In Griffin Canning’s first start of the season, he had 7 strikeouts, gave up 4 hits, 2 walks, 3 earned runs, 1 home run, and got himself a loss in 4.2 innings. He threw 82 pitches. Joe Maddon pulled him with 2 outs in the 5th, which is something he likes to do for some reason.
Felix Peña relieved Canning in the 5th and got 4 straight strikeouts in his 2.1 innings of work. Cam Bedrosian followed up pitching the 8th with 1 strikeout, 1 hit, and 1 walk.
Pitchers gave up only 3 runs today, but with an offense that failed to score at all, it was too much to overcome. 2.75 runs scored per game will not get wins. We need Rendon back NOW.
David Fletcher continued to be hot, leading off the game with a double followed by a walk in the 3rd, 8 straight PA reaching base. 2-4 overall.
Tommy La Stella got 2 hits, including a double in an inning where the Angels failed to score per usual, somewhat comically.
Justin Upton continued to show why he is a Hot Pocket, getting a hit and getting thrown out between 3rd and home in the same inning. Hot and cold in one player at the same time, just incredible.
Trout and Ohtani failed to get any hits, Simba got a GIDP and injured himself running to 1B, rolling his left ankle.
Offensively, with 11 LOB, the Angels once again love to eat LOBsters. 1-8 with RISP will do that.
A development that was seen today was that more players were wearing masks in the field and on the base-paths as well as more strict in the dugout compliance. How this impacts player performance we do not know yet.
With the season looking to be in danger with the viral outbreak with the Marlins, every game that does get played matters even more. So for the Angels to lose today and be 1-3 to start the season is a big deal, especially with how good of a team the A’s are.
Angels home opener vs. the Mariners tomorrow. A must win series.
I couldn’t imagine a more brutal series to start the year (other than a sweep, of course). In all fairness, I think cutting most players/teams some slack to start the year is fair given the circumstances. The lack of real exhibition games leading up into the season has to be hurting a ton of players across the league. Unfortunately for the Angels, they displayed some rather lousy hitting and baserunning for the duration of the series.
For several reasons I don’t want to “cut the team/players some slack.” First and most obviously, unless you are named the Toronto Blue Jays all teams are more or less dealing with the same challenges. So, if the Angels win, then everything is treated as normal and fine and if they lose we should “cut them some slack?” We are not cutting the A’s slack, mainly because we don’t need to, they took care of their business.
Every year, every April (in this case it is July)it is the same thing with the Angels; we start out with bold prognostications and hopes and dreams. Then after the first week of the season the Angles lose a couple of games they really should have won, are below .500, and most people are saying “it’s early.” Problem is, the early losing is indicative of the team personality. Good teams win those close games and extra inning games and bad or underachieving teams lose those games.
The Angels have good players (some great players in fact), don’t get me wrong, but it is HOW our players play that is important. Most baseball games turn on one or two pivotal moments. Yesterday, the key moment was Simba’s AB with the bases loaded. If he manages to work a walk there, or get a hit, the Angels likely go on to win that game. At the very least he needed to hit the ball in the air and earn a sac fly to drive a run in. But what he ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT DO, was what he in fact did — hit a soft one hopper back to the pitcher. That was just what the pitcher needed and Simba got out-smarted there. His over-aggressiveness and lack of awareness of the situation killed us. The Angels high number of GIDP and failure in bases loaded and first and third with one out situations shows a lack of preparedness and lack of approach for success. And the thing is, it doesn’t get better year after year.
The one thing I will say in regards to “cutting slack” is that Maddon has just arrived, and I do feel like it will take some time for him to install and teach his “approach.” This short, abbreviated season is a chance to start to do that. If there is any reason to cut slack it is not the coronavirus or COVID-19 but the installation of a new manager and coaches. Hopefully by next April the team mindset is different and their approach to those crucial high-leverage AB’s with runners in scoring position has been drastically altered.
I couldn’t watch on the tube and was just watching the box score develop. Was that out that Upton ran into from third as bone headed as it seemed to be? Did the third base coach send him?
It appeared to be the contact play so he ran right off the bat
So just bad luck and good baseball by the Ass!
It’s as if Soth never left.
Well, I thought he was too far off third base. As a runner you have to be prepared that IF Pujols hits the ball to 3B you can get back. I am not sure the contact play was on; usually if it is hit anywhere else but 3B you go. But he didn’t leave the bag like it was the contact play, he kind of hesitated.
We have waited so long for baseball and you guys just want to give up after 4 games? Yeesh.
When you go 72-90 the previous year and start the next season 1-3, it doesn’t exactly fill you with confidence
Not only that, it is much worse than only 1-3 suggests. First, in a shortened 60 game season one loss actually equals 2.5 losses in a regular season. Second, we were playing the A’s, a key rival we would like have to beat out for a playoff spot. Even if we win tonight it does not make up for the lost weekend up in Oakland. We needed to at worst split that series and we failed in a big way. And what makes it more frustrating is that we are at least as talented as the A’s and probably more talented overall. Our ultimate failure comes down to EXECUTION, or lack thereof. The A’s mostly execute in key situations and we don’t.
Winning two of three vs. the Mariners would not all of a sudden make things bright and sunny. We needed to beat the A’s AND then beat Seattle. Losing three games and then winnning two does nothing for you. Consistency and execution, this is what the Angels lack.
When we win tomorrow we’ll be talking about the World Series. We’re a highly emotional bunch
Disagree. A win tonight will not excite me. We are supposed to beat the Mariners. The A’s on the other hand are the team we NEED to beat if we want to make the playoffs.
56 games until Eppler is gone. I can handle the losing for the right result
I have so much faith that Arte finally hires the right person!
I believe you’re not being serious here
Have you ever known me to be sarcastic, Eric?
Though you’re being sarcastic here Mia, I do feel we have the right manager now. And hopefully by the start of the 2021 season we’ll have the right GM in place as well.
I’m of the opinion, after the last year, that Arte is a bigger hindrance to winning than Eppler is.
He’s the constant. GMs and Managers come and go but Arte stays. Not a hard puzzle to solve.
Well, I have said for quite a long time that Arte is at the root of the organizational problem/s. That was back when people wanted DiPoto gone etc..
My feeling was that Arte’s crush on Scioscia and his intransigence on the issue of manager change was THE biggest organizational issue — the elephant in the room if you will.
So in that regard I agree with you. I also don’t like what Arte has done with the scouting dept. due to his cheapness.
On the one hand you are correct, but I am hoping with Maddon in the fold now Arte’s respect for him will cause Arte to pull back a bit. Maybe that is just wishful thinking. We shall see.
Pujols. Player GM. Bats fourth for 162 games. Believe it.
Can Anthony Rendon pitch and play 1B, LF too?
We already know Upton, Pujols, and Thaiss can’t. Sean Newombe looked outstanding last night vs the Mets……..just saying.
Once Rendon is back, Fletch can play LF (or RF). But Yeah, Grandpa needs to go. And JUp needs to figure his shit out.
Davie can play second, and LaStella can play first.
Davie
Trout
LaStella
Rendon
Goodwin
Upton
Catcher Person
Pujols
Andrelton
Fletch might be manning SS for a day or two, if Simba’s ankle is bothering him.
Can we just cancel the season? I’ve seen enough of this shit.
Give the situation on the east coast, we may be lucky enough for that.
LOBster is optimal with drawn butter(cup)
-1st post. Was wondering why the former site was so lonely and then remembered about this gem of a site. It’s been a while.
That being said…
They’re still the sameeeeee ol’ shitty Angels team. Smh!!!
How can they be this terrible?! Game 1 started oh so promising and just like that, in a blink of an eye, ZAP! All hope, GONE!!
Upton swings at ball 4 with the bases loaded, followed by Pooholes and his usual, uninspired results.
I remember Inspector Gadget aka Joe Maddon mentioning bunting during the offseason. After witnessing the lobster fest you’d think he’d be a little more creative with runners on and 0 outs.
Maybe I dont follow baseball enough but is pitchers that cant get through 5 innings the new trend?
The Angel’s should just cut the crap and let the young guys play this shortened season. At least they show more passion and desire than some of these overpaid vets (looking at you Justin and Albert) The results would probably be the same if not better
Disappointed.
Welcome to the site! If this continues, we’ll all be able to vent together over the coming months.
This is already a huge series against the Mariners coming up… Hopefully Rendon can add a spark cause we need it. Interested to see Maddons quotes on this series too.
Oh and also… Ohtani looks completely lost. Can’t have our 3 hitter not even close to making contact.
We’re well on our way to 2-5 (60 game equivalent of 6-14)
Oh my. Do you remember that time in 2002 when we started the season 6-and-14? Let me tell you about it young fella.
😂😂😂
2002 season is just a urban legend like the Roswell NM alien spacecraft crash. Unfortunately Billy Eppler is a real deal 4 yr long nightmare. DON’T BELIEVE ABOUT 2002!!!
On the negative tip, Pujols looks absolutely finished. His pitch recognition is compromised, and he can’t even hit average major league fastballs at this point.
Ohtani looks lost at every level of his game, and really like a player that needs a 3-4 week rehab stint in AA/AAA, but there’s no real option to turn to.
The scary thing is how much the PR narrative for the franchise is tied up in those two players, so Arte will want Maddon to play them for the full season, regardless of impact.
An eventual solution will be getting more of Adell/Marsh onto the field in early August, and give more DH ABs to Upton, who may yet figure it out.
Amen. Those two are a big reason for the 1-3 start.
Pujols looks every bit of 42 years old.
He was 42 a decade ago
That was the joke I was getting at considering his age is listed at 40.
Wait… You’re giving up on Pujols after 3 games? 😂😂😂😂
I gave up on Pujols years ago, when he was only in his late 30’s
He sure does run some bitchen fundraisers.
They should’ve been cutting Albert’s playing time down a long time ago. I know it’s hard to admit that he’s toast and pay a part-time player that much $$$ but he’s been a replacement-level player for years now. Appreciate what he’s done for the game and the milestones he’s achieved here but it’s time to move on.
In regards to Ohtani, I think he’ll be fine at the plate. We all remember his abysmal performance in 2018 spring training and he wasn’t very good for his first 20 games last year (89 wRC+). He’s looked brutal but I am fairly confident he’ll return to his 120-130 wRC+ level (if the season actually lasts).
Welp, I have the “Great Man Made Disasters” image ready to go. I have a feeling we’ll need it by Wednesday.
At least the 2020 schedule on that classic DG post, will be much shorter.
More room for a covid coronasphere thingy to be added to said image
A looming shut down doesn’t seem as tragic after that opening series.
On the positive tip, I like what we’ve seen this series from Bundy, Heaney, Canning, Andriese and Pena. Canning’s mistakes were few today, and 7 Ks in 4.2 IP shows the upside with that guy. Teheran and Sandoval should provide enough depth if Ohtani doesn’t work out, and it looks like Teheran should be back this time next week.
Damn, Trouty got angry.
He showed more fight after that punchout than the offense did this series (sans him and Fletcher, of course).
on the plus side, playing .250 ball, we’d have been something like 23-70.
Is that since the two weeks of last season after the passing of Tyler Skaggs? and then the other shoe dropped ( Pirates, Tigers, Royals, Orioles, Reds all kicked our butts after we were supposed to get fat off of them ).
This season has been a quick buttercup. Just gotta tip the cap, turn the page and look forward to a hopeful better series vs the M’s… with Rendon (and hopefully Simmons) in the lineup.
Dammit. I forgot to turn the page yesterday. Appreciate the reminder
Do you think this team was distracted by the Miami news?
Yeah, I get the impression that with Trout’s pending fatherhood this whole situation is weighing heavily. Which sucks cause he’s already had back to back tough years emotionally.
I agree completely
And to think I was so stoked to have a baseball season.
Snapped outta that real quick.
Is it just me or, on balls and strikes, does it seem like Trout gets the opposite of star treatment from umpires? He takes a ton of marginal pitches to just flat out balls that get called strikes, and I just can’t figure it out. Bonds was an asshole and you absolutely had to keyhole one to get a called strike. But with Trout, ump feel if he could have possibly made contact, it must have been a strike.
Yesterday before he hit the sac fly to deep center off Petit, he received a pitch that would’ve been strike three at the top edge of the zone (the entire baseball was within the edge). It wasn’t called a strike because the A’s catcher was set up down in the zone and had to reach up.
That being said, I do feel like Trout’s strike zone is largely unbiased. I wonder what the data says about it.
I can’t remember if it was last year or the year before, but Trout was either the leader or runner-up player who had the most in-strike zone pitches called balls. That stat was played during one of the broadcasts.
He takes a lot of pitches, he gets a lot of calls, and he gets jobbed on a lot of calls. Those are all correlated, because umpires are not perfect. And frankly, I’m not sure if “star” treatment exists in baseball.
I didn’t see today’s game but he got the benefit on AT LEAST 4 pitches vs the A’s in games 1-3.