Angels 7 Blue Jays 1
We’re just over a week into the 2021 Major League Baseball season, and coming into tonight, it has seemed like following these Angels has been akin to riding an exhilarating, but bumpy, rollercoaster. That next smooth stretch of relaxation will be welcome.
The Angels got that solid game Friday night. While the opener, David Phelps, set down the Angels in the first without scoring, the Halos feasted on bulk man T. J. Zeuch. At first, it was a bit of fortune. Dribblers from Jared Walsh and Max Stassi respectively had expected batting averages of .190 and .150, yet both reached. Dexter Fowler earned a walk, and Bo Bichette bobbled David Fletcher’s grounder, enabling a run to cross. Fowler was injured on the scary-looking play, but the team later reported he left the game with a left knee contusion.
With the bases still loaded, Shohei Ohtani flipped one out to right—only his strength carried the baseball halfway up the wall:
Shohei Ohtani was fooled into nearly hitting a grand slam pic.twitter.com/XnyIghObpU
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 9, 2021
The game was put to bed when Ohtani and Jared Walsh went deep two batters apart in the fifth.
You can always tell Shohei Ohtani got one when he hops out of the box pic.twitter.com/ODLtCrRt7M
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 10, 2021
Hi I’m Jared Walsh, and I hit dingers💣💥#WeBelieve I @Angels pic.twitter.com/9FpoQOL2XC
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) April 10, 2021
Meanwhile, Andrew Heaney cruised his way to 6 shutout innings with 9 Ks and 3 hits allowed on 93 pitches. This was prime Heaney tonight.
Shohei Ohtani finished the night with a double, homer, and 4 RBIs. Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and Jared Walsh all had a pair of hits, and Justin Upton? Well, he just missed the golden sombrero, striking out 3 times.
Alex Claudio and Chris Rodriguez blew the shutout in the 8th. Claudio left the game with runners on 2nd and 3rd and a wild pitch by Rodriguez put the Jays on the board. Rodriguez finished off the 8th AND 9th, putting this game to bed for the Angels.
By the way, look for Chris Rodriguez to make Pitching Ninja’s feed with this bit of nastiness:
Fun fact: David Fletcher is good at baseball.
David Fletcher made that look easy pic.twitter.com/5RZK9VMDdO
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 10, 2021
Let’s get Quintana back to Spring Training form and keep it rolling. Bank wins while we’re hot.
New server 10/10 would game thread again
The new servers got 11!
http://gph.is/1q6lwE3
This is what you were going for.
Heaney and The Pen won this game for us. Heaney’s next assignment will not duplicate this one as he will get a ND.
It is nice to see this team perform at it’s best.
It was nice to have a non-nailbiting win.
LIGHT UP THE HALO!!!!
Just Another Halos Victory!!!
There are 3 teams that have won 6 games so far. Us, the Doyers, and the Asterisks.
We would have to lose 12 in a row to be 6-14.
If we play .500 ball the rest of the way we’d finish 83-79.
Speaking of 79, when we won the division for the 1st time, we got off to a great start. This feels like that.
I find it ironic that on the star studded 1982 team we started off the season going 14-6 only to blow up on the way to the World Series, while the team that started 6-14 and was picked by No one were the Champions of baseball.
So I’m not sure I want to start making comparisons to great Angel teams of the past quite yet.
Agree. No comparisons please.
Everyone just calm down. We’re tied with the Asterisks for first on April 10th.
We haven’t even played 10 games yet . We need to see how this rotation shakes out after each guy has had at least four or five starts.
That said, the offense is looking like it could be pretty scary and intimidating to opposing pitchers, especially if J-Up gets it going.
And, at least for now, bullpen seems vastly improved.
So far, so good. But we’ll have to see.
No proclamations on our offense please!
Saying the offense could be “scary” is not the same as predicting a division win or a Pennant for the team while we’re in early April.
You need to learn how to discriminate.
Ok I’ll rephrase this.
It appears our early grit level is high
Proclamations are proclamations.
plural noun: proclamations
a public or official announcement, especially one dealing with a matter of great importance.
Glad you can quote the dictionary. I wasn’t using proclamations in a general sense.
Major, General, Lieutenant? It’s all the same
You’re saying it’s to early to say anything with confidence. Besides Tame’s, we are going to win some and lose some games. Its also like saying we are going to swing and throw. I actually thought Tame was being made fun of when I 1st started hearing this. Like duh… dumbass, of course we will win some and lose some. But apparently being Captain Obvious is Genius. I like the “It’s Early” saying but being able to call shit out on people later in the season in just to good to let go. I love people eating crow towards the end of the season. It’s like our HH/CtPG pastime.
You’re an idiot.
I predicted the Angels would win 90 games.I didn’t see anybody on this sight predict more than me!
Yeah, I did say the A’s win the division. And that is still a possibility. Of course I hope I am wrong about that.
I just feel it foolish to start calling “World Series” in the first week and a half of the season.
BTW, why are you so aggressive and pathetic?
Idiot… Stop making Proclamations. It’s Pathetic.
“World Series, here we come” is said about a Thousand times before ST starts. You’re tone dead.
Enough on the dumb name calling. I just pointed out that you’re making proclamations after you said we shouldn’t. You were the one that got butthurt. Reread what I wrote in a calm sarcastic tone and you will realize I not being aggressive.
“I love calling people out” is an aggressive attitude. So is saying “Ha, Ha.” It is childish, and yes, pathetic. It is especially pathetic when the person you think you’re calling out isn’t actually wrong.
As far as saying “World Series Here We Come,” in April just because alot of people do it doesn’t make it any less stupid and ill advised. It shows a total lack of understanding for how difficult it is to get to the WS and how many things need to go right for a team for it to happen.
Good to know you are calling most of the people here stupid. WS were we come!
“I love calling people out” is an aggressive attitude.
I love taking a shit. It doesn’t mean I’m aggressive about it. I love sitting down after a Long day. I’m sure not aggressively sitting my ass down.
Keep up the name calling Mr. Aggressive. It suits you.
Jack, I think you need to Frost…
Defending oneself is not the same as starting an argument. The person defending himself/herself is not aggressive, the person who started with the personal attacks IS.
Now time to shut up. Idiot..
Idoit, you started it. I called you out. You got butthurt. STFU Idoit.
In the name calling game. Please use another word so I can repeat it back at you. Calling you an Idiot is like calling water wet. It’s redundant. It’s a given.
Don’t make me call Mama
After last night the REDS of all teams have now won 6 games.
It would be funny if Cincinnati beat out the Dodgers in the NL.
Ha. I’m not holding my breath. But it would be cool if the Reds (a legacy franchise) were within a game or two of a playoff spot going into September. It would be even cooler if they made the playoffs.
And Cincy’s doing all this without their primary closer from last year. Although everyone knows Reds don’t like churches
Honestly, don’t sleep on the Reds. Tyler Mahle is looking like he may step up this year. Castillo is an ace. Lorenzen is nasty and may start some. They get Sonny Gray back this week and their pen is pretty much all quality if not big name arms. Their line up of mostly third basemen can be a masher too. I honestly don’t see them as any weaker than the Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals. They are just known for having lost Bauer so everyone assumes they are done.
My gut tells me the injury to Fowler is more serious than we are being told. I have no basis for that except what I saw.
Unfortunately, while this injury conspiracy drama plays out, the team will be one man short since Fossiler ain’t going on the IL any time soon.
What makes you say that?
https://twitter.com/JeffFletcherOCR/status/1380710175401775106
https://twitter.com/FabianArdaya/status/1380714860946726912
Dead leg sensation is usually not good. But maybe I’m wrong.
Stay healthy guys stay Healthy….this team is soooo different. Does Rojas get Fowler’s PT if DL is needed? Hes looked kinda outmatched a bit ala Adell…
I say bring up Ward or use Lagares. I’m partial to Legares.
Agreed. Maybe Ward breaks out like Walsh this time!!
I’m more of a chest man myself
Well, using Lagares is an easy fix, but if there is a DL stint we could bring up Ward (or Schebler?) or another bullpen arm (if it is only 10 days and Rojas could play 4th OF in a pinch).
So we seem to be together enough to ruin the day for some very good teams. Upton needs to ride some pine for a few days. Heaney, Walsh, Fletcher, Ohtani-san and the Fat Kid all in a pretty good groove here. OK, so I’m a little premature on Heaney, but I’m thinking positive.
I know you’ve seen Uptons numbers, but have you seen Fletchers numbers?
I don’t think we should bench Fletch either.
Got a lot more faith in Fletch than Upton. One player on the way up, one on the fringes of his career.
Upton has always been streaky. We have been complaining about it for years. I don’t think benching him a week into the season will improve the bat.
Agree. Upton is actually taking good approaches at the plate in all of his AB’s. He is not swinging out of the zone and is hitting the ball hard on occasion, and even going the other way now and then.
I haven’t looked at his BABIP but would guess that he’s been a bit unlucky. I could see things turning soon.
Yeah. Just by the Lyle Spencer test he looks a lot better than when he was hurt (of course) and last year when he looked rusty and pensive. Hell, he is even taking better routs in the OF right now. My guess is he was actually able to run and practice this past off season.
I don’t think anyone’s getting benched after game 8. What would be the point of that? “Sorry, after 8 games we’ve seen enough, time to stop trying…” They will be a lot better team if Upton hits, and after basically two scrapped seasons because of turf toe and then no ST in 2020 I imagine they will get him in front of a pitcher as much as possible this month. I’m fairly certain the Angels have visions of what a 100 OPS+ Walsh and Upton add to our line up dancing in their heads right now and they’ll likely chase that for a little while.
The Padres are no-hitting the Rangers through 8
Watching! There are a lot of Padres fans in Texas!
What a great call from their broadcasters! 1st one ever in SD history
It is the FIRST no hitter in Padres history.
Only took 8,300+ games but well done. And the Pads got Musgrove for Jack so what a deal for them. Not sure if it makes sense to pitch a complete game in the second week of April but what the heck.
Congrats to Joe Musgrove with the Padres first no hitter in team history! Was hoping the Angels would have traded for him in the offseason.
Was thinking the same thing; we could have had him.
Nah, the Padres gave up some pretty good prospects for him…. we didn’t have the horses to trade. I was happily surprised at the return the Pirates got.
Great headline for a great game!
If I were home i’d find a gif, but a loud LTBU will have to do, what a great game!
I got Mia
LTBU!!!
Only downside to me is Upton. 0-5 and batting under .200. It’s covered when everyone else is going but he left 7 runners on base tonight. He’s back to looking awful. Bring in Legares.
Celebrate the win!
So manly…
C-Rod
Idk if he’s earned being called Superman yet, but I like the potential more than C-Rod.
C-Rod is his Clark Kent side.
He seems to be starting to show off his chest.
I think a lot of our problems the last few years were due to a lack of Rodriguii.
What’s gonna be real sick is next year after they stretch him out to start games.
Awesome write up and win! Great to get a Heaney good outing, Claudio and CRod shutting it down! Ohtani and Walsh highlights embedded are awesome
Let’s keep it going!!
Seizurebot!!
Man, this GIF’s a classic. Prime HH. Filthy in its own right.
good times
Love me the dancing robot. Now all we need to do is bring back Panther of the game.