Angels get season swept by Cleveland

I hate Cleveland. Nothing personal, mostly pettiness. Mostly. This team name though is the worst. Gaurdians. They could have been the Spiders! Come on! Imagine Spider-Man promo days! They even have the correct color scheme. But NooOooo… They are named after some bridge statues. Worse, and this is on me, Gaurdians is an annoying word to spell. I cannot remember if the a or the U comes first and have to double check. It wouldn’t be too bad but Cleveland is also an annoying word to spell and you see my frustration.

Oh yeah. The game. It was on. And it was hot. Not just the game time temp but the SP. I’ll love it if this team gets sold this offseason. The future potential is so good, that you know it will be ruined by Arte. Like today, G-Rod went 5 and 2/3 innings giving up 1 run on 7 hits striking out 4 and walking 1. Lots of strikes. Could have had that QS. Almost.

Maybe too many strikes, given all the hits allowed

Highlighted Recap

Defense first as in the first a gidp kept Cleveland off the board.

More of that Moore

More defense, this time the bad kind, by Cleveland, as they threw the ball away, giving the Angels the lead.

I’ll take it

In the 2nd, more gifts, as the Angels score on a hbp with the bases loaded.

2-0 Angels

A sac fly brings in another run and the Angels have a good lead early. Again.

3-0 Angels

Maybe Cleveland is having bad luck given that football season is almost here, as they drill their own player with a hit ball in the 3rd.

You sure this isn’t the Browns?

Or maybe Charlie Brown, as Cleveland ‘s sp was not having a good day, even getting a pitch clock violation.

Charlie Browniest

Alas, a shutout was not meant to be as after. Failed diving attempt and a groundout, a sac fly makes it 3-1 Angels in the 5th.

Almost got him /s

Angels got one out shy of a QS from G-Rod, meaning the bullpen had to get 10 outs. Things were going well, but would have been better if they had more of a cushion. Because the Angels failed to add on at all after the 2nd inning.

Angels would have really liked that cushion as they gave up a run in the 8th.

3-2 Angels

And after not doing anything in the bottom of the 8th, it was a 3-2 game for the top of the 9th with Watson coming in to close. He blew it. 3 straight hits tie the game up.

Angels bullpen is actual trash

And a sac fly means the Angels are now losing 4-3

This is getting old

Somehow, that was all that Watson allowed, and it was up to this offense, WHO HAD ONLY 2 HITS TODAY, to tie the game back up. Yeah, not happening. Angels lose again. Get swept by Cleveland again. Have been absolutely terrible against them this decade.

Upcoming

No game tomorrow. 3 vs the Phillies. Fun fact, the Phillies are the team that the Angels have the best winning percentage against. 16-9 all time. Gonna be the Rockies after this weekend…

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Biggiswrth
Trusted Member
6 minutes ago

Did I miss something, why didn’t Joyce close the game today?

Angelz4ever
Super Member
4 minutes ago
Reply to  Biggiswrth

Tight budgeted closer for now.

Texan44
Trusted Member
1 hour ago

When you look at “tanking” and how other teams construct their 40 man, you can check out this link for each team and look under tab “Acquired.” Most of the Angels are from the farm system – good, bad or ugly.

One of the most recent “tanker” – the Orioles – have only 8 of the 40 as home grown.

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/los-angeles-angels/acquired

HalosFanForLife
Super Member
1 hour ago

Rockies up 10-1 in the 8th. Whew-hew.

Texan44
Trusted Member
1 hour ago

It is so hard to lose every game and not lose ground to SOMEBODY.

YOUknowulovetheIE
Super Member
2 hours ago

Definitely lighting something up after this game

Angelz4ever
Super Member
4 minutes ago

The stadium?

Born_in_59
Trusted Member
3 hours ago

I know the idea is to finish in the bottom three, but man, two in a row is a gut-punch.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
2 hours ago
Reply to  Born_in_59

Our starting pitching is really coming along but we are so far away position player wise it’s very discouraging.

BannedInLA
Legend
2 hours ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

The best foundation for any team is starting pitching.

I hope we adopt a of philosophy based on contact hitting + speed throughout the lineup.

Last edited 2 hours ago by BannedInLA
DowningDude
Legend
3 hours ago

Elementary, my dear Watson

CAoldskoll
Trusted Member
3 hours ago

Horrible lineup full of rejects from other teams and rookies who actually suck at hitting (except the Meck) Blow pen a problem all year. I’m an MLB fan, so I guess it’s time to start enjoying watching other teams that have legit players coming into our stadium. Seriously thinking about wearing my Philly 2008 Ryan Howard jersey to Fridays game. But nah, have to stay loyal to the big A.

GonFishin
Trusted Member
4 hours ago

Trying to figure out or remember what made Watson the 9th inning guy, don’t remember receiving that memo.

Charles Sutton
Editor
Super Member
3 hours ago
Reply to  GonFishin

I write up most of the links and I still thought “Watson who?”

Maybe I missed something. It couldn’t possibly be crappy bullpen management on this team. /sarcasm

Senator_John_Blutarsky
Legend
Reply to  GonFishin

He met the criteria:

  • couldn’t make the jump to the majors
  • rule 5 selection
  • he was DFA’d by Boston
  • he was available
GonFishin
Trusted Member
3 hours ago

Would kill for a Brian Fuentes esque closer at this point.

DowningDude
Legend
19 minutes ago

I noticed that “has a heartbeat” wasn’t one of the requirements on your list.

Texan44
Trusted Member
3 hours ago
Reply to  GonFishin

It was Watson because he wasn’t Eeny, Meeny, Miney, or Moe.

Eric_in_Portland
Legend
4 hours ago

There goes the .500 season. It’s a workday so all I could do was check in. 3-1, ok. 3-2,ok I guess. And then this. I’m happy it wasn’t Joyce or Natera

HalosFanForLife
Super Member
4 hours ago

Way to get it done boys. Stay on pace. We’ve got the best blow pen in baseball.

Fansince1971
Legend
4 hours ago

I actually like Cleveland. Great city. Nice people. I could get behind their team for a playoff run.

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Legend
4 hours ago
Reply to  Fansince1971

Agreed, though JHW is 110% correct on the Spiders missed opportunity. Could also build a pipeline from Richmond to Cleveland, just on mascot and style.

RexFregosi
Legend
2 hours ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

I just realized that no other team in sports is called the Angels. No pro, college or high school teams go for that.

Biggest popularity it seems is among Catholic All-Girls high schools.

As far as college pipelines, the Detroit Tigers have quite the queue. LSU, Clemson, Mizzou I can think of right away.

Maybe we should change to the Chanticleers to get a pipeline.

Tie this rambling back to the game which I’m trying to forget, maybe an All-Girls Catholic High School could get more than three hits today and Three outs without giving up a run in the 9th.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
4 hours ago

Is that ‘roid’ user still employed as a batting coach?

Texan44
Trusted Member
4 hours ago

I will tag this with what is now “old school” baseball – Moneyball. Remember it was OBP they sought. The league then decided OPS was more important. As I watch .200 hitting swinging for the fences, and people looking at OPS, those home runs look good. But they happen around one in 20-30 PAs with decent power hitters. Less frequent for poor hitters. So teams become happy with a guy making 4 outs a game if he gets on base 1 time. The advantage a high OBP batter has is simple – he makes fewer outs.

Texan44
Trusted Member
4 hours ago

I can truthfully say the Angels deserved this loss. No hits. Dropped difficult fly ball for a double and a run. Bad bunting again. Not understanding of using a challenge on the first pitch of the game to Neto, yet no challenge with 2 outs in 9th.

I have no idea who will be the manager or general manager for next season, but if Suzuki is still here, I will start following the Rockies or KC as they will improve before the Angels.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
4 hours ago

Sherlock is peeved with Watson 🕵 

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 hours ago

This won’t be popular but we should trade both Bachman and Joyce when we have the chance. They are both big risks to stay healthy and they can’t pitch on consecutive days, and we don’t need a true closer until 2028 or 2029. We should continue rebuilding.

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Legend
4 hours ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

Less sold on this concept, given there’s 4-5 years on both their contracts, and the bullpen is such a constant pain point in recent years. When the bullpen has been at its best this year, it’s been due to homegrown talent.

Imo, feels very expensive (and economically inefficient) to try to replace that on the open market when this team should really be rebuilding its offense from top to bottom, and the bullpen pipeline on the farm seems a bit patchy at the moment.

I’d rather be patient with Joyce, Natera and Bachman. Let them fully heal and come into next spring with likely late relief positions filled, on the cheap.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
4 hours ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

I don’t disagree with you I just believe if we count on those 2 they’ll end up being injured. They are both good, I just don’t think they are durable and I am certainly not suggesting we buy replacements. I agree with the homegrown BP.

Turk's Teeth
Editor
Legend
3 hours ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

Would rather trade Neto for a more transformative package.

The Silseth trade was the only one this summer that felt super underwhelming to me. Would rather just keep the young arms, use them opportunistically, and suffer occasional IL stints than trade them at the trough of their value.

FungoAle
Legend
3 hours ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

I am so onboard in trading Neto. I hope they Halos don’t pivot.

RexFregosi
Legend
2 hours ago
Reply to  FungoAle

He really needs Ron Washington.

All of us do.

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
3 hours ago
Reply to  Turk's Teeth

I’m all for trading

GonFishin
Trusted Member
4 hours ago
Reply to  Roy Hobbs

Bachman probably returns the level of prospect we got for Silseth. Guy hasn’t done anything except pitch to a 4ERA his entire career.

I’d rather hold on to Joyce because if he can stay healthy and even close some games, his value will go up.

Charles Sutton
Editor
Super Member
3 hours ago

We might as well draft up a form postgame article at this point. We just leave a blank in the title to write the final score.

Texan44
Trusted Member
2 hours ago
Reply to  Charles Sutton

If you do that, you can go ahead and enter Suzuki’s post game quote in order to save time.

“It’s definitely tough, obviously,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “But it is what it is. The game moves on, and you’ve got to turn the page, go to the next day, and prepare to win the next one.”

Born_in_59
Trusted Member
1 hour ago
Reply to  Texan44

“It is what it is” or “turn the page”, which is less satisfying?

Roy Hobbs
Super Member
1 hour ago
Reply to  Texan44

Inspirational!

steelgolf
Legend
4 hours ago

Feckless team gives up the lead in the 9th. Folded like a glove.

DowningDude
Legend
3 hours ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Stay the course, tank commander.

Just don’t hit the 100 loss plateau

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