Cross posted at SoCal Sports Hub.
Joe Saunders came into this game looking to right the ship. The left-hander had given up 15 earned runs in 10.2 innings over his last three starts, including six in an inning and a third in his last start against one of the league's worst offenses. Last night he took the hill against one of the best, and settled in for a solid 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out two.
Offensively it wasn't pretty for the Angels. They manages only eight hits, but turned those, along with four walks, into five runs, enough to hang on for the 5-4 victory. Torii Hunter laced a two run double to left in the top of the first for the early lead, driving in Chone Figgins, who had singled, and Mark Teixeira, on base courtesy of the walk. Detroit responded with a two out run in the first to cut the lead in half. Following a Vlad Guerrero double, Torii Hunter singled to drive in his third run of the game.
Saunders got a little squirelly in the third inning. He hit Placido Polanco, then gave up back to back doubles to Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera to tie the game. Hunter then doubled with one out in the fifth, and two consecutive Tiger errors on ground balls by Mike Napoli and Brandon Wood allowed him to score the go ahead run. That's where the game stood until Scot Shields delivered a gopher ball to Miguel Cabrera in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game.
In the ninth inning, the Angels manufactured the go ahead run. Figgins led the inning off with a walk, and promptly stole second. Garret Anderson got him over to third on a ground out, and Mark Teixeira delivered the sac fly that brought Figgins home. Frankie Rodriguez worked a shaky ninth inning, allowing a single and a walk before retiring Polanco for the game's final out, and his league leading 54th save. The Angels magic number sits at seven, making it conceivable, thought not probably, that they could clinch the division this weekend in Chicago at games I will be attending in person.
Angels top three performers:
1) Torii Hunter had three hits, two of them doubles, and drove in three of the Angels' five runs.
2) Jose Arredondo entered the game in the bottom of the seventh with the tying run on second and one out. He retired the only two hitters he faced (the first by strikeout) to preserve the lead for Saunders.
3) Joe Saunders didn't pitch his best game, but following a string of bad performances, and facing an excellent offense, he got himself back on track with a quality start. He lost the win on Shields' blow hold.
Jeff Weaver of the game:
Tough call, here. The bottom of the order continues to underwhelm, though Wood and Sean Rodriguez deserve credit for two stellar plays in the field in the second inning. Garret Anderson was 0-5 and left four men on base, though he did provide a productive out that led to the eventual winning run. But the nod probably goes to Scot Shields, whose two out gopher ball in the eighth allowed the Tigers to tie the score.
What to look for tonight:
Smooth and Steady Jon Garland takes on Zach Miner, who owns a surprising 8-4 record to go along with a 3.46 ERA. He's 3-2 in his last five starts, and that includes a start in which he lasted only an inning and a third and gave up five runs. Take that start away and he's got an ERA barely over one in four of his last five starts. The Angels could conceivably reduce their magic number to five.
Game Time is 4:05 PST on FSN.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
My Sarah Palin Timeline Prediction
I know I said I wouldn't get into politics very often, but I have to preserve this for posterity. My predictions for the media reactions to Palin:
Day 1: Bold, exciting choice by McCain. The news media and the American people can't wait to know more about her.
Days 2-5: Now that we know a little more about her, her scandals, her lies about very recent positions, we have to ask, what was the old codger thinking when he made this choice?
Weeks 2-8: We've now gotten used to the idea of a female VP with 19 months of experience leading one of the smallest states in the nation, with virtually no financial difficulties whatsoever, and it feels like a regular campaign.
November 5: Now that McCain has been beaten like a freaking drum, we have to ask, what was the old codger thinking when he made this choice.
Palin will bring some positives to the ticket. She's attractive and young. She's virulently anti-abortion, and supports the teaching of creationism in school, which will fire up the base and the religious idiots/zealots. She's tough to attack without making the Dems look like old white guys going after the pretty young lady. They may bait Biden, who's a bit of loose cannon, into saying something sexist at their debate. She'll peel off a few of the remaining Hillary dead-enders, but they're a lost cause anyway.
On the other hand, she completely guts the "inexperienced" argument. They can't argue with a straight face that Obama doesn't have the experience to lead when they're ready to make her President in the event McCain kicks it, which given his age and health, is pretty likely. And if the Dems are smart, they attack her non-stop with women surrogates. Wasserman-Schultz, McCaskill, and hopefully Hillary herself. They will bury Palin, and do it without the taint of sexism.
Look, this is desperation move by McCain, who had failed to excite the base before now. Palin will bring the base, but won't be taken seriously by the majority of the electorate. And ultimately, this is going to come down to ground game and get out the vote. Neither Republican candidate brings the enthusiasm to the masses that Obama brings, which is why I don't think conventional polling models will capture the type of turnout we'll see in November. Obama and Clinton were each routinely getting more votes in the primaries than all Republicans combined. There are other reasons for that beyond simple enthusiasm (there was still a race on Dem side, for example), but ultimately, the Obama campaign's organization, already light years better than four years ago, will make the difference. McCain will go back to being an absentee Senator, Palin will go back to being a small time governor of a small time state (one that I love, by the way - it's where my brother lives). And in three months, no one will be able to understand why we spent a day making such a big deal about a political neophyte, who just months ago admitted she had no idea what a Vice President even does.
Thanks, John. You did us Democrats a big favor.
Day 1: Bold, exciting choice by McCain. The news media and the American people can't wait to know more about her.
Days 2-5: Now that we know a little more about her, her scandals, her lies about very recent positions, we have to ask, what was the old codger thinking when he made this choice?
Weeks 2-8: We've now gotten used to the idea of a female VP with 19 months of experience leading one of the smallest states in the nation, with virtually no financial difficulties whatsoever, and it feels like a regular campaign.
November 5: Now that McCain has been beaten like a freaking drum, we have to ask, what was the old codger thinking when he made this choice.
Palin will bring some positives to the ticket. She's attractive and young. She's virulently anti-abortion, and supports the teaching of creationism in school, which will fire up the base and the religious idiots/zealots. She's tough to attack without making the Dems look like old white guys going after the pretty young lady. They may bait Biden, who's a bit of loose cannon, into saying something sexist at their debate. She'll peel off a few of the remaining Hillary dead-enders, but they're a lost cause anyway.
On the other hand, she completely guts the "inexperienced" argument. They can't argue with a straight face that Obama doesn't have the experience to lead when they're ready to make her President in the event McCain kicks it, which given his age and health, is pretty likely. And if the Dems are smart, they attack her non-stop with women surrogates. Wasserman-Schultz, McCaskill, and hopefully Hillary herself. They will bury Palin, and do it without the taint of sexism.
Look, this is desperation move by McCain, who had failed to excite the base before now. Palin will bring the base, but won't be taken seriously by the majority of the electorate. And ultimately, this is going to come down to ground game and get out the vote. Neither Republican candidate brings the enthusiasm to the masses that Obama brings, which is why I don't think conventional polling models will capture the type of turnout we'll see in November. Obama and Clinton were each routinely getting more votes in the primaries than all Republicans combined. There are other reasons for that beyond simple enthusiasm (there was still a race on Dem side, for example), but ultimately, the Obama campaign's organization, already light years better than four years ago, will make the difference. McCain will go back to being an absentee Senator, Palin will go back to being a small time governor of a small time state (one that I love, by the way - it's where my brother lives). And in three months, no one will be able to understand why we spent a day making such a big deal about a political neophyte, who just months ago admitted she had no idea what a Vice President even does.
Thanks, John. You did us Democrats a big favor.
Rangers 5; Angels 7
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.
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.
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.
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