Bullpen days are such a divisive idea. The thought is that multiple times through the order favors hitters, therefore, using a bullpen day allows for each pitcher to face 3-9 batters and make it difficult for the opponent to score. However, the downside is that it allows for more variables to go wrong, as every pitcher needs to do their job that day and more dice rolls means more likely someone will mess it all up.
So the Angels, with that in mind, did a bullpen day today. And it did not work. Sure it did last time. But this time, oh wow did it not. Everyone has to be on in a bullpen game and it only took the 3rd pitcher to have someone who gave up multiple runs in an inning. OW. Jake Eder in the 3rd inning turned a 1-1 tie into a 5-1 hole just like that. Almost like this is not a smart idea…
Jake Eder was the bulk guy, I guess, as he faced the most hitters today. His line is not good even if he did eat a lot of innings. He went 6 innings giving up 5 runs on 7 hits striking out 7 and walking 5.
Wait, was this a backwards game? 3 pitchers total but one goes 1, another goes 1, and the last one goes 6. Huh. Still, not a good outing, but not as bad as it could have been. Somehow.
Highlighted Recap
Burke was the “starter” for the game, well the opener in this case. And he allowed a home run in the 1st.
Mike Trout had his 999th career RBI with a solo shot in the 3rd.
That did not last, as Jake Eder gave up a hit to Lindor, who was 0-31. Oh and also the lead.
And then gave up a 3 run blast as well.
And Eder has another inning. And another run given up to Lindor.
In the 7th the Angels cut into their deficit by a groundout fielder’s choice by Rengifo.
And a double by Chris Taylor brought in another.
The Angels had a chance in the 8th, but the ump said no and Rengifo struck out.
Angels do nothing else, and lose again.
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Mookie Betts at .238 / .309 (370 at bats & 38 walks)
Mike Trout at .237 / .359 (270 at bats & 50 walks)
How the mighty have fallen. Though I think Trout and probably Betts will improve upon their current numbers if relatively healthy.
Expanding further for 2025 season
Mookie (32-y/o, 12 yrs MLB): 11 HR, 45 RBI, 46 Ks, WAR 2.2
Trout (33-y/o, 15 yrs MLB): 18 HR, 45 RBI, 92 Ks, WAR 0.9
Anyone want to talk a flyer on a former top prospect:
That k rate would fit right in
68% strike out rate. Is that good?
Despite an injury riddled squad and a team of no names and cast offs The Astros are now 60-42 and officially have the best record in the AL. They are doing it all on vibes, pitching and knowing how to win. Organizational culture is everything.
That all certainly helps but they’re winning because of their talent.
That’s a team of no names and cast offs? Or do you just not know many teams’ players?
Yes. They swept the D Backs with these dudes ( Altuve rest day)
T. Trammell
CF-LF
V. Caratini
1B
C. Walker
DH
Y. Diaz
C
B. Matthews
2B
M. Dubon
SS-3B
C. Hummel
LF
C. Smith
RF
C. McCormick
RF-CF
S. Whitcomb
3B
Z. Short
SS
They lost Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman this offseason while Yordan Alvarez has played in just 29 games. Yet They are 60-42. They are a well oiled machine of elite pitching and winning gritty mojo.
A few have turned into many, now most are now on the sell-sell-sell market. Hmm, I guess there are not many now disagreeing with that Old GPB guy. Now we have to be crossed fingered about Arte agreeing with the majority of Halo fans.
Selling means bringing in hope and lowering the payroll. Throw enough sh-t against the wall, the more sticks. Trading for infield yuts along with C and Ofer’s, oh wait, anything may help.
Jansen, soler, and anderson would be the people I’d move. You still need a quality team for the run to the playoffs.
“the run to the playoffs” You are kidding right? Playoffs! You wanta talk Playoffs!
But no one is selling playoff tickets yet.
I know which way I’m leaning now.
Rut roh.
That’s mean to buy.
It’s the anti-Cramer rule. Works great the majority of time.
I still remember him apologizing for recommending META when it tanked to the $80s. That was/is the low that’s likely never to be revisited.
LOL
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player paid 70 million the next 2 years and not a word about an injury or return date.
For any 2 year period
Sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell sell
Watching the Dodgers game and their bullpen is imploding once again.
Trading Kenley to them should be a layup.
Kenley will come in at about the 4th or 5th best closer to hit the trade market. We might have to wait for those guys to come off the board. But agree, layup.
Exactly. all it takes is a call from the Twins and Kenley’s out of the running.
Send ’em Jansen and Moncada for Max Muncy, and call it a day.
(There’s a team option on Muncy for 2026.)
Slight overpay on the sim, but the sim is probably undervaluing Jansen at the moment.
I think the sim is undervaluing pitching in general right now. Tyler Anderson also has a negative value last I checked.
Ty Anderson would likely post improved results on a team with better defense and a more consistent offensive attack, i.e., a true playoff contender. He could eat up innings and give some front line guys some time off over the next two months.
The smart teams try to get their starters a bit more rest as they’re prepping for the Post Season.
I think we could pry a league average starter with a couple of years control from somebody.
meanwhile, Astros sweep Snake at Chase 🙁
snakebite in 2025
Are you saying we can’t catch the Astros? But what if they all get cholera and we retain the explosive production of Taylor Ward?
If all the Astros get Cholera, they’ll have quite a bit of explosive production themselves
here’s a solution to the Astros – we sign Framer on Thanksgiving for the rest of the decade.
Do it Arte.
Will it be what Angel Reese considers a layup?
Clutch hit by Freddie with bases loaded, 2 outs, down by 1.
What is a ‘clutch hit’?
Mookie went though. Game should have been over.
HOF gets break on close call.
Team is straight up lost.
Bullpen games require 6 or more guys to all have a good day on the same day.
It just doesn’t happen. At least one dude will have a bad day.
Wow just saw a clip of the three bad calls on Rengifo. That certainly is something.
aka “criminal negligence”
Somewhere, someone made a killing ($$$$$) in the bets on what will happen during that Rengifo at-bat.
geez, talk about holding a grudge! I saw a post about Max Stassi on facebook and I just had to comment “swung at ball four when a walk would have won the game”
49–53, good for 12th out of 15 in the AL.
5 games back in the WC with 60 games left.
It would be a shame not to sell.
Give me all the yutes
Prepare yourself for the possibility where we rip off these next 7 in a row and Arte off 8 tequila shots orders Perry to go all in
oh I’m sure we will win 7 in a row.
followed by getting swept by the Sox and Rays.
Dude, if arte does 8 shots and then yells “WE’RE ALL IRRNNN!” then I’m all for it. especially if he whips off a cowboy hat and flings it across the room.
This is exactly what will happen….. The 7 game winning streak precedes the 10 game losing streak beginning in August.
The Buttercups will be in full bloom.
The 97%+ chance that the team misses WC3 increasingly reflects the mathematical reality that there’s no way that the 6-7 teams they’re competing with for it can all fail at once so that the team can overtake all of them.
There are just too many occasions remaining for the WC contenders to play each other head to head, so there will inevitably be a few winners among them.
Setting aside the fact that the team would have to play far, far better than they have to date with largely the same roster. But even a greatly refreshed roster would barely help, because the hole is too deep, and a few of the contending teams are going to keep pace regardless.
But I bet it’s plenty tough to explain basic combinatorics to an owner who doesn’t want to hear it. “Don’t tell me the math, tell me the team is going to win!”
Any team with a starting rotation that includes Silent C, Hendricks and “BP Day” is not a playoff viable contender. While Hendricks has exceeded his sidewalk scum expectations, let’s be real.
math: if we finish 35-25 (which we won’t but I’m picking numbers that would be good) we’d win 84 for the season and that’s not enough. That 60 games left is the killer. Just not enough time for us. We really would have to finish 40-20 to have a shot.
Yes, if the Halos go 35-25 then Boston only has to go .500 to tie for that 3rd WC. Sell plz
Well, if the Philly series gave the team and fans hope, this Mets series sent everyone crashing back to Earth.
Do it Perry! No delusions!
The plate umpire in today’s game should be suspended ten days effective immediately for the calls on Rengifo in the 8th. Gross incompetence at best. Of course, with the union, if they even send him a strong letter it will be a stretch.
Erich Bacchus.
criminal negligence
Rosenthal suggested the Angels could trade Soriano, Detmers, and Adell. I think he means they have value.
So we could contend in 2029? I don’t think that’ll happen
I think it will be a soft sell strategy, where Perry will just get rid of expiring contracts.
Although I think he should, I would be surprised if Perry trades Ward. And to a lesser extent, Kikuchi.
I said this at the beginning of the year. We pretty much just start over every year.
One of these years we’re going to guess correctly when they’ll be competitive and make an actual playoff run.
Because it has to happen.
We’ve been doing this since the HH days, and yet… the streak looks to continue.
Angels should listen to offers on everyone. No player should be off limits.
We needed at least one from that series. Seattle is going to be a lot better than what the Mets gave us. If we lose the series to them this wknd and fall like 7-6 games behind the WC, some hard decisions are going to be made who we trade away before the 31st.
All we need is some GMs that want our guys…..
Some=Seattle and Atlanta
This team is a veritable abyss of limpid and supplicant gestures towards the brilliant torch held aloft by Lady Victory! How these callow and tepid men of poor character and frothy vehemence even lift their heads half aloft to great the day bottles the mime! Oh the timid and bemused cowardice of these curs and wretches! Led into battle by the Achilles rivaling hubris of their daft and slothful manager! A thousand pustules of prurient and painful plexiglass upon all these cowering seraphs!
Was that enough dramatic fire for all the real mans of baseballs? This team is not very good still. The Mets are pretty good. We lost.
Well put.
Very good… really fun.
With today’s sweep, the Angels playoff odds have fallen below 3%.
I truly wonder if Minasian is still considering buying or holding pat.
Whatever his overlord tells him to do. He’s jut an intern
Yup. I too wish he was like all those GMs and POBOEIEIOs out there that we can both list off that tell their owner to go fk himself and do what they want at the deadline, or even better, they don’t even discuss the deadline with the execs above them. They just flex all on their own because NOT interns.
Who were those guys again? We should get one of them.
I think Minasian is truly considering what Arte tells him to do.
Perry and Arte: “we have the other 29 teams exactly where we want them….overconfident.”
Also, I’d prefer to see Trout reach 400 homers at home – preferable in a win – versus on the road in a dismal loss.
Jo Adell has also cooled off a bit. The game of adjustments to adjustments continues.
At this point, I’d prefer to see it with him as a Phillie.