The injured Angels dried off in Kansas City and the Royals welcomed them by gifting their 80’s rival a win. It was an ugly one, filled with throwing errors and great pitching.
Recap
Alex Cobb went 5 and 2/3 innings, allowing 4 hits and 3 runs (2 after he left). In his second start, Cobb looked great again, striking out 10 against 1 walks. His knuckle curve was nasty and the righty is looking to be the best acquisition by Perry thus far.
Scoring started in second as a 2 runs scored thanks to 2 throwing errors by the Royals’ defense, scoring Walsh and Upton. Angels scored again in the 3rd after an odd double play. Stassi scored, Fletcher was called out on the basepaths, all on an Ohtani ground ball to second.
Bad fielding was the name of the game, as another Angel run scored in the 5th on a misplay by the Royals shortstop. It was 4-0 Angels for a moment. Cobb was cruising until the 6th as he couldn’t get the third out and was yanked with 2 on and 1 already in. Steve Cisheck came in for Cobb and let both inherited runners score before getting the 3rd out. 4-3 Angels.
The Royals felt bad about making it close so they threw away the game again, getting batted around in the 7th. Ohtani hit the hardest ball all season for a double, and wild pitches gave the Angels a 7-3 lead.
Shohei Ohtani was not ready to stop for the day, as he hit a double to drive in Fletcher. Then, Matty V mentioned that the Angels hit a home run every game this season thus far, but none today. So Mike Trout had to hit one because those are the rules. 10-3 Angels.
Ben Rowen came in to end the game. He was called up to replace Barria. It was an easy 1-2-3 9th for him and it secured Cobb and the Angels the win.
Injured again
The cost of this gifted win was Stassi’s thumb and he was removed from the game. That is yet another player injured and knowing the Angels, he may as well go on the IL now.
Jack Mayfield made his Angel debut running for Pujols, as he was the one called up to replace Rendon. If Stassi is as hurt as we expect, maybe Bemboom gets called up, although I have no idea anymore at this point apparently.
With a 7-3 start, the 2021 Angels are tied for their best start in franchise history and stand alone at first place in the AL West. Angels face the Royals again tomorrow at 5:10 again. Bundy vs Duffy face off in KC.
I’ll admit that I was very low on Cobb, especially after Fangraphs rated our rotation lower after the trade happened. But man if he keeps pitching the way he has the past two starts, I’ll start writing an apology letter to Perry. This has been a pleasant surprise and I could only hope Cobb continues to shove. That splitter he threw to Salvy in the 6th was downright nasty. Now let’s never lose the lead in first and carry it for the rest of the season!
Just from the eyeball test, Cobb looked real good. His stuff was nasty, changing speeds, getting chase swings, etc. That’s really encouraging if a guy like him can eat innings and provide quality starts over 162.
Dare Mighty Things!
LIGHT UP THE HALO!!!
Just Another Halos Victory!!!
It’s just so pretty.
That is SOOOO sexy…
All that manliness on display tonight just got ya all hot n bothered, eh?
Our run differential sucks because of Quintana and Barria.
I’m sure Quintana will find his career averages, but I’m just about done with Barria. Maybe we can use him as a throw-in at the deadline.
I think if you throw him in a trade, you’ll actually get LESS value back from the other team. 😆
What if we throw him into a volcano?
Will that appease the baseball gods?
Cobb is looking like a fairly decent trade, at least so far.
Cobb and Bundy just know how to pitch. I’m liking the acquisitions even though I was hoping for a shinier penny.
MOAR BALTIMORE PITCHERS PLEASE
Cautiously hoping for a repeat of Kevin Appier (speaking of Royals) from 2002.
Seriously, how did Baltimore suck so bad with both Cobb and Bundy in their rotation? So far these dudes look legit. Maybe they just had (have?) terrible coaching and analytics over there at Camden Yards.
Now, I have a notion that, if we let go of Heaney, that’s exactly what’ll happen: he’s great half the time, terrible the other, and these average out to mediocre. If someone helps him figure things out, he could be really good.
Part of the problem with the Bards is a shitty team defense and a band box for a stadium. We have seemed to eliminate those issues ( except for the asinine yellow line)
We are the best team in the American league.
Celebrate the win!
I hope the rest of you guys are absorbing the manliness that this GIF is exuding….
Rough last 48 hours, but ending with all alone in first place!
FIRST PLACE BITCHESSSS
tastes DELICIOUS
That looks INCREDIBLY NSFW at first glance, haha.
Looks like it’s a cheap knockoff of The Human Centipede.
Didn’t take Ohtani as a tail chaser. Seems he’s more interested in baseball.
Matty V to Trout
Gifted early, seized late. Let’s get the series W tomorrow behind Bundy.
Definitely a gift, gift-wrapped early, refused mid game, but then handed Cobb the W as KC laid down and dropped the whole thing on a silver platter.
Little known fact – it’s Ohtani in the robot costume.
He’s sexy and he knows it.
LTBU!
7-3!!!
Tied for Best start in franchise history!
Love it!! Those look fun
Yes, but as we all know, we were 11-3 just 3 years ago so can’t get too optimistic at the moment…..
BUT FUN IS FUN!!!
Keep it rolling.
Hope Rojas catches up to ride the wave too!
Yep. Enjoy it, but don’t look ahead. We should focus on the current series and then the next. That’s it.
We got two more with KC and Duffy tonight is a lefty, and interestingly, we have not beaten a left-handed starter yet. They are tough on us.
Then we have the TWINS. Shoemaker pitches Friday, and I can easily see him pitching well in a revenge game (we gave up on him) and beating us.
He has been pitching very well this far. I do think there are several folks here who said he still had something in the tank, despite coming off injury.
So, the next few games won’t be easy.
I really hope Rojas breaks it out soon, too. It’s easy to root for him, local kid, masher at every level he’s played at… underdog that’s been overlooked everywhere he goes. I think he’s got the eye of Maddon though, and given the setback to Rendon now, Rojas has a couple weeks to fill in and 3B and really show if/what he can provide as a big leaguer.
7-3 START
And now no chance for 6-and-14.
159-3 would be an ok start to the season.
This. So much this.
actually 170-3 would be even better