When Jimmy Herget was announced as the spot starter for a tummyaching Noah Syndergaard, all the experts on Angels Twitter assured us it would be a one-inning appearance before Jaime Barria took the bulk of the innings. we never saw Barria tonight.
Herget instead pitched three, his longest career appearance ever. He gave up one run in the first inning but by then the Angels had two, courtesy of a HR by Taylor Ward on the second pitch of the game and, two outs later, a solo bomb by Shohei Ohtani.
The Halo offense was solid and the defense dazzled but 3 IP from Herget, 2 IP from Austin Warren and then one each by Archie Bradley, Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera created a game where the home team did not have a baserunner between the first and seventh innings.
Mike Mayers stunk up the ninth inning so they had to bring in Raisel Iglesias with two on and one out. He got a strike out but walked the next batter to load the bases. The tying run was at the plate on a night that had just been all Angels and cloud drizzles. A flyout gave him the save and the Angels a 5-1 win in the first of four games in Bad Bad Leroy Brown’s part of town.
Some other highlights: defensive gems by Rendon and Trout, two doubles by a returning David Fletcher, Ward just a triple shy of the cycle two games after being a single short of the Big C back at the Big A. Lots to chew on here, the team is hitting on all cylinders not named Mike Mayers, even Brandon Marsh striking out four times is kind of a big shrug when the halo is lit and shining on a wet rain-soaked night like this!
Started out 13-3.
Finished 80-82
That was then, this is now. Not necessarily going to be the same.
True…..
I did pick them to go 81-81 along with John H W.
They’re hitting well right now. Still don’t field well either, except for Trout, Marsh, and Walsh however.
Look, I am not one to overreact based on 2-3 weeks of games. I tend to look at the big perspective. And I know that alot can happen over the course of a long season. For example, I don’t expect Houston to be playing as poorly as they have the last two weeks for the rest of the year. I definitely think they will be back strong and will challenge for this division.
That said, I like how we stack up against them. The main thing is going to be health. If we can avoid injuries (especially to key players like Shohei, Mike, Thor, Sandy, Iggy) then I like our chances.
This year’s bullpen is light years better than 2018. I mean, our “closer” was Blake Parker!
Well, if we lose 5 pitchers and several starting positions players for the year before July (again), then sure – the season is doomed.
To be honest, after losing Ohtani (pitching), Richards, Rivera, Simmons, Cozart, Wood, Middleton, Calhoun, Jewell, Cowart to significant IL time (if not for the season, as with a number of them), I am still amazed we almost finished .500 that year.
Last season I didn’t want to read about them, the last week I can’t find enough to read!
Two takeaways from last night –
1. This team seems to have grit and chemistry- two intangibles that are not included in statistics but which make all the difference.
A late scratch of Syndegaard did not derail them. A bullpen game did not derail them. They fought and scratched their way to an improbable win.
2. Rendon is back.
It will be nice if Buttrey can regain form so we can stop using Mayers for anything besides mop up work.
Should remove Mayers asap from the MLB roster, agree. Buttrey would be the good news story or one of the kids from the 2021 Draft if he is not ready. Would like to see more heat from someone beyond Tepera and Rasiel.
Probably Wantz that heads back to AAA (unless we want to keep the shuttle option open). Maybe Mayers is on the block when Quijada is healthy? Or Canning?
Remember he’s still out there and Fletch can go back to 2B where he belongs.
Is this your grandson?
No
This is his slash line this year. .137 .241 .235 If we want him, we can pick him up from the waiver wire when the Cards cut him loose. Guy is done!
(We have about 10 IF better than DeJong right now, including Wade, Duffy, Fletcher, Velasquez, Mayfield, Rojas, Rengifo, Davis, Stafanic, and Keon Wong).
Last night on the 11pm new just prior to another car crash at 10 mph was a story about how MLB has banned Trevor Bauer from Baseball for 2 years. As I have posted before that I am not a Bauer fan, don’t want him on my team and certainly do not condone what he was accused of, I take issue with his banning,
Bauer was accused of horrible crimes against women. But he was never arrested or convicted. Was put on administration leave, meaning no play, but with pay. Why? So “MLB could do their own investigation into the accusations.” The LA County, LAPD, LA Prosecutor along with MLB found no wrongdoing on Bauer’s part. No arrest. No prosecution. Just self-admitted Kinky sex affectionato.
So, a couple of women hire a famous layer to get a big payday off a big-time paid athlete and they got zilch, and now I can assume they are back to gainful employment doing what they do best. So where again is the crime?
Bauer was way weird before the Dodgers signed him, now they and MLB don’t want him around. Is that not the good thing about Free Agency, that if someone is a creep you don’t have to have them on your team? He is owed money for 2 more years and now he is not because he was accused of a crime and now he is tossed aside and he can’t bring shame to the MLB offices, to the LA Doyers, and to no organized Baseball League.
I hope in life that does not happen to you or me or our children or anyone ever again. But it will. With no wrong doing no one should be tossed aside for unproven accusations.
What if you were accused of theft at your place of employment and you were innocent and had happen to you what Baer has had happen, or what if you had a murder rap slung your way? You see it has nothing to do with what the accusation is that gets you suspended, it has to do with how a business still should have the burdens of proof against you as the legal system.
This mess is going to go to court and cost MLB and it’s officers along with the Dodgers a whole lot of money I think.
The MLB Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assualt, and Child Abuse Policy doesn’t require a conviction or even a prosecutor to take up a case to be applicable.
The accusations include things that fall under the wording of both the domestic violence and sexual assault categories. If MLB has meted out this punishment, they obviously believe they have sufficient evidence to support those claims. I think this punishment contradicts your statement that MLB found no wrongdoing.
(As an aside, the LA prosecutor not taking up the case also doesn’t suggest no wrongdoing, only that they thought a specific case (in California) would be difficult to make. It is not a declaration of innocence.)
It would then be on Bauer to prove or explain away otherwise. I am not sure how much he has to stand on – given even what he has admitted in public after certain of the court battles.
In any case, I will say that I think it is hardly as cut and dry as you seem to imply – and I doubt that it will be easy to sue MLB, it’s officers, and the Dodgers for as much as you imply.
But I am sure we will continue to hear from Bauer (if we care to or not).
Copy and paste about appeals process:
Am I interpreting this correctly that the burden of proof lies with the MLB? If so, doesn’t that seem difficult? I don’t see how the MLB is going to get this to stick, especially at the current length.
Yes, it is still on the MLB. But, I hardly think they would have given such a penalty without good reason (knowing this policy).
Also, the most recent woman coming forward says (fwiw) that she has video proof that substantiate the allegations that neither Bauer or MLB has seen (yet) and which she is willing to provide.
The preliminary reports of that third accuser match the other allegations quite closely – which I am sure is going to be a factor (pattern of behavior).
Also, much of Bauer’s defense seems to be suggesting that his accusers are out for a payday – which won’t help with this process (the accuser’s do not gain financially from Bauer being sanctioned by the league).
Three accusers with no proof. First two sex workers. A third an ex-girlfriend of 6 years just now coming forward. Could have been easy to find by MLB investigators and bribed.
Just because this is the MLB umbrella that has attorney’s that are well paid doesn’t not make them right in what they interrupt as right.
I will pay attention to all of this soap opera. I believe this is more, much more about the money than principle claimed.
Agree. I certainly don’t want to or intend to defend Bauer, but MLB definitely has an agenda that goes beyond right vs wrong or condemning what is morally abhorrent.
Just to be clear – you are more prepared to believe that MLB investigators bribed people (as in the league used actual money, and committed crimes) to suggest Bauer deserved punishment rather than believe these women?
Also, why would their profession have any impact on the findings or their allegations?
And again, what ‘money’ are you referring to? MLB? Dodgers? The women don’t seem to in line for anything.
It seems that the suggestion is that MLB is throwing the Dodgers a bone so they can avoid paying out on that huge contract. $60 million is what it is, I think…
I guess – but it seems a bit of a stretch for 29 other owners (or even Manfred) to go out of their way to help the Dodgers save some money (which they seem to have no problem finding anyway).
We’ve known for quite some time that MLB favors certain franchises that are the legacy teams; that would include the Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers. You could also argue that the Cardinals and Cubs are in that group, but the favoritism there has not been as evident.
Oh, it’s quite easy to sue MLB, its officers, and the Doyers… Winning? Now that’s another matter.
Well played. Well played indeed. 🙂
Completely agree, proven guilty in court is different than MLB saying you broke the rules of your contract.
From reports I’ve read nobody on the dodgers wants to play with him anyway. Kind of hard to be part of the team and do your work if nobody wants you there. After all, he did admit to beating her, even if she asked him to, still not right.
“Beating” was not admitted to. “Struck her” was what an accuser claimed. There is going to be a lot of garbage released, written and spoken testimony with little to no physical evidence provided. No 911 calls, no police interaction, no hospital reports. I just think he is being railroaded, and that big business can do this to anyone, and this should not be ignored and accepted as normal.
Admittedly I don’t condone his behavior if it is proved that he hurt women without consent. But when 100’s of millions of dollars are at stake I see the motivations being different than presented.
Its now more than a couple. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/04/third-woman-brings-forth-assault-allegations-against-trevor-bauer.html
And the bad pictures of her with bad bruises on her face?
if someone like that worked at my place of business I’d cut him loose immediately, whether or not he was convicted of a crime.
greetings fellow fans, welcome to the era of accountability. I will be here to remind all of the game that is, that one can’t on one hand ban gamblers and on the other promote gambling, that one can’t o the one hand decry sexual deviancy and on the other promote it. cheers weak hearts. let’s tango,
I. mean are they serious blasting hustler tv ads on the mlb net work, promoting gambling to the massive extent they are ! and at the same time acting as a morally superior enterprise!? disgusting is what we call it.
and while this is obviously a late to the party announcement , who else finds it flabbergasting that mlb and the millionaire players association never once brought to the table to lower the cost of tickets food and beer for US! the fans that ultimately pay for their extravagance!a!
greetings all ye baseball fans,
does anyone else find it ironic that as I am watching the mlb network announce a two year suspension. of trevor bauer that literally in he next commercial set is a hustler TV. advertisement ? ? not to mention all the full on gambling promotion that they promote. can we please just acknowledge the massive amount of hypocracy that is occuring.? ? !
There’s a difference between fracturing a woman’s skull and a little soft core Hustler TV lol
wow, congratulations, so one is worse than the other so therefore the other is ok? Is it not likely that promoting pornography ,might lead to the very outcome that bauer (while never convicted of an actual crime) is accused?
No, don’t put words in my mouth
I just don’t think one has anything to do with the other
you are ok with hustler tv adds and the constant ticker tape of betting odds on mlb’s network?
Sorry to butt in but I think there is a valid difference that Mia is asserting.
While soft porn TV ads and gambling websites may offend some folks on a morality/judgment/religious basis, others might reasonably argue that porn and gambling are acceptable within a society. What side of the debate you are on can depend on one’s religious viewpoints, upbringing, age, schooling etc. However, the fact remains that a civilized society can operate with porn and gambling.
There is no such honest debate relating to violence against women or, really, against anyone. It’s not acceptable in a civilized society. It is a crime.
As a result, while you might want to draw moral connections between these three things (porn, gambling, domestic violence) based on your personal belief system, there is in fact no hypocrisy in MLB taking a zero tolerance to domestic violence stance and, at the same time, allow advertisements for porn and gambling.
I wonder how much of the ads you are seeing are based on specific decisions being made by MLB, Hustler, or the oddsmakers, and how much relies on the algorithm driving specific ads to your browser.
Perhaps using incognito mode might change what you are seeing?
Most are ok with it it.
-110
I’ll take the OVER
So far so good. Velasquez is batting terribly but his defense is .7 dWAR. I hope his bat gets better. Halos could also add pitching down the road. Future for this season is looking super bright. LG!
I always mentally keep track of their record in 5-4 chunks. That would be a 90 win season (amazing how much mediocrity that is and how teams that win in the range of 85-92 wins are really just a bit above what we may consider a bad team that wins just 78ish games, that’s just a difference of +/-7 games over a 162 game season) right now at 14-7 they would need to go 1-5 to be on a pace for just 90 wins.
They most likely will go 1-5 a couple times this year at least but it’ll be OK as long as they can avoid being a team that goes 2-4 all the time.
If we can win more games than we lose we should be alright.
Goin’ way out on a limb here, but here goes:
All they need to do is try and outscore the other team – in RUNS – every night. If they can do that for 6-7 games out of every ten, I see them making the playoffs.
Furthermore – and I’ve done an in-depth analysis: strong pitching, hitting, fielding and speed will get them there. You’re welcome!
Wait…. that means we should probably hit the ball…. whiilllle….we try to Not let the other team hit the ball? Yes?
All I know is what I learned from our resident sage…
We will win some games.
Halos kickin’ ass! Beating teams they should. Been awhile. Keep it up!!
We’re the first team in all of the majors with 100 runs scored.
First time in FOUR YEARS the Angels have been 7 games over .500 which is unbelievable. Let that sink in.
Nice to see Fletcher with 2-hits. If he can reinvigorate his game, adds a nice dimension.
Couple of more steals tonight, nice to see the team press the attack. Players in motion, keep the pitchers on edge.
I’ve never seen Jesus Christ, but sure Taylor Ward looks like a messiah who can save the world.
Wait, Jesus is in Left.
And who’s on first?
Jared.
J names are great.
Jared the Beloved
He went to Jared.
Yes.
I mean the fellows name!
Who!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9w9EiLTZ_A
Ok guys, that’s enough blasphemy for one night 👍🏻.
I ain’t Christian, so it ain’t blasphemous to me.
White Sox are not that good at all. If Angels can sweep that would be 9 straight wins..
If I’m not mistaken, youmade that ridiculous and racist Adell comment last night. If so, go away.
100%. Good call. I had to look it up. C’mon Cuda, keep it clean
A troll from Harris’s HH.
Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeep it rollin’ Halos!!!