Dylan Bundy got the start today against a rookie pitcher, causing everyone to fear the worst. Instead, Dylan Bundy looked like he did in 2020, when he was the ace of the staff. Quick, efficient, and dominant, this is the Bundy that the Angels expected and desperately needed. On the offensive side, speed was king, as the pressure on the bases caused many Rangers mistakes.
Recap
Return of King Bundy
The game started with a Fletcher walk. Two strikeouts later and Fletch was still at 1st. So he stole second. Not that it mattered as Gosselin grounded out. Bundy allowed 2 on with 1 out but did not allow a run. Scoreless after 1.
Angels get nothing in the second. But, neither do the Rangers. Still scoreless after 2.
In the third, the Angels scored thanks to Adam Eaton hitting a home run to lead off the inning! It was his first as an Angel.
Back to back singles and errors get another run across! Stassi with a sac fly got a 3rd run across. That was enough to chase the Rangers starter in the third inning! Bundy enjoyed the lead and shut don the Rangers. 3-0 Angels after 3.
The Angels went back to not scoring. Bundy did not allow the Rangers anything either. Still 3-0 after 4.
Besides a couple of walks, nothing for the Angels in the 5th. Bundy had some trouble but got through 5 without giving up a run. Still 3-0 Angels after 5.
Adell got a single, and Marsh bunted him over, or at least he tried to. The Rangers threw the ball away and now it was 2nd and 3rd no outs. Churches singled both in. 5-0 Angels! Bundy kept pitching and kept dealing. No runs for him through 6. 5-0 Angels.
The Angels did not manage a thing in the 7th. Bundy though, was having issue. An infield hit and a walk was too much for Maddon and he was pulled after 6 and a third.
8 Out Bullpen
Junior Guerra came in and got out of the jam. Still 5-0 Angels after 7.
The Angels offense went down quickly in the 8th. Jr pitched 2/3 of the 8th before being pulled for Cishek. He got the final out. Still 5-0 Angels after 8.
Despite Max Stassi extending his hit streak, the Angels failed to add on. Cihek was back out for the bottom of the 9th to close the game. He gave long flyouts for outs which foreshadowed trouble. After a single and an error, he was pulled for D-Cell.
It was not for a save, but saving a shutout with runners on the corners and 2 outs. He did his job. Angels win and get back over .500!
Upcoming
The Angels head to LA for 3, meaning no DH, all without Ohtani pitching. And still no Trout in sight. Please drink responsibly.
Getting Walsh back is going to be huge. Now come on Trout. Get us in this race and help build up some excitement. Let’s put C Rod, Sandoval, Detmers, Suarez (and maybe Canning) into some high pressure starts and get em hooked on a taste of it.
Good for Bundy. Shutting down that high powered Rangers offense! /s
Let’s see how he pitches next week against the Jays.
Pretty bummed no Ohtani for 3 games in LA….gonna be a bloodbath…RF maybe?..😬
Hate to say it, but I foresee a Dodgers sweep.
Ya never know, baseball is a crazy game. Anything could happen.
Walsh comes off IL tomorrow. I expect him to play
Dodgers are beatable. Why not…..Last 15 games 3.11 era, 6th in MLB, pitching has been consistently good. Out of our hitting slump (sorta-maybe) from last weekend, might have Walsh back. Not shocking if they over look us, 2 big games against the Asstros, 2 off days in the last 4, with a little luck, we take 2 of 3 from those bastards.
F the Doyers!
True.
But I would not put money on it.
Wrong answer.
Should be “but it usually doesn’t”
6 back. So you’re telling me there’s a chan… d’oh! The Dodgers are next! 😩
This is cool:
https://twitter.com/BallengeeGroup/status/1423384206479028225
Can she pitch?
Vintage Bundy, and some vintage baserunning skills today. Reminiscent of Chone Figgins going first to third ALL the dammed time and screwing up opposing pitchers’ heads. Love this stuff.
King Kong Bundy! Nice job today, do it against the Yankees big guy.
Vintage Bundy!
Sorry I missed it!
Who is joining me to travel to Dodger Stadium for the next series to sit off first base and “cheer” on old Albert?
Charles Bronson or anyone else with a ‘Deathwish’
Only one NorCal fan ever died in the parking lot after a beating. And it was an A’s fan. At Angel Stadium.
One Angel fan died – Brian Powers. Get the facts straight. He was likely drunk and fell down the stairs at that weird back staircase behind the Budweiser Pavilion. It’s quite a dangerous staircase when sober. Sure – it was a fight but again – the location was sketchy. Go back there some time – you’ll be surprised more people aren’t falling there especially given its close proximity to the Budweiser Pavilion.
Dude – don’t ever, I mean EVER compare Angel Stadium to Chavez Ravine. It’s not even a valid comparison – not even remotely comparable. People wear opposing gear to EVERY GAME in Anaheim and while get some people yelling, there is not the danger level that one would experience at the Ravine. I have even been threatened for wearing my son’s little league ballcap at Dodger Stadium (Rockies or something) – BY CHICKS. They were ready to kick my ass for nothing. It’s not even close. Let’s not have this conversation with your cherry-picked story about Brian Powers every time it comes up – you do it a lot. Stop it. And you’ve even twisted the story to be someone from up north, which is totally inaccurate.
FWIW, I wrote the “RIP Brian Powers” post at the old site (forgive me for linking to this dump, but alas – https://www.halosheaven.com/2009/4/8/827433/rip-brian-powers-angels-fan)
Thanks for setting this record straight DD.
Well done❗️
One issue. The “danger level that one would experience at the Ravine” versus attending a game at Anaheim Stadium…. I do feel unsafe at the
Big A, “WHEN THE DISGUSTING DODGER FANS INVADE IT”!!
And I’ll go one step further with your fear of “Dodger Chicks”, the CHILDREN of Doyer fans are even aggressive and obnoxious!! I wonder where they get it from?
Lol. Get yourself a F-Blue shirt!
Why does pointing out a fact somehow automatically make me a Dodger fan?
Check who his reply was to.
lol! Marcotor is the classic anti-Angels fan fan. We have some ridiculous people in our fanbase, but I love them all.
Yeah, I thought the Death Wish comment was funny but so appropriate. Dodger stadium is a dump, big cesspool. Gang element has set in. The same fans back in the 80/90 that ventured down the freeway and latched onto the Raiders and turned their games into a fight waiting to happen.
My family had Dodger season tickets through the glorious 70’s baseball era. Giants and Reds were huge rivalries. There were fights but nothing like today. Just listen to the shitty beat box and music they play between pitches and when the batter is being introduced. Joke. Scully even made a comment about it. The O’Malleys would have not let that happen to that park/franchise.
Just let your thinking evolve, then you’ll like it. If baseball teams don’t get with what’s cool then it will die fo sho. That’s why the Angels need to do an Angels Ass Implant night, see who can twerk the bases into their settings, then put a stripper pole on the mound for the 7th inning stretch…. it will be fire, no cap!
Agree about the change in culture. Dodger Stadium used to be a pleasant, family like atomosphere. Not any more.
BTW, do you have a link to Scully’s quote/s or perhaps you could paraphrase it ??
“Boy, the music is loud,” said Vin Scully with some apparent irritation as the Dodger broadcast came back from commercial tonight, before following with his usual geniality, “Let’s get back to this one.”
Ha ha. It must have really been bad since Vin rarely if ever complains about anything.
Sure, the O’Malley’s probably wouldn’t have allowed that. But they sure as shit did evict and tear down an entire Mexican-American community with people still in their houses to build a stupid stadium. So let’s not pretend the O’Malley’s were saints. Fuck the O’Malley’s and I hope they rot in hell.
Did I put the O’Malleys on a pedestal? I don’t think so and I don’t care where they sleep.
In the 60/70/80 when the bastard/asshole/satan O’malley owned the team, you would walk in and you could here their long standing employee, Helen Dell, playing the organ, just music, upbeat to fill the ambience and purposely to not become too noticeable. They Dodgers most egregious sounds were “charge” trying to incite the crowd.
Frank McCourt was the one who put in the new sound system and what is there today. Kasten and his 7 GMs, has doubled-down. When your boozed up, music can instigate madness.
After 3 games, not many tough chance, but Jo Cool looks more comfortable in the outfield….still early, positive improvement.
Starting a ‘rough draft’ apology letter to Matt Wise…..might.need to send it in September with some flowers, or candy.
I am celebrating a win.
First things first : celebrate the win ! A series win is a series win.
That said, before people get carried away with lauding Bundy and proclaiming his return etc we need to remember that he shutout one of the two or three worst hitting teams in all of baseball.
The Rangers have the second worst AVG (.224) of any team in MLB and the WORST OPS (.663) of any team.
Let’s see Bundy shutout the Blue Jays, the White Sox or the Astros before we proclaim his return…
Just sayin.’
I mean logically you are right
But..
I want to be happy before this team gets obliterated
I hear you….
And to that end, I did say we should celebrate the win.
I just don’t want anyone to think this means Bundy is a viable option as a SP and that we should resign him. It is nice that he had a good game but I still do not have the least desire to sign him and have him in the rotation next season…
I’m not against resigning him, I’m just against expecting much from him (and paying himi serious money). I think FS1971 has it exactly right on this–we have to trade some serious prospects for a potential ace with multiyear control if we want to contend next year (but we’re not that far). But, I think we need to add (or keep) a couple of middle-to-back of rotation veterans while relying on the young arms to fill 2 rotation spots, while leaving #1 and 2 spots to the mystery potential #1 and Ohtani (assuming 6 man rotation). If the price is right and Bundy shows that he still has something (even if not what he was in 2020), he and Cobb might be exactly the two veterans to retain–if they are cheap enough, of course.
Let’s say we keep Cobb. In theory that gives us a rotation next year of Ohtani, Sandoval, Cobb, Barria, and another arm that is potentially a FA. I would hope that FA arm is significantly better than Bundy. Let’s say we lose Cobb and add a number 3 type of starter…
Would you then rather have Bundy than Barria ? I wouldn’t.
Oh, Detmers is potentially in there as well… But I will need to see a few more starts of Detmers before I say he’s ready to be part of the rotation full-time next year…
He’s getting ready to go up against Buehler and the Dodgers. If he is going to have a serious collapse, that one should do it. (Meaning Detmers)
Behind counting on Detmers at all I agree with your logic. We do need to sign a good quality pitcher going forward and upgrade the relievers. Bundy won’t command much and he could go either way next year.
I certainly don’t disagree with you on this – I would hope that FA arm is significantly better than Bundy. But man they can’t seem to move past their one year dumpster dives for starting pitching.
I think you missed the Southbound Saurez and the CRod as well.
You’re right! How could I forget about Suarez and CRod? I imagine there will be an open competition (in fact it could be starting right now) in the Spring between Barria, CRod, Suarez with two spots available probably. One will lose out and maybe go into long relief.
My guess would be that Sandoval is a lock for a spot.
FS1971’s idea, which I fully endorse, is to trade the farm for Colorado’s Marquez or Baltimore’s Means. I support this since I don’t see a real front of rotation FA winding up with the Angels and, if one did, it will need be a significant overpay. But my view was that, even if we have a one-two of Ohtani and the trade acquisition, we’d still need the rest of the rotation. I don’t trust prospects to be ready enough to take up more than 2 rotation spots, more or less–it can be basically a mix-and-match situation, rather than 2 of the prospects emerging (and the rest not) to consistently take up 2 spots. We’ll probably go with a 6 man rotation again, so that leaves room for two more starters, who, as I figure would be a “stabilizer” and an “insurance.” If Cobb can pitch like he did this year, he can be the former (that’s a sizable if, though). If Bundy’s going to be available very cheaply, he’d be a good insurance piece, as I figure.
I would not “trade the farm” for Marquez.
Don’t get me wrong, I like him. But he is not the kind you “trade the farm” for. He of the 3.58 ERA.
Yes, I am aware that he pitches in Coors Field and that does need to be considered…BUT he is also facing NL lineups with pitchers…I think he’d be quite a bit worse in the AL.
In fact, I would not trade Adell straight up for Marquez. He would be a decent addition but at the right price only. I in fact think Sandoval will be better over the next 2-3 years…
So you’re resigned to resigning?
Looking at his splits, Bundy is a prime example of a pitcher who is substantially better the first time through the order as a starter. He’s not exactly good the 1st time through the order, but he definitely gets more Ks and fewer BBs the 1st time through and might actually be worthwhile as a long reliever.
Of course, what will likely happen is TB signs him over the off-season and he becomes an unstoppable 1-2 inning “opener.”
Dammit man, I say we sign him to three years right here and now!
3 in a row!! Let’s keep it rolling against the Doggers!!
Welcome back! See you tomorrow!
Four Touchdowns in one game!!!!!
Another enjoyable game!!
Bundy hurled a non cubic zirconia gem
55-54. Dream time….35-18 finish, 90 wins, see where that puts us.
Winning every single series. Tall order, but it is fun to dream.
We need to play more shitty teams.
Exactly. We beat up on the CYO teams and become a CYO team when playing a team with a winning record.
This season is meaningless. Get a great draft position, get the kids time against MLB pitching and hitters, and focus on getting Trout and Rendon healthy for next season
It’s progress. The past few years we were losing to the CYOs.
No. Play for a great draft position.
Looking back, the Angels having a shot at a wild card isn’t as outlandish as I thought it would be. Here’s their record by month.
April: 12-12
May: 12-18
June: 15-11
July: 13-11
August: 3-2
May was disastrous, with a brutal schedule of 30 games in 31 days thanks to a make-up double header against the Twins.
From June – August, however, the Angels have a .563 win percentage. If they can continue that rate, they finish at 84.8 wins. Let’s call that 85-77. That should put them just out of the wild card.
Also, they only have 4 games left against the Yankees, 3 against the As, and 0 against the Red Sox. That leaves the Angels dependent on the performance of their strongest wild card competitors without much control over their own fate.
I think the biggest problem the Angels have had can be squarely attributed to their poor performance against the A’s (4-12 with 3 left to play). If the Angels had split even with the A’s (8-8), the A’s’ record falls to 57-52 and the Angels’ would rise to 59-50, placing them in the current #2 wild card spot.
Yes, that’s it. You don’t even have to beat the A’s, just put a little extra into scouting your division rivals to help you break even with them and – ta-dah – you are a playoff contender.
If Trout were in the lineup I’d say there was a 15% chance. Without him, and with the schedule they will face, I think .650 ball is not happening.
Nice 3 game streak to follow up that lousy start. 1 gane over .500 and 6GB if a WC, this might be the peak of the season folks, so celebrate!
….or just the beginnings of a TOD?
W6G
SERIES WIN!
