Angels 7 Tigers 5
Fresh off getting decimated by a hot Oakland team, the Angels came back to the Big A with no momentum while the Tigers visited with all of it. The kitties came into the series having also whipped out the brooms against the Kansas City Royals and looked to continue their success against a team that had just had its back broken by three consecutive come-from-ahead losses.
Shohei Ohtani was not having any of it on Angels Reopening Night. After a wobbly first, he buckled down and made it look easy. Despite having thrown 25 pitches before recording his 3rd out, Ohtani ended up completing 6 innings with 1 run allowed (a Jonathan Schoop solo shot) on an incredibly efficient 78 pitches.
The Tigers managed to help him out by making some aggressive baserunning moves that wound up backfiring on them in a big way. Two of these situations heavily involved Michigan Left Fielder Akil Baddoo.
In the top of the second, Baddoo launched a ball to the wall and tried to head for third. A perfect relay would erase the threat.
Later, with the game 2-1 in the 7th, the Tigers had a runner on third with only 1 out. Tony Watson managed to turn this Akil Baddoo grounder into a headache for Detroit fans.
This was obviously going to be the story of a close match a young MVP candidate and Matt Manning’s excellent rookie debut until both teams decided to turn to their firemen. Or perhaps a better term would be “arsonists.”
If you blinked or showered or got a phone call anytime around the middle of the 7th inning, you might have missed the final score changing. 9 pitches after the top half of the inning changed, Taylor Ward did something he’d never done before.
Please hold your applause, because we still had to see Angel pitching that was not Ohtani for two more innings. This time, it was Mike Mayers who elected to be absolutely useless. 4 consecutive baserunners reached before he was pulled in favor of closer Raisel Iglesias. The damage was limited to an additional 2 runs, marking a substantial improvement over what we had experienced the last 3 games when feces were flung at the fan.
The Angels have now won 7 straight if you’re good at make-believe and can pretend the A’s don’t exist. They are a mere 5.5 games back plus the 3 they blew in grand, heart-breaking fashion. Tomorrow, an Alex Cobb who has had pretty poor results in his last couple starts will be on the mound against a Jose UreΓ±a who has been just as bad. Look forward to taking the over.
-Photo credit to Jeff Spigner
Taylor Ward might be turning into an everyday player. He doesn’t have a natural position so I don’t know where he would be best suited. But his versatility allows you to plug him in several different positions.
In all the years I have been with CTPG and HH, I don’t ever recall using an F- bomb but after watching last nights game and the loses in Oakland, I have to.
Fucking bullpen
Cursing masks painβ¦.itβs science.
Every now and then, it’s nice to be reWarded for our suffering.
LTBU.
Angels Win!
bullpen wrapup, June 15-17
Conbined Cishek (6/15), Watson (6/16) and Mayers (6/17)
1/3 of an inning, 9 hits, 4 walks, 11 runs. Combined ERA 297.00
Isn’t a 300.00 ERA the thing you look for in good pitching?
What about the WHIP, it good?
Thatβs a perfect game in bowlingβ¦..
Then, they are getting close. Go Joe!
the WHIP in those outings was a tidy 39.00
I’m asking for a friend in the Angels scouting department: so just like with ERA – the higher the number, the better……correct?
Always, everything counts in large amounts
Holy schneikes!! I can see why Joe has so much faith in them.
Wow, that is incredible.
I was at the game, and when Joe brought Watson in I could not watch.
That was the time for a restroom break.
I really wish we would DFA Watson. The guy is just terrible. Even his body language stinks when he is on the mound.
And there was NO excuse for totally ignoring Baddoo on 2nd when he represented the tying run!
Just idiotic!
Finally, who taught him how to handle a rundown? The first thing you do is run DIRECTLY at the runner to make him commit…
You want to minimize the number of throws! Also, he threw to the 3B, you want to make him run away from home plate not towards it!
Sickening.
What the hell is this? We demand the potgame.
Is it alright to start a rant on Maddon pulling starters early 3games in a row and really not having any good consequences or should I wait another month?(asking politely…)
I just did – below
Syncronized comment exactly at the same time .
Totally awesome. Great minds!
A win is a winβ¦..or is it? Wtf is Maddon thinking? After the last three games and the bullpen making a mockery of things, why would he pull Ohtani after 78 pitches? And, if heβs going to do it, where is CRod?!!
I really donβt know what to say. I mean Iβm really scratching my head. Do you think this is Joeβs way of trying to show Perry that he needs to get him better bullpen arms? Is he basically pulling a reverse Hattenberg to send a message?
What Iβm watching (effective pitchers being pulled after 69 and 78 pitches in favor of a taxed and mediocre bullpen) is truly beyond my comprehension. This has got to be message sending by Joe, doesnβt it?
Totally agree Fan. It made ZERO sense to pull Ohtani last night. It was a 2-1 game and Shohei was getting BETTER, not struggling. And his pitch count was low !!
And you are right in that IF you want to argue for pulling him then that you HAVE to go with a reliable BP arm; i.e.,C-Rod.
I do really wonder what the dynamics are behind the scenes. I think you may be on to something with your theory. Maybe Joe IS saying βyou want to set my agenda, okay here you goβ or something like that…
It is the only thing that makes sense.
The Angels bullpen reminds me of Davisβs broadcasting ability.
Tomorrow we shall return to being average. Also, Mike Trout likes sushi but hasn’t had any really wild Japanese food.
Hey Mike … Uh uh … I had a question but I forgot. Totally would be me with interviewing mike trout on tv.
One thing we lack are haha buttons and sad buttons. A haha for you and a sad for Mia’s injury comment.
> Tomorrow we shall return to being average
whoa whoa whoa, we returned in-game.
I think Cobb will do well and we’ll once again be at .500
Cobb will do well*
*except for inning no. _____
4
We were playing one of the worst teams in baseball. Today WAS average
Nothing is easy for this team. Nothing.
Getting injured is pretty easy for them, ngl.
Still gotta make us sweat π