All is not lost! Angels’ Offense Explodes in 3rd Inning of First 2023 Win

The Halos set out to show that game 1 was a fluke. Today the A’s were exactly what we thought they were and it was a beautiful sight to behold.

It started off as an intriguing matchup between Japanese import Shintaro Fujinami (making his MLB debut) and Team Mexico’s ace Patrick Sandoval.

The first two innings were rather uneventful for both sides, but then the Angels decided to show off the new-look offense in a big way. After a walk and a single, Logan decided to say “O’ Hoppe Day!” with a sharply hit two-bagger to the wall to drive in Rengifo for the first run.

Happy Days!

Taylor Ward and Shohei followed up with singles to drive in Urshela and O’Hoppe.

TayTay!

After a sac fly by Rendon, new backup first baseman Jake Lamb came through with a bouncer off the mound and into centerfield to score two more runs, making it 6-0 Halos.

With that, Fujinami’s day was quickly over and new pitcher Adam Oller (and his beard) came in to endure more punishment as the lineup turned over. Urshela decided that stealing a mermaid’s voice wasn’t enough for him; he wanted to steal A’s fans’ hearts with a 2 RBI single to make it 6-0.

Another RBI via a sac fly from O’Hoppe paved the way for Taylor Ward to open the floodgates with the first Halos homer of 2023 to close out the scoring for the inning and make it 11-0.

That would finally end the inning, which turned out to be one of the biggest scoring innings in team history. Sandoval wasn’t his normal dominant self with only 2 strikeouts, but 5 innings with only 2 hits and 1 run allowed due to a Ramon Laureano homer will get the job done any day.

Tucker Davidson came in and pitched 4 shutout innings in garbage time ending a solid pitching day for the team and a great follow-up to a disappointing Opening Day. A couple more RBI singles from Ohtani and Ward made it a 13-1 final score. We’re at .500! Let’s become a winning team tomorrow!

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tanana40
Super Member
Fansince1971
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  tanana40

Well that didn’t take long!

Cowboy26
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  tanana40

Yep but it’s awesome having so much depth

Fansince1971
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

I agree that having Gio is an excellent back up plan. In fact, I think I’d rather have him than Rendon.

Last edited 11 months ago by Fansince1971
Twebur
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Nice to have some depth….not ready to give up on Rendon.

Twebur
Legend
11 months ago

Mariners place Ray (flexor strain) on 15-day IL
https://www.mlb.com/news/robbie-ray-to-injured-list-flexor-strain

Twebur
Legend
11 months ago
Cowboy26
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

Yep both Kalish and Valdez got lit up but everyone else so far has pitched good . But the most impressive thing so far is Joe Adell who yesterday did something amazing . He ( wait fir it) took a base on balls in both games!

MarineLayer
Super Member
11 months ago

Rendon left the game in the 5th inning after bumping his knee. Nevin declined to say it wasn’t serious. I wonder if this is his first trip to the IL. I’m leaving aside his “legal” problem, which they’re also not commenting about.

Fansince1971
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  MarineLayer

Gio at 3rd is fine by me.

Jimmuscomp
Trusted Member
11 months ago
Reply to  MarineLayer

He looked hurt when he chased that ball to the tarp…

Stupid attempt.

Mia
Legend
Mia
11 months ago

Anyone else spending their Saturday night watching Kershaw carve up the D-Backs?

True artistry.

Fansince1971
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  Mia

NCAA basketball! Love college sports.

Mia
Legend
Mia
11 months ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Ever since my college days ended i’ve found it increasingly difficult to care about college sports.

But I used to love them too.

Twebur
Legend
11 months ago

Huzzah for Hezel…

blob:https://crashingthepearlygates.com/e9f6d442-102f-4690-8f52-d2caf1c11597Assistant pitching coach Bill Hezel brings high-tech background to Angels’ staff
ocregister.com

halofansince1978
Super Member
11 months ago

When the reliver came in we had a 10 run lead.

Exactly how do you get a save in that situation?

red floyd
Legend
11 months ago

Remember that 30-3 Rangers blowout? A save was recorded in that game, under the three inning rule.

Cowboy26
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  red floyd

We’ll it is a kind of save that saves the bullpen

Fansince1971
Legend
11 months ago

It’s bs but I think it’s bc he faced more than 10 batters.

halofansince1978
Super Member
11 months ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

You’re right…I call bS!!

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
11 months ago

The Angels have a 1.000 w% in games where Tucky D pitches. I’m just saying.

2002heaven
Trusted Member
11 months ago

comment image
Are they a good team? What’s their PECOTA rating?
 💪  💪  💪 

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  2002heaven

Why can’t I see your comment? Do I need to change a setting or something?

Oh, wait, it’s cause you’re a guy who loves his opinions but didn’t do an IIWPM so head actually have to put some meat behind the madness.

If a man has opinions but shares them without pulling on his big boy pants and publishing an IIWPM…. in the forest or anywhere else…. does it make a sound? Or post a comment?

Nope. All I see is Sad/Angry/Stupid repeated over and over in binary code…. just a big wussy smear….

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
11 months ago

I see you’re talking to Tootie but his comment isn’t showing on my feed for some reason.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
11 months ago

Do you see a blank space where the work “Wuss error. Nothing to see here.” is just repeated over and over in very faint ComicSans text? That’s it.

LanaBanana
Super Member
11 months ago

Ah hah. I wondered what that blank space was.

Cowboy26
Legend
11 months ago

Do you think Toots had a rally thong under those big boy pants

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  Cowboy26

I think he has a Blackberry he uses to log in as Guest.

Fansince1971
Legend
11 months ago

If the team scores 13, the bullpen doesn’t matter!

And with 13 runs today the Angels are averaging 7 per game which is exactly what Grandpa predicted the season average would be!

JackFrost
Super Member
11 months ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

As you said a day or two ago Fan, it is not the 7-3 games that are of concern; it is the 3-2 game or the 4-3 games or the 2-1 games. Those are the games where we will suffer excruciating losses. And guess what? There are a lot more of THOSE kinds of games over a full season than the kind of game we saw today…

Last edited 11 months ago by JackFrost
matthiasstephan
Super Member
11 months ago
Reply to  JackFrost

We will see. I hope we have more 7-3 games than 2-1. The offense looks potent, and with plenty of depth to allow Nevin to play the hot hand in the IF (at least).

Twebur
Legend
11 months ago

San Diego State In the Final! buzzer beater.

BruinsAngelsKings
Trusted Member
11 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

UConn is going to destroy SDSU.

FungoAle
Super Member
11 months ago

They said that about Alabama but UConn will be a clear favorite

matthiasstephan
Super Member
11 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

That was wild. Feel for FAU, and they were up by a lot too.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
11 months ago

“It was just one good inning. Other than that we wasted Ohtani and Trout for another game. Did I tell you I have concerns about short and the blowpen (hee hee he did you see what I did there?). So, obviously, if we don’t manage an eleven run inning every game then Nevin will use TepraLoup because Arte is cheap. If I were Ohtani I would march strait into Arte’s office and, if it’s empty, give it a huge lump of my mind!”

comment image

Twebur
Legend
11 months ago

I don’t think it’s too early……Logan O’Hoppe might have Wally Hipp’ed Max Stassi. 

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  Twebur

I know, he looks very good… both sides of the ball.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
11 months ago

The third inning was magical.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
11 months ago

I knew it.
We’re doomed.
Doomed
Doomed
Doom
Doom
Donkey
Doomed

TUCKY DEEEEE!

and Sandoval.

MikeHuggins
Member
11 months ago

comment image

MikeHuggins
Member
11 months ago
Reply to  MikeHuggins

(I know he’s a Ranger now…)

MikeHuggins
Member
11 months ago

Thanks! I did not know that.

matthiasstephan
Super Member
11 months ago

Kind of wish we would pick him up on a minor league deal – and maybe let him compete for Philips back up role. If only for nostalgia and team chemistry with Trouty (but there is no sentiment in baseball). I am afraid, however, that he doesn’t have enough left in the tank.

Kole still has the better bat, but Phillips is only there for defense, right?

MikeHuggins
Member
11 months ago

I admit I am a little sentimental and would like to hear the stadium PA announcer call out his name again when he plays (not that that should be a good reason for anything).

John Henry Weitzel
Editor
Super Member
11 months ago
Reply to  MikeHuggins

comment image

RexFregosi
Super Member
11 months ago

The incredible O’s start lasted 1.99 games – ow

John Henry Weitzel
Editor
Super Member
11 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

Oof

max
Trusted Member
max
11 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

wut?

LanaBanana
Super Member
11 months ago

I wasn’t able to watch the game – I was at a Little League game – was the Rendon thing discussed on TV or radio?

RexFregosi
Super Member
11 months ago
Reply to  LanaBanana

Minimally – team can’t comment

red floyd
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  LanaBanana

I got the blitz for ya.

LanaBanana
Super Member
11 months ago
Reply to  red floyd

Thx

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  red floyd

And well done too. 😀 

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  LanaBanana

They booed Rendon even though he looks like a Latino Poet War God.

angelsown3417
Trusted Member
11 months ago

Great write up! What a big first win and a boost to our R/D!

Mia
Legend
Mia
11 months ago

So after Ward’s homer the team put a straw hat on his head, the hat had a Warriors logo on it. Joe Lacob owns the Warriors, he was putting a bid together on the Angels before Arte decided to not sell.

Coincidence? Or a slight dig at Arte from the players?

Last edited 11 months ago by Mia
tanana40
Super Member
11 months ago
Reply to  Mia

Maybe they are buying a hat from each city they visit and that is replacing the cowboy hat? That was my initial thought.

Mia
Legend
Mia
11 months ago
Reply to  tanana40

If they wear a Seahawks hat in Seattle we can confirm that.

Cowboy26
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  Mia

How about a Mickey Mouse hat at the Big A?

RexFregosi
Super Member
11 months ago
Reply to  Mia

They say no to Ballmer and Clippers

Mia
Legend
Mia
11 months ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

Was it ever confirmed who the finalist was?

Also, could be a message of who the players wanted.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  Mia

I think they were trying to telegraph to the fans what their favorite early 80s cult film is.

red floyd
Legend
11 months ago

To be fair, the Halos did “come out and plaaaaaayyyy” today.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
11 months ago
Reply to  Mia

Or they found it on a vendors cart in a tunnel