Series Breakdown #5: Oriole Hunt

Howie made an impact during this series, but his misplay of a Nick Markakis grounder cost the Angels a sweep of the O's. (Getty/Victor Decolongon)

The Halos looked far from stellar in taking two of three from the Baltimore Orioles, but two of three they did take, so that’s something worth celebrating. With a sluggish start to the season, the Angels needed a bounceback in the worst way, and though they got it somewhat, there’s still lots of work to be done. The team is dead last in the American League in home runs, though that should be nothing new if you’re a long-time fan. What should bother you is that Albert Pujols still hasn’t connected, and the longer it goes on the worse it is for him and the team; he’s trying way too hard to hit one out. Miscues everywhere in the infield, with one particular error that ended up costing the team the game (more on this in a bit). While the starting pitching was much improved in these last three games of the homestand, the bullpen is still as schizophrenic as ever. I hate having to bring up the Texas Rangers all the time, but the fact is, they’re 13-4 after tonight’s loss to the Yankees. With the way their bats are playing, every win and loss counts throughout this early part of the season. The two teams are set to square off in about 3 weeks, so any ground the Angels can make up now helps.

Series Results
4/20 – Orioles 3 @ Angels 6
4/21 – Orioles 3 @ Angels 6
4/22 – Orioles 3 @ Angels 2

Series Breakdown #4: No Angels, Just Athletes

Narrowly missing his first home run as an Angel, Albert Pujols had to settle for a double on this 5th inning shot to left field. (AP/Chris Carlson)

In what has to be one of the most frustrating series in Mike Scioscia’s entire 12-year tenure as the skipper for the Angels, the team dropped three of four against the rival Oakland A’s. It isn’t just them losing, it’s how they lost. This team is lacking energy, lacking passion, and lacking focus. You can see it on everyone’s faces, most notably, the skipper himself. It’s hard for fans to get up and get excited about a rally when they’re expecting more of the same, whether it’s going 3-of-12 with runners in scoring position, Vernon Wells and his continued struggle with consistent at-bats, or a major bullpen meltdown. It’s as if 2011 never ended for these Halos, only they somehow were able to add Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson to the mix at the trading deadline. I’ve said it before, I will say it again, this is a team that is stuck in the mud. I’m not sure what’s going to give the team the push it needs, but it needs to happen fast. The team’s 4-9 record is the worst start in franchise history, tying the legendary 1961 Angels team. You know, the first one.

Yeah. And we just barely missed out on Albert’s first home run as an Angel.

Series Results
4/16 – A’s 0 @ Angels 6
4/17 – A’s 5 @ Angels 3
4/18 – A’s 6 @ Angels 0
4/19 – A’s 4 @ Angels 2

Frustration Mounts

I’m just gonna come out and say it. Mike Scioscia, the skipper for the Angels, cost the team Tuesday’s game. No pussy footing around it, he goofed, and anyone who has watched this ballclub the past two seasons knows that this isn’t the first time Sosh has goofed in these type of situations. Hindsight is 20-20, I get that folks. But this isn’t about hindsight. You saw this coming from miles away. As soon as I saw Scott Downs warming up in the bullpen, I correctly guessed the following sequence:

A. Dan Haren would be pulled before finishing the inning. Dirty Dan’s control wasn’t the best, but it was miles better than what he had shown in his first two starts. In the 7th inning, he allowed a one out single to Yoenis Cespedes, then had Kurt Suzuki drop a bunt on him for a base hit with two outs and two on. Sosh decided to remove Dan Haren from the game, after only 85 pitches. The thought being that Daric Barton, the man coming to the plate, had hit a home run off Haren earlier in the game. I can see this logic, though I don’t particularly agree with the move (we know Danny is that good, let him pitch out of it). In comes Scott Downs, the Angels’ best reliever, by far.

B. Scott Downs would pitch a maximum of 5 pitches to retire his only batter of the night. This is our best reliever mind you. If you don’t believe me, his numbers help paint a nice picture. In 53 2/3 innings last season, he posted a 1.34 ERA and 1.006 WHIP while only allowing 8 earned runs all season. He got it done as a regular full inning reliever and lefty specialist, the latter too much for the fans’ taste since he has shown the ability to handle a full line-up time and time again. Know how many pitches Scott threw? Four.

C. Kevin Jepsen would come in during the 8th inning in a close game. Kevin Jepsen has a great fastball. Great. It can get to the 97-98 range easily. The problem with Kevin Jepsen is typical of many flame-throwing relievers: he has a really hard time controlling his pitches. Jepsen has earned a place in the bullpen on the back of an impressive second half showing in 2009, the last year the Angels made it to the playoffs, and a decent 2010 campaign. Ever since, Kevin has endured injuries, and worked through many inconsistencies. Jeppers has been less than stellar so far this year, and his outing today continued that trend. After retiring the first batter, Jepsen walked Cliff Pennington and Jemile Weeks, and gave up a single to Coco Crisp which brought in a run. Then, Josh Reddick drives in another to chase Jepsen. The next reliever, David Carpenter, gave up a double to Cespedes that scored two more, but the damage had already been done.

By removing the team’s best reliever in favor of a struggling flamethrower, Scioscia cost the team a division game that could play an important part in this year’s playoff race. It’s not too early to think about this friends, the Rangers just pounded one of the top teams in the American League, the Boston Red Sox, 18-3 IN FENWAY PARK. This is a powerful team we’re talking about here, so every mistake counts. With the offense and starting pitching sluggish out of the blocks, the managing has to be on point in order to keep the team on course. Nights like Tuesday showed many of this team’s flaws in spectacular fashion, no offense to the A’s, but they’re not big contenders and everyone knows it. They are building to get there, and a game like this can help toward making that happen for them. But what about us? Watching this team is like watching a car stuck in the mud. It needs a good push, and right now, Mike isn’t giving that good push.

Not a Machine, An Angel

Fan excitement is high after the signings of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson.

I decided to get off my uncreative behind and start writing on this blog regularly again, especially after one of the most dreadful second halves of baseball I’ve ever witnessed. The Angels were dead in the water late last summer, a group of players going through the motions while the rival Texas Rangers choked away a second World Series. Sure, they lost the Series, but every Angel fan would have wanted our team to have been there regardless of outcome. As we all know now, Angels owner Arte Moreno felt the same way. His 10-year commitment to Albert Pujols, a walk-in Hall of Famer today, and a five-year pact with former Ranger ace C.J. Wilson has boosted the franchise’s prospects considerably, with many experts tagging the 2012 Angels as the AL representative in the World Series, and even champions. No doubt, the team is a big-time contender now, but we won’t truly know until all 162 games are played. So in the meantime, this post is gonna break down the Angels’ 25-man roster coming out of Spring Training.

Halos Complete Excellent Early Summer Turn Around, Sweep M’s

Dan Haren receives a standing ovation after his 8 2/3 innings of work against Seattle. (AP/Christine Cotter)

The Angels couldn’t have looked worse prior to their June 13th contest in Seattle. The team had just completed a miserable 2-7 home stand, and were quickly sliding down toward 2011 irrelevance. The offense was failing horribly, the bullpen kept having bouts of inconsistency, and the team generally looked dead in the water. Vernon Wells‘ resurgence (somewhat explained by an earlier post of mine regarding a tweak in his batting stance), Howie Kendrick‘s return to form after a short DL stint, and general consistency throughout the team, have sparked an impressive run. The Halos have gone 21-6 through both their longest road trip of the season (the four corners trip) and their longest home stand of the season, winning every single series and playing exciting baseball, and sit at just a game behind the Texas Rangers at the All-Star break, with 50 wins on their ledger. It’s a fantastic about-face for a team many fans were losing hope in, and rightfully so. For most of May, the team looked old and creaky, and could not sustain any flashes of brilliance. With the warming weather, the team has sprung back to life. Let’s hope it continues moving forward.

Dodgers Fail to Capitalize on Comedy of Angel Errors

Erick Aybar celebrates his 5th inning, 2-run home run that put the Angels ahead for good. (Getty/Stephen Dunn)

I haven’t written anything in awhile, mainly due to laziness, which I feel kinda bad about. The Angels are in the midst of an excellent 12-game roadtrip that has seen them take two out of three games from the Mariners, Mets, and Marlins. Hits with runners in scoring position have fallen more often (though it’s still a big issue), pitching has been solid for the most part, and this kind of momentum could lead to good things down the line. Which brings me to tonight’s Freeway Series opener at the ravine against Brooklyn.

VW Loves the Open Road

V-Dub smacked two HR and 3 RBI to help pace the Halo offense against Seattle. (AP/Elaine Thompson)

In what was a welcome relief for Angel fans everywhere, the offense had a great showing against the second place Seattle Mariners on Monday. The bulk of the offense came from unlikely sources, first being Vernon Wells, who smacked two home runs over the left field wall, and also Jeff Mathis, who not only stretched out a single into a double even after M’s left fielder Carlos Peguero made a great cut-off, but also jarred the baseball loose from catcher Miguel Olivo while sliding home. This, along with great showings from Bobby Abreu and Howie Kendrick led to the Angels’ 6-3 victory. Dan Haren picked up his sixth victory, even though he struggled through his six innings of work. But hey, after being let down often by the offense, he’s got no reason to complain after their performance.

Nuclear Meltdown Continues

Japan's reactor ain't got nothing on ol' Kaz. Too soon?

In what seems to be a stroke of genius by MLB schedulers, the Angels have a day off today, giving us a respite from watching the team’s miserable offense continue to muck everything up. I gladly filled the “void” of no Halo ball by watching some Gold Cup action, laughing my ass off at El Salvador getting what they deserved for that cheap clock-running tactic in stoppage, resulting in just enough extra time for Costa Rica to tie the game and steal a valuable point**. And of course, the NBA Finals, which has been one of the best series I’ve ever seen (never woulda thought in September that I’d care about the NBA again).

 

** I can’t mention this without mentioning Guatemala’s Oscar-worthy performances in the game against Honduras on Monday. Down 11 men-to-9, the Chapines pulled out every trick in the book and then some. But I’m actually not upset over it. What I’m upset about is the completely awful form Honduras displayed throughout the match, but most importantly, those 20 minutes they spent playing with a two-man advantage. What a bunch of scrubs, they got repelled by the equivalent of a box and 1 zone. They don’t deserve to go any further in the tournament if they can’t bring themselves to play to the skill level they possess.

 

But of course, the day just could not end without a bit of news from the Angel front. No sir, they can’t leave us alone and give us a little bit of peace.

I’m talking about Scott Kazmir‘s fourth rehab assignment.

Haren Gets No Support, Links

I respect the hell outta this guy, but how did he get a triple with his old ass legs???

It’s getting to the point where I won’t go too in-depth with this Angel squad. What is there to be in depth about right now? The team can’t hit with runners in scoring position to save their lives. Dan Haren, he of the badass look and even more badass splitter, can’t afford to make any mistakes because the offense cannot back him up. This is why I led off the post with a picture of The Idiot Johnny Damon, who sliced a lead-off triple and scored the game’s first run. That and BJ Upton’s 3rd inning home run was all Tampa needed to win, but they tacked on a few more to push the final score to 4-1. Haren (5-4) probably wishes the team would give him a chance to bat, seeing how badly the offense is struggling. Case in point: rookie Mark Trumbo mashed a triple of his own to lead off the 8th inning. Predictably, the Angels left him stranded there, a microcosm of the season if there’s ever been one.

Vernon Wells returned to the lineup last night, and while he did not get hurt playing center field like I feared, he did allow a ball to go over his head for an RBI double. Not to mention, with Bobby Abreu having to play left due to Peter Bourjos‘ day off, we had to endure another “Bobby can’t run” moment where he could not cut off what would have been a single. Wells had to go to the wall and throw it back to the infield, The Double That Should Not Be (+1 if you get it). It’s no good my fellow Angel fans. Personally, I’m only watching the rest of the season out of solidarity. I have no real hopes for this mediocre squad, which more and more is looking like the 2010 iteration. I’m watching to see how Trumbo, P-Bo, Hank Conger (if Scioscia would get his head out of his ass), and Tyler Chatwood develop, along with any other prospects that may end up on the squad in the future. Too early to mail it in? No, how quickly we forget our history.

Take the leap for links…

***

Of Wolf and Angel

Never forget the Wolfman!

I attended last night’s Angels/Rays tilt. I had great seats along the right field line, in plain view of the area where Torii Hunterflipped over the short fence and landed on a fat piece of shit “Yankee” fan (I highly doubt he’s a New Yorker or not a frontrunner, not taking a shot at ya’ll real ones). Section 131 and 132 got a treat, we were privileged to sit near the man pictured above. He was drunk off his ass, he somehow snuck in quite a few 40s and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had drank more prior to entering the stadium. Every 2-3 minutes, he would stand up and pump his fist toward the right field wall, then rear back and let out a strange sounding howl toward the moon. We all loved it, the whole section started cheering for this guy’s drunken shens. He was harmless, nobody was upset that he was around, but unfortunately security hated and escorted him away. If he ever sees this, dude, you rule!