft class is a sign that he's been around long enough.
So what happens if all of this comes to pass? Well, Ben Howland picked a good year to bring in a number one recruiting class, and he may not be done. There are some big man prospects that could fill out the class. It means that Jrue Holiday, Malcolm Lee, and Jerime Anderson are going to see a ton of playing time in their first year, which will be good for Lee and Anderson, since they're the only two likely to be back in 2009-2010. Sucks for Holiday, who will be around in a rebuilding year, then gone.
So next year's team will be interesting to watch, and great to root for, but I wouldn't expect too much. It took the Farmar, Afflalo, Shipp, Mata class two years to reach the championship game. UCLA will be down, but not out. Best of luck to all of those Bruins, whatever they decide.
Kevin Love? Gone
Darren Collison? Gone
Russel Westbrook? Leaning towards going.
And that's just the beginning.
According to both the L.A. Times and Brian Dohn, UCLA will likely take the floor next year without their three best players, which really isn't a surprise to anyone who's been following the team for the past few months. Love and Collison were expected to go before the season even started, and Westbrook's draft status has been on the rise all season.
As Nestor pointed out, there is a scenario in which up to eight players on this year's roster could be gone. Lorenzo Mata-Real is graduating. LRMAM will likely put his name into the draft and get evaluated before making a decision to hire an agent. Alfred Aboya has hinted that he may not return after earning his degree this year. Nikola Dragovic, hurting for playing time, may head back to Europe. And finally, Josh Shipp may decide that four years and the exit of the rest of his draft class is a sign that he's been around long enough.
So what happens if all of this comes to pass? Well, Ben Howland picked a good year to bring in a number one recruiting class, and he may not be done. There are some big man prospects that could fill out the class. It means that Jrue Holiday, Malcolm Lee, and Jerime Anderson are going to see a ton of playing time in their first year, which will be good for Lee and Anderson, since they're the only two likely to be back in 2009-2010. Sucks for Holiday, who will be around in a rebuilding year, then gone.
So next year's team will be interesting to watch, and great to root for, but I wouldn't expect too much. It took the Farmar, Afflalo, Shipp, Mata class two years to reach the championship game. UCLA will be down, but not out. Best of luck to all of those Bruins, whatever they decide.
Monday, April 07, 2008
I Remember How the Darkness Tripled: UCLA Bows Out Again
I've gotta say, I took this loss surprisingly well, probably because I was sober (unlike last year), and because even though the Bruins made a run or two, I never really felt like they were in the game. In all of their big comebacks this season, there was a sense of 'what the hell is going on' when the opponent was building it's lead. Those were games in which the opponents didn't look that great, but the Bruins clearly were simply not playing well. I didn't get that feeling on Saturday. I got the feeling that the Bruins were playing poorly because Memphis was forcing them to play poorly, and subsequently, I never really expected the big run that would make the game close.
For the third straight year, the Bruins fell victim to matchup problems. Derrick Rose was simply too big and strong for Darren Collison, and Rose was their smallest guy most of the time. Memphis drove to the basket very well, and created a lot of help situations that led to offensive rebounds and easy put backs. They torched the Bruins in transition. The Tigers' superior athleticism and ability to finish was really the Bruins' undoing on the defensive end.
When they had the ball, UCLA had a hard time holding onto it. They turned it over 12 times, often with sloppy plays or lapses in concentration. James Keefe dropped a rebound out of bounds with no Tiger within 50 feet. Russel Westbrook dropped on in bounds pass off his foot. Darren Collison stepped out of bounds on what could have been a fast break, one of his five turnovers in a game he'd really just like to forget. He made only one of nine shots, a floater at the end of the first half that pulled the Bruins to within three, giving us all hope at halftime. Only Russell Westbrook, with 22 points on 10-19 shooting made more than half his shots, and he did nothing to lower his NBA stock.
In the end, Memphis was simply more athletic and longer. I won't say they're more talented, because UCLA is very talented, but the matchups were simply not in their favor, and they had to play a top notch game to beat Memphis. As it turns out, they played one of their worst. But with a couple of days to reflect, I'd like to put a couple of myths to rest:
For the third straight year, the Bruins fell victim to matchup problems. Derrick Rose was simply too big and strong for Darren Collison, and Rose was their smallest guy most of the time. Memphis drove to the basket very well, and created a lot of help situations that led to offensive rebounds and easy put backs. They torched the Bruins in transition. The Tigers' superior athleticism and ability to finish was really the Bruins' undoing on the defensive end.
When they had the ball, UCLA had a hard time holding onto it. They turned it over 12 times, often with sloppy plays or lapses in concentration. James Keefe dropped a rebound out of bounds with no Tiger within 50 feet. Russel Westbrook dropped on in bounds pass off his foot. Darren Collison stepped out of bounds on what could have been a fast break, one of his five turnovers in a game he'd really just like to forget. He made only one of nine shots, a floater at the end of the first half that pulled the Bruins to within three, giving us all hope at halftime. Only Russell Westbrook, with 22 points on 10-19 shooting made more than half his shots, and he did nothing to lower his NBA stock.
In the end, Memphis was simply more athletic and longer. I won't say they're more talented, because UCLA is very talented, but the matchups were simply not in their favor, and they had to play a top notch game to beat Memphis. As it turns out, they played one of their worst. But with a couple of days to reflect, I'd like to put a couple of myths to rest:
- Ben Howland does not need to do anything different. He's reached the final four for the third straight year. From 1981 to his hiring in 2003, UCLA reached two final fours. He's doing something right, and in a one and done tournament, too much emphasis is placed on one game. He doesn't need to teach a zone. He doesn't need to run a different offense. He doesn't need to manage time outs differently. He just needs to keep doing what he's doing. And you can argue that he needs better athletes, but can really argue with the guy who's bringing in the top recruiting class in the country next season?
- Kevin Love and Darren Collison are no more or less ready for the NBA than they were before the Memphis game. If you're draft expert, and you had these guys in your lottery/top 20 before the game, and have now dropped them, you're a really crappy draft expert. I'm not trying to argue that they are or aren't lottery picks. But you've had an entire season to evaluate them, and you've essentially boiled it down to one game. You're either wrong now, or you weren't doing your job back then, but either way, just stop it. You're embarrassing yourself. That goes for the all of the amateur draft experts on message boards across the country. Alex Rodriguez doesn't stop being a hall of famer after a bad week. These guys are the same players everyone was drooling over a week ago.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Thoughts on Tomorrow's Final Four
I tend to be a pessimist when I'm around optimistic people, and I tend to be an optimist when I'm around naysayers. So there are groups of Bruins fans out there who should probably temper their enthusiasm, but some of the local scribes should probably watch some tapes of UCLA's exits the last two years.
Memphis, like Florida, is long and athletic. They have a great point guard, and come at you with a lot of size. But there are two key differences between the teams that will take the floor tomorrow and the teams that played the last two years:
The first is that there is no Corey Brewer. He was the true matchup nightmare for the Bruins the last two years, and not surprisingly, he led the Gators in scoring in last year's national semi. He was a 6'9" wing player who dwarfed just about any Bruin who tried to guard him. He created all sorts of problems both in the paint and from beyond the arc, going 4-5 from three. Chris Douglas-Roberts will not be easy to guard, and he's the most Brewer-esque player on the Tigers. But he'll likely be guarded by UCLA's best and most athletic defender. And while he'll take the three, he prefers to take the ball to the basket. If Westbrook can slow him down on the perimeter, and funnel him towards UCLA's interior players, they may be able to neutralize him somewhat. They aren't going to stop him, but they may be able to slow him down. And while Memphis is strong inside, they aren't as skilled as Florida was in the paint last year.
The second huge difference is Kevin Love. Last year, Aaron Afflalo was limited by early (questionable) fouls. Without him, the offense essentially relied on Darren Collison and Josh Shipp. Shipp responded with a solid 18 points, and Afflalo chipped in 17, many after the game had already been decided. This year a great deal of the offense still comes from the guards, but the addition of Love provides the Bruins an opportunity to look for easier baskets when shots aren't falling, and keeps opponents from focusing all of their efforts on the perimeter. In last year's game, early in the second half, the Bruins trailed the Gators 32-28 following a Mike Roll three pointer. Six minutes later, they trailed 49-32. In that stretch, they missed five jumpers and three layups. They didn't have an interior threat to turn to when the going got tough on the outside. The balance they bring this year should keep them from going long stretches without scoring.
There are other factors as well. First is the experience the Bruins bring. It's a big week for these kids, and though they're used to being on TV and being hounded by the press, the final four is a bit of a different animal. UCLA's experience with the week and its demands should be a plus. Second, UCLA has time and again found the ability to overcome large second half deficits. There was a sense last year (rightly so) that when Florida went on their run that the Bruins were done for. I'm not so sure that will be the case this year. They seem to find a way to lock down on defense, and slowly chip away at a lead until it's gone. They won't be rattled.
Memphis is a great team, to be sure, and I'm not going to predict a result one way or the other. But I think UCLA is in a much better position now than they were last year.
Memphis, like Florida, is long and athletic. They have a great point guard, and come at you with a lot of size. But there are two key differences between the teams that will take the floor tomorrow and the teams that played the last two years:
The first is that there is no Corey Brewer. He was the true matchup nightmare for the Bruins the last two years, and not surprisingly, he led the Gators in scoring in last year's national semi. He was a 6'9" wing player who dwarfed just about any Bruin who tried to guard him. He created all sorts of problems both in the paint and from beyond the arc, going 4-5 from three. Chris Douglas-Roberts will not be easy to guard, and he's the most Brewer-esque player on the Tigers. But he'll likely be guarded by UCLA's best and most athletic defender. And while he'll take the three, he prefers to take the ball to the basket. If Westbrook can slow him down on the perimeter, and funnel him towards UCLA's interior players, they may be able to neutralize him somewhat. They aren't going to stop him, but they may be able to slow him down. And while Memphis is strong inside, they aren't as skilled as Florida was in the paint last year.
The second huge difference is Kevin Love. Last year, Aaron Afflalo was limited by early (questionable) fouls. Without him, the offense essentially relied on Darren Collison and Josh Shipp. Shipp responded with a solid 18 points, and Afflalo chipped in 17, many after the game had already been decided. This year a great deal of the offense still comes from the guards, but the addition of Love provides the Bruins an opportunity to look for easier baskets when shots aren't falling, and keeps opponents from focusing all of their efforts on the perimeter. In last year's game, early in the second half, the Bruins trailed the Gators 32-28 following a Mike Roll three pointer. Six minutes later, they trailed 49-32. In that stretch, they missed five jumpers and three layups. They didn't have an interior threat to turn to when the going got tough on the outside. The balance they bring this year should keep them from going long stretches without scoring.
There are other factors as well. First is the experience the Bruins bring. It's a big week for these kids, and though they're used to being on TV and being hounded by the press, the final four is a bit of a different animal. UCLA's experience with the week and its demands should be a plus. Second, UCLA has time and again found the ability to overcome large second half deficits. There was a sense last year (rightly so) that when Florida went on their run that the Bruins were done for. I'm not so sure that will be the case this year. They seem to find a way to lock down on defense, and slowly chip away at a lead until it's gone. They won't be rattled.
Memphis is a great team, to be sure, and I'm not going to predict a result one way or the other. But I think UCLA is in a much better position now than they were last year.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Angels 5; Twins 4
Another one run game with the Twins, another win, and all of the gnashing of teeth after the season opening loss is forgotten for another day. Matthews, Hunter, and Napoli left the yard. Ervin looked fine, but ran into some trouble in the sixth. Oliver looked a little less than great. Speier appeared to show a little rust as well. Another double for Howie, who has a hit in every game so far this year.
The Angels almost made it out of this series without allowing a home run, while Ervin Santana gave the Angels starting staff their fourth quality start in as many attempts. Everyone wants Lackey back as soon as possible, myself included. And we all want Kelvim back period, but who knows how long that will take. Just the same, it looks like the healthy guys are out to prove that they can hold down the fort until the reinforcements arrive.
Three errors in the series, one on a poor Figgins throw today. Two in yesterday's game, an Aybar bobble and a Mathis heave into center field. But aside from that, and a couple of opening day mistakes in left field, the defense has looked pretty good. They turned seven double plays in the series, and that's one way to increase the number of quality starts.
No one is expecting the Twins to set the world on fire, so it's not as if this 3-1 series win is grounds for a party, but at the end of the day, the Angels are left with four more home games than road games, and they have a nice jump on a good road record.
To sum up, the pitching and defense have been great. The hitting has been adequate. Good power for their first series. Good starts for Figgins, Kotchman, and Kendrick, and Matthews, probably the four most important pieces to the offensive puzzle this year (I'm penciling good years from Vlad and Hunter). An all around nice way to start the season.
The Angels almost made it out of this series without allowing a home run, while Ervin Santana gave the Angels starting staff their fourth quality start in as many attempts. Everyone wants Lackey back as soon as possible, myself included. And we all want Kelvim back period, but who knows how long that will take. Just the same, it looks like the healthy guys are out to prove that they can hold down the fort until the reinforcements arrive.
Three errors in the series, one on a poor Figgins throw today. Two in yesterday's game, an Aybar bobble and a Mathis heave into center field. But aside from that, and a couple of opening day mistakes in left field, the defense has looked pretty good. They turned seven double plays in the series, and that's one way to increase the number of quality starts.
No one is expecting the Twins to set the world on fire, so it's not as if this 3-1 series win is grounds for a party, but at the end of the day, the Angels are left with four more home games than road games, and they have a nice jump on a good road record.
To sum up, the pitching and defense have been great. The hitting has been adequate. Good power for their first series. Good starts for Figgins, Kotchman, and Kendrick, and Matthews, probably the four most important pieces to the offensive puzzle this year (I'm penciling good years from Vlad and Hunter). An all around nice way to start the season.
Angels 1; Twins 0 - Angels now over .500
Joe Saunders came into Spring not even assured of a starting job, though it's safe to say he had the inside track. A solid spring, and two injuries later, and he slid into the #3 role, where he delivered an ace-like performance. He needed only 80 pitches, 52 of the strikes, to complete eight innings, striking out four while only walking one. Had it not been for an opening two games that hadn't required a closer, he might have been allowed to go the distance. But Mike Scioscia needed to get Frankie Rodriguez some work, and after a brief hiccup to start the ninth, he got a little lucky when Carlos Gomez decided to try a two strike bunt that failed for the first out. He induced a double play grounder from pinch hitter Joe Mauer, the seventh double play hit into by the Twins in the first three games of the season.
Nick Blackburn was the hard luck loser, and no doubt he's being snatched up in fantasy leagues as we speak. He allowed five hits, struck out six, and only walked one. His only mistake came in the seventh inning, when he allowed the Angels to score without the ball leaving the infield. Howie Kendrick reached on an infield single to short, moved to second on Jeff Mathis' sac bunt, to third on Erick Aybar's ground out, and pounced at the opportunity to score on Blackburn's wild pitch.
Torii Hunter delivered his first two hits as an Angel, one of which (8th inning) should have delivered an insurance run, but a cautious Gary Matthews held up at third base, and one batter later, Casey Kotchman grounded into a double play ending the half inning.
So the Angels go for the series victory today, and it would be nice to leave the dome with three victories in hand. It's always a tough place for the Angels to play, and it seems like they've played a very high percentage of close games with the Twins over the last six or seven years. Joe Saunders, for his part, leave town with the highest game score of the young season, and he'll lead the league (tied) in ERA for a few days. Now we'll see how Ervin reacts to a day game (horror) on the road (horror of horrors). He's got a chance to make a statement.
Nick Blackburn was the hard luck loser, and no doubt he's being snatched up in fantasy leagues as we speak. He allowed five hits, struck out six, and only walked one. His only mistake came in the seventh inning, when he allowed the Angels to score without the ball leaving the infield. Howie Kendrick reached on an infield single to short, moved to second on Jeff Mathis' sac bunt, to third on Erick Aybar's ground out, and pounced at the opportunity to score on Blackburn's wild pitch.
Torii Hunter delivered his first two hits as an Angel, one of which (8th inning) should have delivered an insurance run, but a cautious Gary Matthews held up at third base, and one batter later, Casey Kotchman grounded into a double play ending the half inning.
So the Angels go for the series victory today, and it would be nice to leave the dome with three victories in hand. It's always a tough place for the Angels to play, and it seems like they've played a very high percentage of close games with the Twins over the last six or seven years. Joe Saunders, for his part, leave town with the highest game score of the young season, and he'll lead the league (tied) in ERA for a few days. Now we'll see how Ervin reacts to a day game (horror) on the road (horror of horrors). He's got a chance to make a statement.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Angels 9; Twins 1
Well, that ought to quiet the chicken littles for at least a day. I actually missed most of this one due to a hockey game, but I breezed through the recording from my DVR to watch the run scoring, which means I didn't take a lot of time to witness the greatness that was Jon Garland. His K/9 right now is 0.00, which means he sucks according to most people I read. Of course, if you can get through eight innings, allowing only six baserunners, two of whom were eliminated via the double play (grounded into by guys you failed to strike out), you'll probably have a good day. Pitchers can control or fail to control three things, so says the theory. They can or cannot strike guys out, they can or cannot not walk guys, and they can or cannot keep the ball in the ball park. Do two of those things well, and we'll let the third thing take care of itself.
On the other side of the dish, every Angel starter aside from Torii Hunter had a hit, and even Hunter reached base safely via the HBP. Mike Napoli and Casey Kotchman both found the seats, Howie Kendrick didn't walk, but did deliver three hits (don't get excited, though, because he doesn't walk so he's not that good). Vlad is becoming Vlad again, with three hits, four total bases, and three RBIs. GA delivered his first three hits of the season as well.
1-1, with 160 to go.
On the other side of the dish, every Angel starter aside from Torii Hunter had a hit, and even Hunter reached base safely via the HBP. Mike Napoli and Casey Kotchman both found the seats, Howie Kendrick didn't walk, but did deliver three hits (don't get excited, though, because he doesn't walk so he's not that good). Vlad is becoming Vlad again, with three hits, four total bases, and three RBIs. GA delivered his first three hits of the season as well.
1-1, with 160 to go.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
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