Monday, July 30, 2012

Angels Rotation Gets Upgrade (51/81)

Zack Greinke made his first start in Angels red on a warm Sunday afternoon, and pitched brilliantly. Unfortunately, he received zero run support, but he showed why the Angels gave up 3 of their top prospects in order to land the "rental" player.


In 2009, Greinke won the Cy Young award with the Kansas City, so he's no stranger to the American League, but whenever a pitcher is traded to a new team, there's this apprehension with fans wondering how it's going to work out. On Sunday, Greinke eased our worries by throwing 7 innings giving up 2 runs on 7 hits while striking out 8. The two runs he gave up were, in my opinion easily avoidable. One runner reached base when Mark Trumbo lost a ball in the sun, and another when Maicer Izturis wasn't able to reach a ball Erick Aybar would have had an easy time with.

The Angels rotation now includes four former aces, and every pitcher is 31 or younger and in their prime. Ervin Santana, the one anomaly with his inconsistency, has the potential to turn things around a fill out a rotation of 1-2 pitchers who can work deep into games and rack up strikeouts.

Let me humor you and pretend Santana turns things around. The career stats of these 5 men at so young is impressive:

Jered Weaver: 2011 Cy Young runner-up, 3.21 career ERA, 1066 strikeouts, and a 95-48 record racked up in 1247.1 innings.

C.J. Wilson: 2011 Rangers pitcher of the year, 3.48 career ERA, 752 strikeouts, and a 52-42 record racked up in 845.2 innings pitched. Keep in mind Wilson served as a relief pitcher for much of his career before being introduced to the Rangers rotation over a year ago.

Dan Haren: 3-time All Star and former Arizona Diamondback's ace, 3.65 career ERA, 1538 strikeouts, and a 115-92 record racked up in 1815.2 innings.

Zack Greinke: 2009 Cy Young winner, 3.78 career ERA, 1262 strikeouts, and a 85-77 record in 1409.2 innings pitched.

Ervin Santana: threw a no-hitter in 2011, 4.36 career ERA, 1109 strikeouts, and a 91-77 record in 1408.2 innings pitched.

As you can see, the Angels rotation is made up of guys who have shown that they can miss bats in their careers. Certain numbers average out during down stretches because very few pitchers are ALWAYS on throughout their careers, but the current Angels staff has shown consistency throughout their careers to give the Angels a very deep playoff run. The addition of Greinke also gives the Angels another option other than Weaver to start if they end up in a one-game playoff for the final Wild Card spot. No team is going to walk into Angel Stadium predicting a cake walk, even against Santana, and that's a good thing to have in a drawn out playoff series.

Vernon Returns, Angels Get Shutout All Weekend (50/81)

Before I continue with this post, I want to make it perfectly clear that the Angels futile offense this weekend was not a result of Vernon Wells being reinserted back into the lineup. To the people who believe that the Angels can blame all of their problems on the underachieving veteran need to take off their blinders and look at the Angels offense as a whole: everyone couldn't hit the ball this weekend.


Angels were shutout 3-0 and 2-0 in games on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, versus the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. The entire offense only managed 9 hits in the two games and combined for 19 strikeouts. To put a long story short, the Angels just couldn't put the bat on the ball.

The two less ballyhooed members of the Ray's pitching staff, rookie, Matt Moore and reigning Rookie of the Year, Jeremy Hellickson, pitched brilliantly and might as well have been pitching with a crystal ball because they knew exactly what to do to cool down the Angel's recently hot bats.

Where does Vernon Wells fall in all of this?

Angels fans have been dreading the day that Wells comes off the DL because it means one more hungry mouth to feed at a dinner table filled with healthy, exciting players. Wells came off the DL on Friday and started Saturday and Sunday's games. The result: 0-4 with a strikeout and 0-3 with a strikeout. Obviously, it can't be expected for a player to come off the disabled list and immediately start producing. Players need to be patient and get their timing back, but Wells is on a short leash with Angels fans.

I was at the game Sunday for Greinke's first start, and there was this fan above me and a few rows back that was heckling Wells mercilessly the whole game. It made you feel bad for Wells, who has been very positive during this DL stint and has supported his team and gives back to the fans. It's unfortunate that fans seem to find a way to hate the guy for something that is out of his control: his contract. If Wells was making anything less than $10 million, I don't think Angels fans would care as much, but because he's making $21 million a year for the next 2 years, fans expect him to produce $21 million worth of production.

Unfortunately, as players get older, their production declines. Also unfortunately, or maybe because of some foolish GMs, many players contracts are backloaded late in their contract and, it's rare when the money reflects the player's production. Vernon Wells is going to get his money, but if he doesn't want to be picked apart by Angels fans for the rest of his time in Anaheim, he needs to produce at a level that people can start defending his contract because, right now, no one can defend the guy no matter how nice he is.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Do Angels Have the Best Rotation in Baseball? (49/81)

On Friday, July 28, 2012, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim made a move that shocked baseball and grabbed headlines when they acquired starting pitcher, Zack Greinke, from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for shortstop Jean Segura, and Double-A pitchers Ariel Pena and Johnny Hellweg. Armed with arguably the best rotation in all of baseball in the last 10 years, the Angels are mustering all they can to win their second World Series ring 10 years after winning their first one in 2002.

After bouncing back from his firs DL stint in his career due to a bad back, Dan Haren showed, once again, why the Angels have one of the best rotations in baseball. He stifled the visiting Tampa Bay Rays by throwing 6 innings on 5 hits, 1 run and 6 strikeouts on the Angel's way to a 3-1 win.


With the acquisition of Greinke, the Angels rotation looks like this: Jered Weaver, CJ Wislon, Greinke, Haren, and Garrett Richards/Jerome Williams/Ervin Santana. Even if not one person in that final group of 3 shows some consistency to work as a fifth starter, that's still a scary rotation, and rivaled only by one rotation (on paper) in all of baseball and that's the last place Philadelphia Phillies.

When the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee via free agency, the rest of baseball didn't know what to do. How was it possible for three aces on any other staff on baseball to be on the same team. The 2011 Phillies were anchored by Lee, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, one of the best combinations of any pitching staff I have ever seen until the Angels current rotation. Obviously the Phillies current rotation has not won them any World Series rings and, due to injuries and bad luck, they are currently the worst team in the NL East.

We'll have to wait until Sunday's game versus the Rays when Greinke makes his first start wearing Angels red to argue if the Angels have the best rotation, but my gut tells me they do. Expect to see an in depth look at pitching stats versus other major league teams following Sundays game right here at the Hometown Halo.

Leave a comment below telling me which team you think has the best rotation in baseball, or the best rotation EVER, or follow me on Twitter @SteveonSports to tell me what you think.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Angels Score 10 Runs, Tacos for Everybody! (48/81)

Over the years, the Angels have had many different sponsors for when they score 10+ runs in a game and win. In the past they've had Hooters provide 10 free wings if the Angels score 10 runs, Claim Jumper was in it in the past, and now Chronic Taco gives fans who show their ticket within 7 days after the game a free taco. It may not seem like much, but Chronic Taco makes some delicious tacos, and they'll put anything you want on it. My recommendation: go baja-style fish tacos. Click here to find a location near you.

Anyway, back to the game: Angels pounded on the Kansas City Royals 11-6 on a warm Wednesday afternoon at the Big A.


Third base coach, Dino Ebel (above) might need to get a padded glove for his hand soon with all those Angels players giving him hard high fives as they round third base after their home runs.

The Angels are 7th in the majors with 115 home runs this season, a big step up from last year when they finished 14th and in 2010 when they finished 13th. The Angels have always had decent power, but you never thought of them that way.

The Angels have historically been a small ball-hitting team, but with the emergence of Mark Trumbo's explosive bat, Mike Trout's insane mix of speed and power, and the addition of Albert Pujols, they're starting to get noticed around the league for their power.

After 99 games this season, the Angels are 3rd in batting average (behind Texas and St. Louis), 9th in RBIs, 5th in hits, 7th in doubles, and are in the top half of major league baseball in every offensive category. Gone are the days when Angels struggle to score 3 runs. With the offense clicking like this, the Angels can actually stay in shoot-outs with teams like the Yankees and Rangers, a good advantage to have when moving to the post-season.

Will Smith Gets Jiggy With the Halos (47/81)

Sorry for the late post. I missed the game the other night as it was date night, and things have been really hectic on the job front right now. I'll usually try to get the posts out the day of or the day after at the latest, but you know how it is. Without further ado, let's get jiggy with it.

Kansas City Royals rookie and former Angels farmhand, Will Smith, faced former teammate Garret Richards and shut down the Angels with two-hit ball over 7 innings, the longest start of his career, to beat the Angels 4-1.


Smith, drafted in 2007 by the Angels, was sent over to Kansas City along with pitcher Sean O'Sullivan in a trade that brought over third baseman Alberto Callaspo in 2010. Smith only has 5 major league starts and is sporting a 2-3 win/loss record, a 6.26 ERA and 18 strikeouts after Tuesday's game. His start versus the Angels was easily the best major league start of his short career so far.

It's too early to say who this trade will benefit more in the long run, but Callaspo has really been turning his season around recently and has been productive in the month of July with 17 hits, 2 home runs and a .329 OBP.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Kendrys Morales to the Rescue! (46/81)

With 2 outs, the bases loaded, and the score tied at 3-a-piece, Kendrys Morales stepped up to the plate, pinch-hitting for catcher Bobby Wilson. The once powerful first baseman/designated hitter had been struggling and been the subject of many trade rumors recently, hit a line drive over right fielder Jeff Francoeur and drove in 3 runs, including the speedy Peter Bourjos from first base. The clutch hit ended up being the factor as the Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 6-3.






Before the season started, the Angels weren't sure Morales ankle was going to be fully healed to start the season on the roster. As he progressed according to schedule, the Angels kept playing him more and more in Spring Training as the Cuban defector continued to rack up hits. When the season finally started, Morales was in the starting lineup, completing his comeback from a horrific freak ankle injury that cost him a season and a half away from the game.

Leading up to this point, Angels fans held a fear in the back of their head, something that they didn't want to believe but knew it was entirely possible: after missing so much time away from the game, would Morales be able to pick up where he left off, or would he be a shell of his former self? As the season has progressed, we've noticed a lack of power and production in our cleanup hitter. These warning signs have been partially hidden by the emergence of Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo as much as they were forgotten about with Albert Pujols early season struggles.

Jerry Dipoto has not forgotten. As the trade deadline nears, he has made Morales expendable, a key part of any trade that would bring a quality starting pitcher to the Angels rotation. Will the Angels end up moving Morales? Maybe, but we as fans need to be prepared for that and not hold this sentimental value of a guy who has been a decent player, but hasn't shown the explosive offense he was capable of in 2009.

The Angels have never been a team to dwell on past successes especially if they notice a decline. Look at guys like Chone Figgins, John Lackey, and Francisco Rodriguez. They were stars with the Angels and fan favorites, but the Angels had to go against the wishes of their fan base in order to improve their team because they knew these guys were not the answers. I know its hard to trust the front office after deals like Vernon Wells, Gary Matthews Jr., and Scott Kazmir, but we've got to know that these guys know what they're doing.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Haren Returns, Angels Grab 2 of 3 From Texas (45/81)

The Angels entered this season with what was, on paper, one of the best, if not the best, rotation in baseball. Unfortunately, season-long struggles by Ervin Santana and a back injury to one of the most durable starters in baseball, Dan Haren, derailed the whole process. Sunday night on ESPN, Haren made his return, with a chip on his shoulder, and gave the Halos 6 strong innings on the way to a 7-4 win against the rival Texas Rangers.


While he didn't have his best stuff, and his command was a little off, Haren pitched solid, only allowing 2 runs in 6 innings on 95 pitches. The guy said earlier in the week that he was mad people were already writing him off before he even had a chance to bounce back from his injury.

A motivated Haren is a dangerous one, and I look forward to catching the rest of his starts down the stretch this year.

On another note, the hottest team in baseball has now evened it up with the Angels for the AL Wild Card lead. A team nobody saw coming, and I team I believe will cool off soon, the Oakland A's have won 12 of their last 14 and just finished a sweep of the New York Yankees. I honestly don't think that Oakland has the depth and talent to continue this push for another 2 months, but they've definitely done enough in July to be taken seriously for the remainder of the season.


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Santana Can't Figure It Out (44/81)

Was yesterday's 9-2 loss versus the first place Texas Rangers the last straw for Ervin Santana? If you took to Twitter yesterday through Santana's 1 2/3 innings pitched, you'd certainly think so.


"When did Santana get on the #Rangers payroll? Talk about serving it up on a tee. He needs to go. He stinks. #Angels" -@snelz04

"Call up Mills and send Santana packing!" -@Halomich2

"I'm sure he's a swell guy but it's time to take Ervin Santana to the glue factory." -@

Those Tweets were a couple of the nicer ones. Angels fans are upset with Santana. In a season filled with high expectations, Santana has been consistently inconsistent, and it's frustrating. When asked about what has been his problem, Santana turned to the reporter and said, "If you told me, I'd probably make the adjustment."

I wrote in an earlier blogs about things Santana should do to get back into his groove and how Joe Saunder's pep talk sparked Santana. What's most likely to happen now is that Santana will move to the bullpen to provide pitching depth the Angels need there while GM Jerry Dipoto scours the trade market for an arm that can help the Angel's postseason push.

However, manager Mike Scioscia is not ready to move Santana to the pen just yet. He told reporters today that Santana will be put on a 15 out limit to get him aggressive. Silly Scioscia sited former pitchers like Aaron Sele and Scott Kazmir as previous pitchers who the Angels have tried this approach with.

The problem is that 15 outs is more of a goal than a limit. Santana couldn't even manage to get 6 outs before being yanked yesterday, and siting too of the most failed arms in the Angels rotation not named Kelvim Escobar is not the best way to gain fan confidence in this new approach. Be prepared Angels fans, the future looks uncertain.

What do you think the Angels should do with Santana? Leave a comment below.


Saturday, July 21, 2012

Breaking Down the Home Run Derby Myth (43/81)

Mark Trumbo's swing is more than just a thing of beauty, it's a weapon of mass destruction. Many of us had this underlying fear that participating in the Home Run Derby would affect Trumbo's swing. Those fears have been quickly put to rest thanks to a hot second half start for the bomber, including a screaming Trumbomb-on-a-rope over the left-center field wall as the Angels beat the rival Texas Rangers in a 6-1 contest Friday night.


There is a myth in baseball that says that players are reluctant to participate in the Home Run Derby because of the fear that it will mess up their swing. This myth has apparently no effect on Trumbo. With his latest dinger, Trumbo now has 5 home runs in 31 at-bats since the Home Run Derby. Not only has Trumbo come charging out the gates after the All Star Break, but he seems to be hitting home runs with more frequency and authority. Based upon Trumbo's immediate success after the break, I thought it would be appropriate to break down the home run rates of the past five Derby winners before and after their participation in the slug-fest.


2007 Winner Vladimir Guerrero

Before the All Star break, 2007 Vladimir Guerrero was crushing opposing pitchers. In 85 games, he had already amassed 101 hits, 14 home runs and 75 RBIs with a .325 batting average. He was invited to the Home Run Derby at AT&T Park in San Francisco and then proceeded to become the second Angel to ever win the Derby by smashing 17 total home runs. Following the Derby, his numbers were nearly identical when factoring less games played. In 65 second half games, Guerrero had 85 hits, 13 home runs, and 50 RBIs with a .323 batting average on his way to winning 3rd in AL MVP voting. First place was Alex Rodriguez who, that year, smashed 54 home runs and 156 RBIs.


2008 Winner Justin Morneau

Before the 2008 season, Minnesota Twins first baseman, Justin Morneau had been on a tear. In 2006, Morneau smashed 34 home runs and 130 RBIs and followed that up in 2007 with 31 home runs and 111 RBIs. In 2008, Morneau had 118 hits, 14 home runs and 68 RBIs with a .323 batting average in 95 games before the Home Run Derby. He was hitting the ball great, but entered the Derby as the contestant with the lowest home run total at the break, so it was not surprising that his bat regressed in the second half to more career averages, but his power stayed the same. In 68 second half games, Morneau had 69 hits, 9 home runs, 61 RBIs and a .267 batting average that fell in line with his previous career numbers. 14 home runs in 95 games versus 9 home runs in 68 games isn't enough of a drop off to defend the urban legend.


2009 Winner Prince Fielder

Coming into the break, Milwaukee Brewer's rotund slugger, Prince Fielder had smashed 22 home runs and 78 RBIs with a .315 batting average in 88 first half games. After smashing 22 home runs to win the Derby at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Fielder went on to improve his power with 24 home runs and 63 RBIs in 74 second half games while finishing 4th in NL MVP voting.

2010 Winner David Ortiz

When Anaheim, California was finally able to host its first Home Run Derby in 2010, the Angels didn't have any of their own players in it (Vernon Wells was still playing for the Blue Jays at the time). David Ortiz entered the break batting .263 with 18 home runs and hit a colossal 32 home runs to win the Derby. Following the Midsummer Classic, Ortiz continued his pace while hitting another 14 home runs and raising his average to .270. No evidence of drop-off in production here.

Side note: I was working for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Garden Grove at this time and we had a few kids that were able to sit on the field during the Home Run Derby. Vernon Wells was representing our program, and disappointingly only managed to hit two home runs during the Derby. The little girl we sent to the field had a great time, so it didn't really matter, but in retrospect, Well didn't hit well inside Angel Stadium and it would've been nice to know his career numbers while visiting Anaheim before the Angels signed him.

2011 Winner Robinson Cano

I'm sure everyone is familiar with Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano being booed at Kauffman Stadium a few weeks ago for not including Royal's slugger, Billy Butler in the Home Run Derby, and even more so for not hitting any home runs. However, in 2011 he was on top of his game and smashed 32 home runs in the Derby at Chase Field in Arizona. His numbers in 87 games before the break: 100 hits, 15 home runs and a .296 batting average. After the break: 72 games, 88 hits, 13 home runs and a .309 batting average. Nearly identical numbers.

It's too early to determine what effect, if any, this year's Home Run Derby will have on its champion, but so far it looks like the competition has done nothing but improve Trumbo's swing. He's on pace to hit 47 home runs, a franchise record held by Troy Glaus, and he's shown no signs of slowing down. I would not be the least surprised if he breaks 50 home runs and finishes the season as the home run leader. The guy never stops improving.

(I know Mark Trumbo did not win the Home Run Derby, and maybe I am unfairly comparing him to past winners, but historically speaking, the Derby has not had an adverse effect on batter's swings. Some players have a hot first half and then regress in the second half to fit their career averages. We see this all the time. It's the ones who don't regress, and actually get better in the second half, guys like Jose Bautista, Alex Rodriguez, and maybe Trumbo, who end up being the players we talk about for years to come. If you would like to read more about the urban legend, here's ESPN's blog from a few years ago breaking down ARod's numbers before and after competing in the Derby: http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3483235)

Monday, July 9, 2012

13 First Half Shutouts (42/81)

Yesterday, I wrote about the Angels first half success in the starting pitching department, racking up 12 shutouts in the first half of the season. Apparently Angels spot starter, Brad Mills, took offense to my premature article.


The Angels blanked the Baltimore Orioles for the second straight day with a score of 6-0 to add to their league leading 13 shutouts of opposing teams this season.

Mills got the spot start for an injured Dan Haren, who went on the DL earlier this week for the first time in his career, and lasted 5 innings while only giving up 3 hits and striking out 6. Mills was pulled from a start in Triple-A Salt Lake earlier this week in order to start for the Angels, explaining the short outing on short rest.

What's interesting of note is that has 3-3 record with a 7.38 ERA in 10 big league starts over a four-year span, but 3-0 with a 1.56 ERA in three starts against the Orioles. The Angels definitely knew his success versus the Orioles when they called him up, and it paid off in a big way Sunday.

Hopefully Mills can add some pitching depth to a suddenly struggling rotation until Jerome Williams can get back after the All Star break and Haren heals up. Until then, the Angels are hoping their starters can keep putting up blanks. Have a great All Star break everyone!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Angels 1st Half Shutouts (41/81)

Remember earlier this season when the Angels were leading the league in shutouts? I'm talking about the futility of an offense rather than the dominance of a pitching staff. Two and a half months later, my how the tables have turned. How many shutouts do the Angels have this season?


The offense turned around, and Angels pitchers had a stretch of some kind of amazing as they racked up wins and blanked opponents and now lead the league with 12 shutouts of opposing teams after Jered Weaver's 3-0 win against the Baltimore Orioles Saturday night.

Here, I'll break down the Angels 12 shutouts, a team record before the All Star break.

*Update: Angels spot starter, Brad Mills combined with LaTroy Hawkins, Kevin Jepsen, Jordan Walden, and Ernesto Frieri to toss the Angels 13th shutout against the Orioles on Sunday.


April 6, Opening Day vs. Kansas City Royals

Angels got off to a great start to the season by shutting out the Royals 5-0 at home for Albert Pujols debut as an Angels. The highly paid slugger didn't get a hit, but Weaver managed to go 8 innings, racking up 10 strikeouts and Scott Downs came in to close the door. Sound familiar?

April 16, Oakland As, Weaver's 1,000th Strikeout

Weaver was on the mound for this one. He didn't go the distance, pitching 6 and 2/3 innings, but struck out 6 batters, one of which served as his 1,000th career strikeout, as the Angels beat the As 6-0 at home.


May 1, Minnesota Twins, Jerome Williams 3-hitter

Nothing more than a journeyman the past couple of years before finding success in the back end of the Angels pitching rotation last year, Williams has really felt a comfort level in Anaheim that he has experienced in few other places. He showed his confidence by dominating a weak Twins lineup 4-0 with a complete game, 3-hit shutout, his first complete game since June 27, 2003 (his only other shut out).

May 2, Minnesota Twins, Weaver's No-Hitter

The very next night after Williams 3-hitter, Weaver mastered the Twins 9-0 by throwing the 10th no-hitter in franchise history. It was only the second no-hitter since 1990 (Ervin Santana had thrown his no-no the year before), and was only one walk and a strikeout/passed ball away from a perfect game. Weaver struck out 9 and continued to show his dominance as one of the elite pitchers in baseball.


May 15, Oakland As, Santana Finally Gets Run Support

After leading the league in lack of run support, the Angels had been shut out in 5 straight of Santana's starts earlier in the season, Santana discovered the best way to make up for lack of run support: shut out the other team. Santana combined with Downs and Ernesto Frieri to drop the As, 4-0 at home.


May 22, at Oakland As, CJ Throws 1-Hitter

Up until this point, all of the Angels previous shutouts had come at home. CJ Wilson decided to take the show on the road,  combining with Frieri to one-hit the As for the third shutout over the team this season. Wilson went 8 innings and racked up 7 strikeouts allowing only 1 hit and 2 walks en route to a 5-0 win. He would have been allowed to finish the game had he not had a pitch count over 125.

May 24, at Seattle Mariners, Dan Haren Strikes Out Almost EVERYBODY

Haren tore apart a Mariners lineup, racking up 14 strikeouts in a complete game, 4-hit shutout. The Angels won 3-0, and Haren struck out every member of the Mariner's lineup except for lead off second baseman, Dustin Ackley.

June 16, Arizona Diamondbacks, Santana Gets Advice from Joe Saunders

Santana had been struggling mightily this season. With the call up of Garrett Richards, and the imminent return of Weaver, there had been talks that Santana might get sent down to Triple A to work on his command. The day before the game, ex-teammate and Arizona pitcher, Saunders, met up with Santana to give him a little pep talk. Whatever Saunders said ended up working perfectly as Santana took a perfect game into the 7th inning and ended up tossing a one-hit shutout as the Angels won 2-0 at home. I don't think Saunders wanted Santana to use his advice until after his team had left town.

June 17, Arizona Diamondbacks, Richards Joins the Shutout Party

Angels shutouts this season seem to come in pairs. A day after Santana 1-hit the Diamondbacks, Richards combined with Frieri to throw a 4-hit shut out to beat the D-Backs 2-0 again. With the shutout, Richards became the sixth Angel starter to toss a complete game or combined shutout this season. How many rotations in baseball can claim to have six shutout-quality pitchers?

June 20, San Francisco Giants, Weaver Returns

Despite being on a VERY limited pitch count once returning from the disabled list due to a back injury, Weaver sailed through 6 innings and 78 pitches by giving up only 2 hits, 2 walks, and striking out 3 to combine with Jason Isringhausen, Downs and Jordan Walden to shut out the Giants 6-0. With the win, Weaver proved that, despite missing time on the DL, he is still in contention for his first Cy Young award.

July 2, at Cleveland Indians, Weaver Again

Who's the best pitcher in the American League right now? Without a doubt it's Jered Weaver. The guy combined with Downs for his 5th shutout of the season as the Angels beat the Indians 3-0 away. Of the Angels 12 first half shutouts, only 3 of them have come away.

July 7, Baltimore Orioles, You Guessed It, Weaver Weaver Weaver

Big bad Weaver once again combined with Downs to 3-hit the Orioles to pick up his 6th shutout of the season.

The Angels have 13 shutouts this season, 3 higher than the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. Will Jered Weaver get the start for the American League in the All Star game? If allowed, he would probably shut out the best in the NL as well. Despite their recent struggles, the Angels have continuously demonstrated that they have the best rotation in baseball.

Which team's pitching rotation do you think rivals the Angels this season? Leave a comment in the comment section below.



Saturday, July 7, 2012

TNT Connect, But Angels Fall Short (40/81)

Angels All Stars Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout (TNT) each blasted solo home runs, but it wasn't enough to overcome one mistake pitch by starter CJ Wilson as the Angels fell 3-2 against the Baltimore Orioles.


The Angels struggled to find their offense last night, but managed to do everything else right. Wilson threw only one mistake pitch to Oriole's first baseman, Steve Pearce, who turned it into a 3-run home run, but in a game where your offense isn't getting a lot of hits, one mistake can be costly.

You may or may not disagree with me, but for the Angels, their biggest problem right now is without a doubt situational hitting, more specifically hitting with runners in scoring position.

Over the past 8 games, the Angels are 13 for 69 (.188 average) with runners in scoring position. You stretch that out a few more games into June and that number only gets worse. The Angels aren't having trouble hitting home runs (even Peter Bourjos has a couple); they're having trouble hitting the ball when runners are on base. Granted, the numbers above don't take into account the Angel's trademarked small-ball like sacrifice flies, sacrifice bunts, and Trout scoring from first base, but the numbers are alarming.

If the Angels don't start hitting the ball in key situations, their luck is going to run out, their home runs are going to start decreasing, and they will start piling up loses because no team can sustain the Angels current winning percentage without being able to hit the ball in the clutch. We haven't heard from the guy in awhile because the offense had been so good for most of May and June, but its time to see what batting coach, Jim Eppard can do to turn this pattern around.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Angels Steal One in Their Return Home (39/81)

In what could end up being the AL Wild Card playoff matchup in October, the Angels erased a 4-run deficit to beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-7 in their return home to the Big A.


The Angels showed their resiliency last night after coming home from a roller coaster road trip, and the offense and bullpen refused to let poor starting pitching be the factor in this one.

There's a lot going on with the Angels right now, so I'll try to catch you up on the Hometown front:

Banged-Up Starters:

When the Angel's offense was struggling mightily in April and May, the starting rotation picked the team up with their powerful throwing arms and carried them until All Star outfielder, Mike Trout showed up to give the offense a swift kick in the rear.

Now that the Angels have found their bats, it puts less pressure on the starters to throw perfect games every time, but the end of the June and beginning of July have not been so kind to the rotation.

Dan Haren is on the DL with a sore back for the first time in his career. Jerome Williams is struggling in his rehab assignment and won't be back until after the All Star break. Ervin Santana is regressing after what looked like bounce-back starts, including a 1-hitter. And finally, despite the Angels bailing him out, Garrett Richards was optioned back to Triple A this morning after two terrible outings in a row.

Remember when Angels had 6 elite-level starters a little over two weeks ago? Yeah, me neither.

Brilliant Bullpen:

If you asked me before the season started if I would have ever written this headline about the Angels bullpen, I would have given you a resounding "NO!" Not only would I have been wrong, but lately the Angels bullpen has proved that they're just as good as any in the majors. For 5 innings they shut down the Orioles lineup that managed to smash 7 runs off Richards in the first 4 innings.

Mike Trout, The Modern Era Rickey Henderson:

All I need to do is show you ESPN's graphic comparing Mike Trout vs Rickey Henderson as the only two players to hit at least .343, slug .551, with 10 home runs and 23 stolen bases in their first 60 games before the All Star break. Reminds you of how good The Man of Steal was and how good Trout is going to be.


All Star Trumbo:

In case you didn't already know, Angel's All Star LF/RF/1B/3B/DH Mark Trumbo will be participating in the home run derby and he's not worried about his swing. The young slugger spoke with Garrett Anderson, who won the derby in 2007 as well as the All Star Game MVP, and was reaffirmed that he needs to approach the contest just like batting practice and not try to pull the ball too much. While he has a good a shot as any to win, I doubt Trumbo takes home the crown. I do, however, think he'll hit the farthest ball in the park (and probably outside the park too).