Thursday, May 31, 2012

Trumbomb But No Sweep (23/81)

The Yankees ran away with the final game of the series and beat the Angels 6-5 Wednesday night.


Mark Trumbo hit his 4th home run in as many games, Mike Trout hit a 2-run double, but it wasn't enough to overcome an early hole set by the home run king, Ervin Santana.

Ervin Santana now leads the league in most home runs given up this season with 15. He and Scioscia tried to argue that its because Santana is aggressive and throws the ball hard. Yeah, it's okay to be aggressive, but creativity is more important when you're not missing bats. Santana needs to start pitching smarter. End of discussion.

Bullpen woes have all but disappeared during the 8 game win streak, but they came back in the form of Hisanori Takahashi. The middle-reliever came in to shut down the Yankees, but instead gave up a triple and a sacrifice fly to put the Angels down in the whole again. That's just devastating after you've been battling back from a 5-1 deficit, but hey, it happens.

Angels will face the Texas Rangers this weekend, and you can bet that I'll be there. Texas is coming off a couple of embarrassing losses to the Seattle Mariners, so you know they're coming to town with something to prove.

Pujols and Trumbo Homer, Angels Spank Yanks (22/81)

The Angels got their 8th win in a row Tuesday as they defeated the Bronx Bombers 5-1.


Mark Trumbo and Albert Pujols each hit home runs, and the Angels speedy youngsters in the outfield robbed a couple of them from the Yankees.

Dan Haren pitched beautifully, and now has 21 strikeouts and no walks in the last two games.

It wasn't a good day to be Nick Swisher as Peter Bourjos ran into the wall catching one of his line drives, and Mike Trout (above) robbed a would-be Swisher home run.

Quick question: How the heck can AT&T U-Verse NOT televise this game? At first I didn't care, but this squabble between U-Verse and Fox Sports is really starting to piss me off.

Monday, May 28, 2012

TRUMBOMB Walk-Off Leads to 7th Win in a Row (21/81)

"Exciting" would be an understatement to describe the Angels 9-8 win over the visiting New York Yankees tonight. "Explosive" would be more like it.


The Angels are walking around with a lot of swag lately as they extended their winning-streak to 7 games tonight and their record to .500 thanks to a walk-off home run by Mark Trumbo and some great team hitting, including a home run by Mike Trout (above).

For those that complain that baseball is too boring to ever watch, I invite them to watch this drama-filled game.

First, Angels lost their ace pitcher, Jered Weaver, after only 12 pitches due to a back injury. It looked bad. The guy may very well be out for a few weeks, but we'll see once they've ran some tests. Following the loss of their best pitcher, the Angels then gave up 3 runs to the Yankees in the first inning, digging themselves into an early hole with nothing but their bullpen to get them through the next 8 innings.

The team that scores first, usually ends up winning, unless of course the other team outscores your run total in the bottom half of the inning. The Angels strung together some key hits, and sure enough, after the first inning, the score was 4-3, Angels. Keep in mind, the Yankees get to keep hitting against the Angel's bullpen for the rest of the game and answered right back in the top of the 2nd to tie the game with a Curtis Granderson home run.

In the 3rd, Angels got lucky as Granderson and right fielder, Nick Swisher, ran into each other for a Trumbo triple. Howie Kendrick hit him in with a sacrifice fly. Angels up 5-4.

Trout homered in the 4th, but Mark Teixeira homered in the 5th. Angels got two runs in the 6th that looked like it might put the Yankees away, but the Bombers tied it up in the 7th with 3 more runs. 8-8.

Jordan Walden, who has been shaky all season until recently, came in and blew through the 8th inning. He did so well, needing only 8 pitches to get through, that Mike Scioscia brought him back for one more. Walden was still throwing heat, but ran into some trouble and loaded the bases with two outs. A bouncing ground ball to Albert Pujols' right ended the inning with a bang-bang play at second.

Now I was watching the game at home tonight with my dad, and he really likes calling shots. He calls so many shots that the Law of Averages states he has to get them right every now and again. Sure enough, not a minute after he said Trumbo would hit a walk-off home run, Trumbo hit a TRUMBOMB to kingdom come.

Hopefully Angels keep this win-streak going for the rest of the season. They only need to win 19 more games in a row to tie the longest win streak held by the 1916 New York Giants. Piece of cake.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Pujols Homers, Angels Lose (20/81)

Albert Pujols now has a home run in every game since Mickey Hatcher was removed as the team's batting coach. Coincidence much?



Let's not send Jerry Dipoto "Thank You" cards yet. The Angels could not figure out Chris Sale and lost to the White Sox 6-1 in an afternoon game yesterday at the Big A. The only two bright spots in the game were Mark Trumbo going four for four (444?) and...

Pujols homering in back-to-back games. Even though it was the only run the Angels scored yesterday, it was a big deal. At this rate, if Pujols homers once in every game for the rest of the season, he has a chance to hit 126 home runs and save his season. I mean, that's what we're paying him for, right?

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Don't Look Now, But the Angels Have a Two Game Winning Streak (19/81)

The Angels won their second game in a row by stomping on the visiting Chicago White Sox tonight, and beating them 7-2.


It was Peter Bourjos bobblehead night tonight, and White Sox second baseman, Gordon Beckham, couldn't wait to get his hands on one (above).

Here's the rundown from tonight's game:


Albert Pujols hit his second home run of the season, a three-run shot to center field, and hopes to be turning a page. However, his other three at-bats were nothing spectacular, but let's see where this goes.


Longtime Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher was fired last night, and the original 2002 World Series coaching staff now has only two remaining members: Mike Scioscia and first base coach Alfredo Griffin. The Angels are now 1-0 under new hitting coach, Jim Eppard, and fans couldn't hope for a better start than that.

To clarify, Hatcher was not the problem for the Angel's hitting woes this season or any of the previous seasons in which the Angels underachieved offensively. However, since he was  unable to solve the problem, he becomes expendable. General Manager, Jerry Dipoto talked about bringing some fresh air into the clubhouse, and I think that's just what the Angels needed. Eppard has been with the organization awhile and has worked with guys like Mark Trumbo, Mike Trout, and Howie Kendrick in the minors where they were tearing it up offensively. I think he'll bring a great feeling of familiarity to the guys and get them relaxed. It's like sharing the dugout with your old Little League coach now in the majors.

Also, unlike Hatcher, I think Eppard, 52, still has all his teeth.



Interesting note, Jerome Williams is undefeated at Angel Stadium. Since joining the team late last year, Williams has made seven starts at home and has won each one of them. Also, as an Angel, the guy only has one bad start. Quit the talk about Barry Zito being the best fifth starter in baseball, the underrated Williams is shutting opponents down.


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Angels Avenge Their Shut Out With a Guy Named Mike (18/81)

Mike Trout had a home run, scored three runs, and stole a base (pictured below) as the Angels avenged their shut out loss from last night against the Oakland Athletics 4-0.


Looks like Angels have found their lead-off hitter, and Trout can do it all. The 20-year-old rookie showed again today why his name has always been included in the top 3 prospects since he entered the minors. With blazing speed and 30+ home run potential, he's the kind of guy that can make things happen all on his own. And that's exactly what you need from a lead-off hitter: a guy who can make things happen.

Could Trout eventually make it to the level of Dodger's sensational slugger, Matt Kemp, who is on a personal quest to reach the unprecedented 50/50 plateau (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases)? Only time will tell, but for now Trout is living up to the hype.

I'm trying to shorten my blogs and go with one theme now. What do you guys think? Leave a COMMENT in the comments section below.

Opposing Pitchers Sure Love the Angels (17/81)

The Angels got shut out again, for what seems like the upteenth time this season.


The Angels and Dan Haren lost the the Oakland Athletics Monday night, five to zero. Zip, zilch, nothing. The Angels have been shut out by opposing teams eight times this year. To put that in perspective, the Angels have at least 14 seasons where they weren't shut out 8 times all year. Interesting note, five of the shut outs have come with Ervin Santana on the mound, three of them with Haren. These aren't Roy Halladays shutting them out either.

Here is a list of starters who have shut out the Angels this year:

  • Scott Diamond
  • Brandon Morrow
  • David Price
  • Derek Lowe
  • Henderson Alvarez
  • Tyson Ross
  • Hiroki Kuroda
  • Bartolo Colon
If I was an opposing team pitcher, I would do whatever I could to make sure my next start was going to be against the Angels. Heck, I'd even fake an injury to go play golf and miss my next start so that I could face the Angels.

The Angels have a long way to make history, but they're still on pace to surpass the 1963 Mets who got shut out a record 30 times in a single season.

Pujols Hits His 1st Home Run (16/81)

That was really the only noteworthy thing for the blog that has been a week late.


Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 as Jerome Williams picked up his third win of the season.

Since that magical home run last week, the shot that we thought would be the answers to all our prayers, the Angels have done nothing but get worse. To be continued in the following blog.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Trout Swims Upstream (15/81)

Not quite as catchy as "Salmon," but it'll do.


The 20-year-old speedster hit his first home run of the season (the first for an Angels leadoff hitter) and stretched, what would've been a single for a lesser man, into a double as the Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 at home last night.

When Mike Trout got called up after the release of Bobby Abreu, he was destroying minor league pitching with a .403 batting average. It's easy to say expectations for the rookie have been pretty high. While he hasn't been playing terribly, tonight was a great start to showcase what he's capable of for the year.

This isn't Trout's first time up in the majors, as he was called up last season and managed to hit 5 home runs in 123 at-bats (that's 5 more home runs in close to the same amount of at-bats as slugger Albert Pujols has had this year), but only managed a .220 batting average.

Mike Scioscia noticed tonight's, as well as last night's two hit performance.

"It's coming," said Scioscia. "He's getting more comfortable up here, playing every day. He gave us a big lift tonight."

CJK

C.J. Wilson got the start tonight and went 8 innings while striking out nine. He is now second on the team in strikeouts with 39 behind Jered Weaver's 45.  Of the two major off-season acquisitions by the Angels, Wilson is definitely carrying his own weight with a 2.61 ERA and 4 wins. Every single one of Wilson's starts has been a quality start for the Angels this year (min. 6 innings pitched giving up 3 earned runs or less).

An Angels 1st Baseman Homers!

But it wasn't Pujols. Mark Trumbo hit his fourth home run of the year after getting the start at first base with Pujols getting the day off. Trumbo has been hitting great this year and continues to give Scioscia reasons to play him every day.

Pujols' Day Off

After 27 games of struggling, Albert Pujols received his first breather. I've been saying it for awhile now, and Scioscia took the words right out of my mouth.

“I’m just going to give him a little breather,…” Scioscia said. “Sometimes when you’re trying to find something and you’re pounding your head against the wall,… if you take that half-step back and take that half-step to the right, there’s that huge door.”

Here's hoping Pujols cleared his head, maybe went to Disneyland or watched the Avengers, and comes back refreshed today.

Btw, the Angels are now 1-0 without Pujols.


Saturday, May 5, 2012

Angesl Get Blanked...Again (14/81)

After scoring 9 runs Wednesday, the Angels have fallen back down to earth over the past two games. When I say fallen back down to earth, they literally hit the ground hard.



Same story as Thursday, but with a different pitcher. The Angels got shut out for the second game in a row by Henderson Alvarez (above) of the Toronto Blue Jays, losing 4-0 to fall 10-17 in the season after the 4th consecutive shutout at Angel Stadium.

I've never heard of Alvarez, but it's no surprise to see a pitcher baffle the Angels offense this season. Over the past two games, the Angels have managed just 9 hits, and their defense hasn't been helping very much either.

Poor Ervin

Ervin Santana turned his second quality start in a row, but once again failed to get the win. Santana has given up the most home runs in Major League Baseball and is the owner of a 0-6 record (the first pitcher in franchise history to lose his first six starts, but its not entirely his fault.

In six starts this season, the Angels have provided Santana with only 3 runs for support, and that all came in the first game. The Angels have been shut out each time over the past five Santana starts. It is statistically impossible for a pitcher to receive a win when his own team can't score any runs, so you've got to have some sympathy for a guy who can't keep the baseball in the park.

 Angels Offense

What's there to write here? They haven't done anything for the last two days.

Angels Get Blanked (13/81)

The last two days of being an Angels fan haven't been very exciting. As a matter of fact, they've been downright depressing. Lucky for me, I've been spending the last two days tapping into my inner-nerd by watching "The Avengers" and celebrating "May the Fourth" Star Wars-style. I think the Angels just need to have a day where they skip the game and go to Disneyland.


Just when you thought the Angel's offense was turning the corner after a nine-run game, they get shut out by Brandon Morrow of the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.

Even if Angel's starters threw a no-hitter every game, they still would have found a way to lose. The offense only managed 3 hits in the 5-0 loss, and two of those hits came from a player who can't legally purchase alcohol yet.

Mike Trout led the 1st and 3rd innings off with a single, but was left stranded. Angels didn't get another baserunner until the 9th when Mark Trumbo hit a double.

Dan Haren had a rough 3rd and 6th innings, but otherwise pitched great. Mark Trumbo made a terrible throwing error that allowed 2 runs to score.

It feels like the last series with the Minnesota Twins was nothing more than an anomaly. I don't know what can cure the Angels woes, but they need to get their minds of baseball for awhile. There comes a point when you're trying so hard that you begin to get tunnel vision and fail to see other solutions. Angels need to take a step back, go to Disneyland, and have some fun. Nothing else seems to be working.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Jered Weaver's First Career No-Hitter (13/81)

I think the Angels have found the answer to their bullpen problems. The night after journeyman, Jerome Williams, threw his first shutout in 7 years, Angel's ace, Jered Weaver threw his first career no-hitter as the Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 9-0.



Weaver was absolutely masterful for 9 innings as he joined the ranks of Nolan Ryan, Mike Witt, Clyde Wright, Bo Belinsky, and Ervin Santana (last year) as the only Angel's pitchers to ever throw a complete-game no-hitter.

Narrowly missing a perfect game thanks to one walk and a passed-ball strikeout, Weaver struck out nine batters on 121 pitches to cap off the perfect story that every little boy dreams of having.

In media and entertainment, we often hear of "every little girl's dream" to be a princess or a magical wedding, or "every boy's father" who dreams of his son becoming a greater success than he ever was. I'm here to tell you that every little boy who grows up playing baseball, dreams of throwing a complete-game no-hitter in front of their friends and family at home.

Jered Weaver, a local boy, grew up a Dodgers fan, lived less than 30 minutes from Angels Stadium, and went to college at Long Beach State. He was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, was thrust into the role of ace due to the departure of fan favorite, John Lackey, and was the runner-up to the 2011 Cy Young Award.

I love Weaver for what he has accomplished, but the feeling I, as well as many others, have for the Angel's ace is a lot more complicated. You see, we envy Jered Weaver. He is everything the little boy in us wishes we had become. We have tried and failed, and now, for many of us, our grasp at greatness is to live vicariously through Weaver's gifted arm.

In an age when most young pitchers seek the big contracts in the free agent market, Weaver gave the Angels a hometown discount when he signed a five-year, $85 million contract extension last season. He could have easily gone anywhere else and got more money, but he chose to stay here. Why? Because there's a little boy in Jered Weaver who is jumping up and down right now for being able to live out his dream so close to home with friends and family watching from all around.

Angels Offense

Oh yeah, the Angels offense went nuts and scored 9 runs tonight. No Chronic Tacos for those who attended the game (suckers!). I don't think the fans mind too much as they were able to witness the first no-hitter at Angel Stadium in over 20 years.

Howard's Big Bat

Howie must really like the pressure being taken off of him now that's he's not batting second in front of Albert Pujols. Since being moved to the six-hole last night, Kendrick has 2 home runs, a triple, 4 RBIs, 2 runs scored on 7 hits. Talk about great back-to-back games. And he narrowly missed hitting for the cycle last night.


Jerome Williams 3-hit Shutout (12/81)

I missed covering the game last night as I was busy celebrating the Lakers win over the Denver Nuggets (hey, life happens), but I did get to catch Jerome Williams first shutout in 7 years. Just like Weaver did tonight, Williams only faced 2 batters over the minimum in an amazing performance that will shut down any speculation of Garrett Richards being called up to take Williams' spot in the rotation.

I'm proud of Williams. Next to Mark Trumbo, he was the most pleasant surprise of the Angels last year. He's come a long way, and, a guy who claims to be a smarter pitcher, is going to keep getting his chances to bring the Angels closer to a playoff spot.

I truly believe this series versus the Twins was exactly what the Angels needed. Great starting pitching has led to the "turn of the tide." Now we just need that Pujols guy to start hitting.