They might as well have fired up the old 7th inning stretch song during this homestand. Fresh off a 5 game winning streak, the Angels faced their two division foes from Texas at home this week and came away with exactly two wins.
That’s not to say all was bad. There were some really nice contributions at the plate.
Big innings are proving costly for the Angels. Losing due to defensive lapses at this level is unacceptable. Yes some guys are playing in new spots, but our third baseman isn’t and his throws need to improve.
I’d expect the defense to solidify with Walsh at first base. His range and soft hands turn errant throws into outs at a decent rate. Walsh begins a rehab assignment tonight in Sacramento and a decision on his return will be made after the weekend.
Side note, I spent many an evening at the ballpark in Sacramento. If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend it. Nice park, the food options were great, and the delta breeze usually makes for a really pleasant experience.
There’s a lot of injury news and updated for the Angels. Interesting that Chad Wallach is on the concussion list but the Angels never said he suffered a concussion, just a sore neck. Max Stassi is listed as returning in May, which could be big for this team.
The Athletic took a look at the Angels lack of catching depth. Personally I think any team that loses their 1,2, and 4 catchers would look thin at the position.
Fortunately, Matt Thaiss has been crushing the ball as of late. The kid was drafted for his advanced bat and was immediately met with endless swing changes by the crack Angels development team. Perry replaced most of those coaches and now Thaiss is hitting well again. Coincidence?
Mike Trout might be human, or turning into one, after all.
Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani is at least half deity.
Amidst all the chaos of the season, Perry bought another lottery ticket in the form of Reyes Moronta.
The biggest news out of the AL West this week was the A’s changing sites for their Las Vegas playground. I had some good times at the Tropicana but it is pretty archaic so a ballpark right next to the fight capital of Vegas sounds good to me.
In the meantime, the A’s are absolutely terrible. How do the players and coaches approach each day in a year like this? That’s a better read than my link would indicate.
Good and bad news out of the Twin Cities. On the bad front, Tyler Mahle is joining a few Angels in the Tommy John room. On the plus side, Joey Gallo is bashing again thanks to a new approach.
Talk about tough. Kyle Farmer will return to the Twins after getting hit in the face with a fastball. He required 35 stitches, 4 root canals, and wires to put his teeth back in place.
I wonder why guys don’t wear a mouthpiece while batting. The one I use for sparring isn’t the most comfortable, but it is a lot more comfortable than losing teeth. It has a little storage case that easily fits in a pocket. I’d probably wear one if I faced guys throwing 95 MPH.
Stop me if this sounds familiar: a Yankee fan reached over the wall and pulled a live ball over the fence for a home run and the umps allowed it.
Last week’s festivities at the Big A were great. I’m loving sharing tee ball with my son. Going to keep linking the fun side of baseball: kids. My friend Victor nailed it here, and the song is perfect.
Enjoy your weekend and please link anything I missed. Let’s hope for a decent road trip.
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