Game one of the Trash Can Series featured starting pitchers Shohei Ohtani versus lefty Framber Valdez. The Opening Night Game Thread here got over 500 comments while a certain Angels blog didn’t even bother posting a game thread.
It sounded to me like Ippei Mizuhara and Drew Butera got the best ovations among non-players (other than Joe Maddon). What would we do without Ippei? The performance of the national anthem was competently performed by Tim Keppler. Then: the fly over. What can I say about that? Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson got their first pitches close enough to the strike zone to be caught. Cool!
Shohei Ohtani looked fantastic but threw a lot of pitches after an abbreviated Spring, striking out nine Astros and allowing a lone, undramatic run in 4.2. IP. But Framber Valdez was starting for the Houston Cheaters and shut out the Angels thru seven innings. Anthony Rendon missed a two-run HR by inches and then grounded into his second Double Play of the night. Max Stassi hit one to the warning track late but by then it was already 3-0 because no marine layer on a hot hot night saw balls that would normally die a foot short of the warning track sail over the wall. Just not for us.
Ah but in the bottom of the eighth, Brandon Marsh got Hit By a Pitch (on his knee and he hollered “oweee”) and David Fletcher slapped a high heater for a triple to score a speedy sore-kneed Marsh. Well… it would have been a single had Yordan Alvarez in Left played it well or even a fly out had Dusty Baker brought in a late glove. But it was the first run of the season for the Angels and the first RBI and then Ohtani was up with a man on third and Trout on deck and then… a long flyout. Ugh.
In the bottom of the ninth inning Trout got on base. Rendon flew out deep. Then Tyler Wade made his first Plate Appearance as an Angel. He had come in as a pinch runner for Matt Duffy. Wade wore Jersey 14. The first time a player has worn that jersey number since the 20th century and a hint it will not be getting retired for Mike Scioscia any time soon. Duffy wore jersey number 5, Sorry Albert, you are just a former single digit here these days.
Wade grounded into a game-ending double play and the Astros won their tenth consecutive season opener, the most by a team since like the 1800s.
(Rev Halofan wrote most of this after Charles split early)
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
Guys: Jo Adell in LF makes J-Up look like Kevin Kiermaier. This bodes ill.
Also: Jo – after some raking in ST – suddenly looked lost at the plate. Sometimes I watch him swing and miss (badly) and it looks like he’s not following the ball. Like he’s swatting at flies in a dark closet.
I’m sure he’ll be fine by tonight.
The DFA of Upton might have been a bit premature….
I am not so sure, lol.
My browser would not let me into the site last night. Something about a certificate being expired. But I was able to log in this morning. Look forward to the game thread tonight and a win.
What’s up with Ryan “crotch grabber” Tepera? After both home runs he immediately had to grab his junk. Easily one of the worst nervous tics I’ve seen.
That aside even his outs were solid contact shots. No crotch grabs on those though.
Yeah, he was throwing flat meatballs and the hitters were squaring them up. Horrendous.
You guys are doing great stuff here since the move from the-site-that-shall-not-be-named. Keep it up.
And we would of had even MORE comments if not for the glitch the kicked people out for about 30 minutes.
I was horrified when I couldn’t get on. Went over to (redacted) to just take a peek and I think the one of the last posts up was from the 1st spring training game.
We are so much better off!!! You all are the best.
I’m tempted to go there once a week and remind any old members about this new site.
Same as it ever was……
Valdez had it going for sure. Adell in the field is just crazy to me. It’s like he’s thinking instead of just reacting naturally/instinctively. Either way it looks awful and he’s gonna have to really produce at the plate to outweigh the blunders.
No way do we miss the former guy there, so get going Joe!
Trout felt most comfortable at the plate which is no surprise. I hope Adell and Walsh just don’t press. I have faith that Marsh will figure it out. Stassi and Fletcher will be fine. Rendon has good hands and overall mechanics. I just want to see him in a groove. He’s well past his Washington days, but I feel he’ll produce runs. Ohtani I have no doubt will get it done. Dude is a machine. Let him get his reps. Curious how far Detmers will go tomorrow. Let’s Go!
We may never win a game to be honest
Lefty starters
Angel farters
That is all
Something that never made sense to me even if I keep seeing this : all these righties in the lineup (both now and the past) and still problems with lefties?
If Ohtani, Trout and Rendon go 1-11 the team is unlikely to win – particularly against a good team like the Asssssstros
Despite the fact they are cheaters, the Astros are smart as well. They fear Trout and Ohtani, so will pitch those guys very carefully. If they walk them so be it. They know they can get Rendon out, or whoever follows, especially if it is not Walsh.
Like I said last week when I posted my desired lineup for Opening Day, I did not want Rendon batting in the middle of the order for the exact reason we saw. I wanted Duffy batting 3rd and Upton batting clean-up.
Alas, Perry cut Upton for some stupid reason. It puts more pressure on Adell and Marsh instead of freeing them mentally. Would have been better to start the season with Upton while batting Adell 6th or 7th (less pressure) then in May or June you could make the permanent switch if called for…
I would think it’s less pressure. If they have a few bad games they don’t have the worry that Maddon is gonna sit em for a vet.
But after watching last night where Jo overran the HR, tough catch but make-able, made one of the worst throws to home I’ve ever seen, looked terrible at the plate and had to last second correct to catch a routine fly ball, you may be right.
It all depends how one looks at it. With Upton gone and only three OF’s on the active roster they know they have to succeed. There is no “clear your head” for a day or two. While there is indeed opportunity there, there is also pressure.
Well, I had all of you in mind while watching the game, but I just wanted to luxuriate in opening game without game threading or other distraction. In the end, I wouldn’t exactly say it was luxurious, but, well, I’ve seen worse. Too many times.
Bullpen blowup sucked but even so holding the Astros to three runs I think is nothing to be embarrassed about. Adell’s fielding, well, that’s another story.
The infield defense was tight. Except for one pitcher we looked good on the mound. The lineup looked less than stellar, Duffy at the 4 hole was a weak choice. Both lefties Walsh and Marsh drove the ball but they were both caught. Mr. Ohtani drove two long outs tonight but Matty V did get us up and excited for a HR but alas it was an out. Rendone leads the team in GIDP’s with 2 and on pace for only 324 this season. All though he had one out although it just went foul. So we go down in front of a full house and large TV audience on TV and Radio and online sites had from the hundreds to thousands of post.
Maybe we did not win but we can pull out the series. Detmers goes tomorrow so let’s hope the line up looks stronger than today’s.
Adell looked lost and will look better tomorrow, maybe in RF. Put Capt. Jack at 2B and return with Stassi.
Fletch SS
Ohtani DH
Trout CF
Rendon 3B
Walsh 1B
Capt. Jack 2B
Stassi C
Adell RF
Marsh LF
Well that’s all folks see you in the morning.
Didn’t Duffy get half the hits?
Despite your best wishes GPBB, Captain Jack will not get you high tonight
BotG: toss-up between Rendon and Tepera.
Tepera
Adell could be in the convo … the vibe of the game changed after those bungled plays (4 of them?)
It’s a three way photo finish……
How do you include Rendon when he made two awesome plays abd just missed a clutch dinger?
GIDP and 0fer?
TWO GIDP.
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Adell and the shitty umpire are responsible for Ohtani’s loss.
Topped off with a Hat Trick
I give this loss 5 out 5 Bundy’s
Thank you for this hilarity.
Honestly, baseball is a game of failure and hitters having rough nights happens ALL THE TIME. Adell, though, makes my butt clinch anytime a ball is hit in his direction. That shouldn’t be, not at this level. Also, got a kick out of Gubi saying Adell has a GREAT throwing arm 3 seconds before he beefs one about 30 feet away from home plate.
That throw was like the 50 cent first pitch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN8WRNkrYLI
Oh Adell was trying to throw to home plate? I thought he was trying to get the runner at 1st, it wasn’t a bad throw to first.
It was a bad throw to either. Was half way between home and first. Maybe he was trying to get the runner out in the dugout?
Tonight was a nutshot
Shohei, via Ippei, just said “turn the page.” ページをめくる
Rendon lousy at the plate
Adell horrible all around
Bullpen blow up late in the game
A weak bat off the bench
Overusing relievers early in the season
Injured Patrick Sandoval
Yup same shit
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
I thought it was a Haiku.
Angels will get the w and sandoval will k another 9 tomorrow night. Not worried about it at all.
Sandy already got scratched. Pitches Tuesday now because he’s tired.
FFS. Not a good sign
Obsessively offensive
Adell is a liability in LF. That was really bad tonight.
Need a glove first reserve OF…..