Twas the day before the Trade Deadline, and throughout the Big A, an assortment of players, pondered their stay. Hug watch was on, that was for certain. As Crashing the Pearly Gates peeked behind the curtain.
Jason Castro was scratched. A catcher by trade. Did this mean something, or was it a facade? Rumors encircled the Angels clubhouse. Who would catch, if Bemboom was out? Stassi was still injured it seems. Only one left would be Ward I believe?
Then at 1:35 Pacific Standard Time, the trade was announced, by a certain Mr. Bowtie. Jason Castro was gone, to the Padres it seems. A catcher is something they need. Gerardo Reyes was who the Angels got in return. It wasn’t much but a pitcher was earned.
The Canning Man Can
Griffin Canning was without his catcher. The game must go on and he took that to heart. Which meant throwing strikeouts. The Angels needed pitching? Well he would give them pitching!
A walk in the first, but that was no trouble as he threw out the baserunner. Then a 1-2-3 inning. And another. And another. Through 4 with no issue. But with one out in the 5th, he gave up a hit. With the Angels bats cold he knew he couldn’t fold.
62 pitches through 6 innings. Fast and efficient was what Canning was doing. But with no support from the offense, he knew he had to be perfect. As he reached the 7th with the score still 0-0, he gave up a home run. 1-0 Seattle.
But he kept it to just one mistake and was rewarded with a tie game. With so few pitches thrown, Maddon sent him back out in the 8th. He got through it with some trouble, as Dee Gordon almost got a double.
Maddon’s trust in canning paid off for today. 8 innings of work, 1 run, 4 hits, 1 walk and 7 strikeouts. It was up to the offense to get him the win.
Offense?
The Angels were stumped by the Mariners starter Justin Dunn today. They got one hit and 4 walks off of him in 6 innings. This is a not good pitcher. On a day after the Angels scored 16. Typical.
The Angels did score thanks to a Pujols double that passed George Brett and a Simba single. But he was thrown out at second after Pujols scored. There were baserunners in the 8th but LOBsters were eaten. Canning will not get a win today.
With Ty Buttrey now the pitcher of record, Albert Pujols was up for the Angels in the 9th. He still hasn’t tied Willie Mays. But he did get a single to lead off the inning. So Jo Adell grounded into a double play in his stead. Bemboom got on and all the way to 3rd. But Simba couldn’t drive him in.
Extra Innings
José Quijada is who the Angels called upon to keep the Mariners at bay in the 10th. He couldn’t. Brian Goodwin didn’t help as he failed to charge a single in the outfield. Félix Peña was then called in to keep it at a 1 run deficit. The Angels best reliever stopped the bleeding and it ws up to the offense to do something.
Simba at 2nd and no outs. Luis Rengifo at the plate. Luis failed to get down a bunt and struck out. Shohei Ohtani was up next. Also struck out. Mariners walked Mike Trout to put two on for Anthony Rendon. Who popped up. Angels lost, 12-23 on the season.
David Fletcher on how long “he” thinks that he will be out “a coulpe of days”. TJ is scheduled for Thursday if platelet treatments don’t improve the situation.
I’ll take the blame. I forgot to remind them that they are allowed and encouraged to score.
I’m shocked, shocked to find the Angels losing a game!
On the serious side, nice to see Canning have a good outing. I know it’s the Mariners, but a good outing is still a good outing.
Another loss closer to a very high draft choice. Thanks Arte!
listened to the Seattle broadcast. Yes, we lost but I loved this line in the 10th (as closely as I can remember it). They’ll put Trout on, which makes sense, to face Rendon…choose your poison but at least Rendon isn’t as painful to say”
One thing is for sure, this team is much worse without Fletch. Renifblow is really awful. Get well soon Fletch!
Wasted Canning Quality Start
This is why I don’t find run differential as the tell all stat. This team is much worse than their differential.
Agree. The hallmark of really good teams is that they win a majority of their close games; those 2-1, 3-2, 6-5 games etc.,
Though we did win 3-2 Friday night, we have a losing record in those very important one run games.
A couple weeks ago Maddon was talking about “learning how to win.”
It is exactly games like today that he was talking about.
Historically, record in one-run games is basically luck.
Couldn’t disagree more, lol.
And I am sure Joe Maddon agrees with me.
My favorite comeback was against Seattle a few years back. Missed today’s game because the food bank had only 2 volunteers, one was GrammaBaseball and myself and one other. It takes 6 to run it. It seems the popular excuse by everyone is they were busy as this is the last weekend to spend with family. BS. So we could not get Simba home to tie the score with the fucking craziest rule ever. Just as well as the draft pick really in the long run is better than a win. l am absolutely aware of how difficult it is to root for us to lose, but as a fan since ’61 l know that a win is worthless compare to getting a top draft choice.
Goodwin lobster fest and failing to charge that blooper to left. Blame of the game or savior of the tank depending on your PoV
Woo… tank… yay…
Is there a way to petition to remove the extra runner? We shouldn’t be losing these games, a couple years ago we were super good at extra innings with worse players. Even without extra innings we were clutch, recall the comeback against the rangers in 2015. It’s incredible how this team went from clutch, come-from-behind winners to this.
It’s great. But seriously like 100% of the time killing our guys for who knows what reason.
I’m just super frustrated going from yesterday to this, of course it’s just the anger talking but we should at least see what we can get for Simmons as much as I hate to say it. Or anyone for that matter, of course, except Bundy and fletch.
Goodbye Trouty?
I had to check it to make sure but I didn’t say Trout because he has a full no trade clause.
I hate that silly rule, but the truth is both teams are playing by it. We can’t blame that rule for the losses when the blame falls squarely on the team for not being being able to move a stinking runner to third.
Insert Tank pic here
Get well soon David Superman Fletcher