Red Sox defense stifles Angels in Halo loss

Red Sox 5, Angels 4

Let’s get this out of the way: aggressiveness is not inherently bad. Taking extra bases, especially the one at home plate, creates a risk-reward assessment that either culminates in a great success or a heavy failure. Given this site’s penchant for chanting about “LOBsters,” there is never any guarantee that leaving a runner on third, even with zero or one outs, will result in a later hitter cashing him in.

That being said, one might argue that the Angels should be taking it easy on the basepaths against perhaps the league’s best defensive outfield.

Max Stassi was thrown out trying to extend, well, a double into a double. That looked like a double all the way. I don’t know if Stassi was jogging it or anything, but I would doubt it. This is just a really good play by Kiké Hernández.

José Rojas also fell victim to a throw earlier. It was another aggressive send, but a perfect throw cut him down.

Hernández also robbed a home run.

It was a rough night for the Angels and their attempt to play the fundamentals correctly, as José Suarez walked four batters in three innings en route to getting lifted extremely early due to a rising pitch count. The pitching would go on to walk seven hitters.

Suarez allowed two runs, one on a solo shot, and Dylan Bundy relieved him, allowing a two-run homer in the process.

The frustration seemed to compound due to multiple factors. The Angels couldn’t get anyone out after two Red Sox hitters had been retired, the pitching worked slowly, pushing the run time of the game up, the aforementioned Boston defense was incredibly annoying, and possibly most egregiously of all, the game always seemed within reach. By the time Rojas corked a solo shot into the night sky, it was just a two-run game.

David Fletcher added a defensive gem and stretched his hitting streak to nineteen.

In the ninth, the Angels scored once and brought Ohtani up to the plate with two outs and two on, but Ohtani lined out into the shift on a batted ball with an expected batting average of .910 to end the game.

Title Image from Red Sox Twitter

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2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago

comment image
He’s pretty good at his job apparently!
Even if Arte, Soth, Albert, and Soth cult loyalists don’t agree 💪  💪  👈 

Last edited 3 years ago by 2002heaven
FungoAle
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  2002heaven

In what way?

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  FungoAle

Sporting a solid ‘do.

JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago

Glad you acknowledged what really happened on the Stassi play. There you really need to credit the Sox defense (and you did). 90 % of the time that ball is a double. If it is off the wall (particularly in the alleys) all runners other than Pujols are standing at 2B. But they made a great throw. Not much else to say there.

Last edited 3 years ago by JackFrost
red floyd
Legend
3 years ago

Our team pitching philosophy needs to change.

The entire staff suffers from “Can’t-Get-Third-Out-Itis”. They get two quick outs and then all of a sudden start nibbling, instead of keeping on doing what they did for the first two outs. This is a staff issue, it’s not just one pitcher, so it seems that it would be something for the coaching staff to address.

Twebur
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  red floyd

Seems like the organization is absent a pitching philosophy. We can’t blame Wise for that or other past deficiencies. That lands on Moreno / front office.

Wise, with no coaching experience, is now in charge of what has become a young starting staff. And certainly will see a heavy turn over for 2022. He better be good, no less than average. They’d be Wise to get several high end, low maintenance, veteran stud pitchers for 2022.

SScott
Super Member
3 years ago

Hate the loss, but you have to give Boston the respect for making the plays, their defense is outstanding. All in all though, they went toe to toe with the best team in the AL with opportunities to come away with the win. Our boys are taking the next two!

Angels2020Champs
Legend
3 years ago

Should’ve had more runs but Bahstan prevented them. They also had a lot of LOBsters so it could’ve been worse.

Fun game. Atmosphere was pretty docile which was okay. Better than previous series against Red Sux. Didn’t see that Ohtani got moved up in pitching to tmw. Guess that make sense (why pitch on a hitter day game when the ball flies more and if he walks batters has to be strained more in the heat.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend

That would have been a win against Baltimore or Detroit. The team was in position to win right up until the last out, I guess that’s still a step in the right direction.

The mid-season rule change regarding the use of substances to improve pitchers grip remains a major story. Bundy was borderline before the rule change, he’s downright terrible since. If spin rates were a key metric used to sign pitching in the off-season, there’s a lot of buyers remorse now.

steelgolf
Legend
3 years ago

No team has more remorse than the Yankees. 😂

JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Makes one wonder; how much did super Cole rely on goop for his greatness?

I believe the spin rate on his fastball has gone way down…

steelgolf
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

I would say the immediate results would lead to him using the Spider-Tac, or something. He started the season as a beast again, only to become pedestrian once the checks were put into place, and Yankee fans are not happy about it. What they should really be angry about is the Hamiltonesque level of signing Giancarlo Stanton. A player the team did not need and was already shown to be injury prone.

JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Agree. The Stanton signing was really a “splurging” at the time..

Cole was at the time the top starter in the game and nobody knew a thing about Spider Tack.

Jim Atkins
Super Member
3 years ago

This team played well tonight. Unfortunately, they ran into a really good defensive machine and got shot down a few times. I hate losing to the Chowds, but Halos have very little to be ashamed of tonight.

Fansince1971
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Jim Atkins

I agree. They fought hard. Can we all agree going forward to not test those outfield arms with our slowest players?

Fansince1971
Legend
3 years ago

Angels Aggressiveness Axes Achievements And Angers Admirers

Twebur
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

“Sicario Suarez Shits Sheets….Short Start Showcases Significant Suckage”

WallyChuckChili
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Twebur

Bundy sucked even more in less innings

steelgolf
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Twebur

Suarez was getting jobbed by the ump. And the Sux hitters knew it, so we’re very patient.

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Wait what? I was at the game. Pitches that appeared to go against suarez live were clearly balls – checked against the Tv’s as I was sitting 200 level. When the ump blew a call – he’d quickly return the favor. Terrible zone but bad and inconsistent calls for both sides.

steelgolf
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  DowningDude

I was in 106 and got a call from my brother in law, who was watching and he said balls being called strikes for Boston were being called balls for Suarez. granted. I wasn’t watching the TV feed, just the game from my vantage point, which only shows me the height of the pitch.

2002heaven
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  DowningDude

The Boshitz are still in this team’s heads after 40 yrs whether it’s Gene Mauch, Soth or Maddy. Curse of Dave Henderson won’t die.
Gitcho will tell us negative jaded skeptics to Go F**k Ourselves again like at Halo’s Heaven in 2019. 😫 

JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  DowningDude

Yep. A couple bad calls went against Perez as well…

Twebur
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

updated

Slightly Squeezed, Sicario Suarez Still Shits Sheets….Short Start Showcases Significant Suckage”

VictoriousVIC
Trusted Member
3 years ago

Just stopping by to say fuck the Red Sox and fuck Adam Ottavino (July). That is all.

FungoAle
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

What a tool. Ottavino must have been an abused kid where his peers put post-its on his back saying “kick-me.”

Christianhanson
Trusted Member
3 years ago
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

Thank you Adam! You just woke up the beast, I fully expect Shohei to dominate tomorrow.

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

Unless his interpreter was on the field with him, Ohtani didn’t know about this until the Twitter post.

I feel a bad moon rising.

Cowboy26
Legend
3 years ago

There is a strong likely hood that Ohtani knows the terms “Happy Birthday” and “Bitch” . Not sure Ippei was needed for this one.

SScott
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

What a dick.

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

If true, that’s up there with Kinsler’s infamous “get the fûçk off the field” comment, staple to modern day ass-hattery.

Last edited 3 years ago by DowningDude
Cowboy26
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  DowningDude

Ha! We sure got Rat Boy back good after that comment by trading for him and making him play for us.

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

Can’t believe we have actually EMPLOYED both Hamilton and Kinsler. Where is the steaming hot shower to wash off this stink?

Cowboy26
Legend
3 years ago

Great write up H.T. once again the game summary illuminates our deficiencies.

My game summary, though, would be “Angels’ Base Running and Angels’ defense stifles Angels in Halo Loss.

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

Summary could’ve added “Angels starting pitcher stifles Angels”

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  H.T. Ennis

Wall to wall people was pretty damn stifling. Fun crowd though. I had a blast. Now @ 3-1 on the season.

JackFrost
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  DowningDude

Ha ha. You keep your record like me!!!

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

My son was in a pissy mood. He’s banned until further notice.

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  JackFrost

Oh and I go much further than just keeping a record. Yetijuice wise sage poster from the old blog days inspired me with his tracking games attended that I started my own spreadsheet. It goes back to 2007. Won/loss – seats I sat in … price paid per ticket … I also include in my “total outlay” the funds gained from the game when I won $2k on the big screen trivia. 😀 Sorry, just a bit nerdy with my game-tracking.

Last edited 3 years ago by DowningDude
DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  DowningDude
WallyChuckChili
Legend
3 years ago

RoHas 3-4 a HR, 2 RBIs and Maddon will probably sit him tomorrow

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago

trAdition

Chap24
Trusted Member
3 years ago

Oh and this team better remember the Cheat Sox puffing their chest like they did to end the game. Smoke em tmmrw dammit!

eyespy
Super Member
3 years ago
Reply to  Chap24

Shohei on the mound after a bad outing, and a missed opportunity, dangeresque fo sho.

DowningDude
Legend
3 years ago
Reply to  Chap24

That second baseman needed a foot to his head

Chap24
Trusted Member
3 years ago

Good game boys..love the fight. Hopefully Rojas can stay hot. Keep Ward on the pine. We got who we wanted up to win it. Frustrated but can’t complain.

LA_Seitz
Trusted Member
3 years ago

They said on ESPN that Suarez threw 25 pitches with two strikes. That’s just boring. No wonder people hate the Red Sox and their games always take four hours.

anewfoundthrice
Trusted Member
3 years ago

Fun watch. Cant really complain that we competed against a very good red Sox team without a red hot j up, heating up rendon, or just a regular michael Nelson trout. We got em tomorrow

FungoAle
Legend
3 years ago

Let’s do it.

Christianhanson
Trusted Member
3 years ago

Very winnable game. Tough loss. Like the way they competed. Bullpen kept them in the game and gave Ohtani a chance. Should have taken 3-1 in my opinion but it was still a great game. Can’t be too upset about the result when you walk 7 guys, make an error, and get thrown out twice on the basepaths.

WallyChuckChili
Legend
3 years ago

comment image

admkir
Trusted Member
3 years ago

This is good for any appearance by Bundy