Salvation Sunday

by Rev Halofan on Jun 29, 2008 4:56 PM PDT in Postgame Report Comment 50 comments

Panther of the Game: Nominate someone.

Was Lackey shutting out the Dodgers a big deal seeing as they are incompetent when it comes to stringing together hits? Napoli had the only Angel RBI in 3 games. New Daddy Juan Rivera scored the lone Angel run of the series.

We saved some face with this one.

PANTHER OF THE GAME: John Lackey

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It's Lackey

and it’s not even close.

He may have held an offense even more putrid than our own to 3 hits, but this is still the majors, and this is still a team that held us scoreless for 19 straight innings and 26 of 27 total innings. Lackey stepped in, took on the job, walked 2, allowed 3 hits, and struck out 9. He did his job, and masterfully well.

Coming a day after one of the most crushing defeats in Angels history against a heated (/hated) cross-town rival for fan supremacy, Lackey shuts them down and takes away the sting of a no-hitter we somehow lost.

Fangraphs agrees with this assessment by a LARGE margin.

I don’t know what else I can say… Lackey for an All-star spot? 68.2 IP in 9 starts with a 1.44 ERA, 54Ks, .89 WHIP?

It’s Lackey. It just is.

by shiftyeyedgoat on Jun 29, 2008 5:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Lackey big american stud from Texas state.
He pitch like Ace.
I am study every match of this team.

by 44FAN on Jun 29, 2008 5:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think I smell a new signature

I am study every match of this team.

by shiftyeyedgoat on Jun 29, 2008 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

All your Lackey Are Belong To US

by melvintoast on Jun 30, 2008 5:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

POTG is Halos Heaven for telling Scioscia to play NAPS and RIVERA

I’ll give it to RIVERA because he showed scioscia that he can hit and he is STILL going to be sitting on the bench TOMORROW. Poor Rivera what does he have to do for playing time?

Put Kendry Morales at 1B, and move Sean Rodriguez to 3B......NOW LETS GO WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by acuda27 on Jun 29, 2008 5:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Rivera is on "6th Outfielder" status

Its sad but true, Reggie Willits and his .167 average is still above Rivera on the depth chart. Matthews will continue to get a lot of PT because of his CF skills. Also, at this point, he’s pretty untraceable with that large salary.

Napoli will never be a high average guy, but at least can draw some walks and hit a few homers.

I love LAC.

by oasisman on Jun 29, 2008 10:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

hey, he can hit .235 for all i care

his D is above average, he knows how to get on base, and he has 35 HR potential.

i’ll take it

Chaka Khan... Rally Monkey 2.0

by howiestheman on Jun 29, 2008 10:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Gotta get off the interstate first!

I86 ain’t gonna cut it…

This is BAD Vlad and his band of wimps!

by K3YEROUT on Jun 29, 2008 11:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Without Lackey on the mound...

...that game is lost.

We scored one run, which with anyone else on the mound is not enough.

Lackey for Panther.

I see red people

by The Limey on Jun 29, 2008 5:26 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

For this reason

Lackey is Panther

You score 1 run and win – the pitcher deserves all credit in the world

Outfielders For Sale.

by gorams77 on Jun 29, 2008 9:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

hey naps deserves some credit too.......atleast HE was able to get that run home.......

unlike other members of this team this weekend

http://www.diehard101.com/phpfox/upload/norcaliangelsbillsfan

by norcaliangelsfan on Jun 29, 2008 9:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

We're now a half-game from having the best record in the AL

Better than the Red Sox. We just finished a 6-3 road trip. Color me non-suicidal.

by mattwelch on Jun 29, 2008 5:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-mattwelch

by Rev Halofan on Jun 29, 2008 5:29 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

we scored 1 run in 3 games against the freaking Dodgers

color me partially suicidal

Chaka Khan... Rally Monkey 2.0

by howiestheman on Jun 29, 2008 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hell, I've got zippers on my wrists

But what am I going to do?

God I needed today’s victory. I was so depressed. First Deutschland loses to Spain (I’m a Bayern Munich fan) then the potential of getting swept by the blue bastion of thug townies? Couldn’t have handled it. Thank you Thunder Mountain and Frankie Skykiss.

I think the former gets the kitty.

"I've got more action than my man John Woo
And I've got mad hits like I was Rod Carew" - Shure Shot, The Beastie Boys

by Zoe Necrosis on Jun 29, 2008 5:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

half a game from the best record

and not an All Star berth in sight

Do you have a moment to hear about the Church of Fregosi?

by HaloDutch on Jun 29, 2008 7:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Half a game from the best record in baseball is the player's fault.

Not having an All Star berth in sight is our fault.

by Stirrups on Jun 29, 2008 7:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fans don't vote for pitchers

The case for Casey, Figgy & Vlad are much more tenuous than Saunders, Frankie & Santana.

by mattwelch on Jun 29, 2008 7:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why are we talking about pitchers? I ain't. I know better than that.

by Stirrups on Jun 29, 2008 7:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What I mean to say is, our most deserving players are pitchers

by mattwelch on Jun 29, 2008 7:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

i agree....santana, saunders, and big lack.........er lace.....whichever

http://www.diehard101.com/phpfox/upload/norcaliangelsbillsfan

by norcaliangelsfan on Jun 29, 2008 7:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

...and dare I mention the ML leader in saves with 32?

This is BAD Vlad and his band of wimps!

by K3YEROUT on Jun 29, 2008 11:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

oh d'oh yes.......i forgot......sorry frankie

http://www.diehard101.com/phpfox/upload/norcaliangelsbillsfan

by norcaliangelsfan on Jun 29, 2008 11:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nice cameo today Matt!

This is BAD Vlad and his band of wimps!

by K3YEROUT on Jun 29, 2008 11:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

POTG Lackey

BOTG if any would be Sosh or Hatcher.

--
Zot!

by mjhsieh on Jun 29, 2008 5:29 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Lackey for Panther, easlily.

Naps for honorable mention… took the walk in the ninth last night, came back today and got the RBI single. plus, his “all important” CERA just went down more. :P

Chaka Khan... Rally Monkey 2.0

by howiestheman on Jun 29, 2008 5:29 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

*easily

im not sure what “easlily” is

Chaka Khan... Rally Monkey 2.0

by howiestheman on Jun 29, 2008 5:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

maybe Damion Easilly

by Rev Halofan on Jun 29, 2008 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah something like that

Chaka Khan... Rally Monkey 2.0

by howiestheman on Jun 29, 2008 6:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lackey as panther

Angels in 08!

by tanana40 on Jun 29, 2008 6:06 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Lackey as panther

Johnny Rivers as runner-up

Angels fan since '67

by red floyd on Jun 29, 2008 6:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Lacking Offense

Since no one else stepped up I think it goes to Lackey. K-Rod def gave us a scare (like always). I think Lackey could have got that last out. He is having an amazing year despite coming in late from injury.

I don't care what anyone says we beat the Dodgers on 6/28/08...

by VladdyG on Jun 29, 2008 6:11 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Napoli did step up to bat in our only run which won the game.

by 44FAN on Jun 29, 2008 6:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

So my question is...

will Side Salad and Johnny Rivers start tomorrow, or will they slide back into oblivion?

K-brothers rule! (Kendrick & Kotch)

by halofan91 on Jun 29, 2008 6:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Petition

To rename this place Lackey’s Heaven.

[1] ReggieBullits

by ReggieBullits on Jun 29, 2008 6:26 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Lackey!

IP – 8.2
H – 3
R – 0
ER -0
BB – 2
SO – 9
HR – 0
ERA – 1.44 = Panther

"i got 5ive on it"

by Funke5ive on Jun 29, 2008 7:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Mickey Hatcher

for all the blistering hitters we have.

Stay on the damn bag!!

by higdog on Jun 29, 2008 7:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Lackey

Angel Pitching, Angel Defense - get past that.

by vladtheimpaler on Jun 29, 2008 9:15 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Oh Good God man

Lackey what a pitching performance

Don't call me Desmond

by highlandhalo on Jun 29, 2008 9:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Chart it up! Game on!
Week 11: http://tinyurl.com/5op5n2

by scottnak on Jun 29, 2008 11:38 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

man i wonder what would have happened if someone put dodgers?

or even better yet…..and angel win but a dodger winning pitcher lol….....

http://www.diehard101.com/phpfox/upload/norcaliangelsbillsfan

by norcaliangelsfan on Jun 30, 2008 12:14 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Lackey

for panther of the game. No brainer.

"Never throw the ball so far over the fence where you can't go back and get it." Chuck Knox quoted through Darryl Henley

by Downing Rules on Jun 30, 2008 8:07 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I was there

finally got to see one game of this series and it was in person. John Lackey is a franchise pitcher and was definitely the Panther for this game. he was dominant just as i thought he’d be and we got the victory.

i was pleasantly surprised with the fan behavior overall…maybe it was all the red i saw in the stadium.

Juan Rivera does need to play more. not because of the 2 hits yesterday but because if he gets more AB’s, he can be “that bat” we’re missing. i like GA, crap, i like GMJ and anyone who wears the halo uni but it’s all about winning and putting the best out there.

thank God the halos won yesterday….that was by far the mnost bizarre weekend i’ve had in a while.

by SCHalo on Jun 30, 2008 9:05 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Said it before

Lackey = 2008 Cy Young, in spite of his late start.

by Chris Knapp's Sac on Jun 30, 2008 11:17 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

It's possible, but highly unlikely

According to B-Ref’s stats leaderboard, he’s not currently qualified for the league ERA lead because he hasn’t got “[o]ne inning pitched per team game that season rounded to the nearest integer.” Lackey’s on pace to pitch 19 games with 145 IP for the season, which would mean he would never be eligible to lead any rate stat. I just don’t see the voters giving the Cy Young to a guy who showed up for 2/3rds of a season.

In fact, there’s significant historical basis for this. The only pitcher to win the Cy Young with as few as 23 starts was David Cone in 1994. Next on the list is Greg Maddux in the same year with 25 starts, and Fernando Valenzuela in 1981, also with 25 starts.

Witty .sig goes here.

by scareduck on Jun 30, 2008 4:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Among starters

I should also add that there have been relievers who got the Cy Young (Eckersley, Gagne), but they’re pretty rare, and at least in Gagne’s case, were operating in a fairly weak field.

Witty .sig goes here.

by scareduck on Jun 30, 2008 4:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Still a chance to drop into a 4-man rotation.

Injuries and melt-downs will do that to a team. He could pick up the 3 more starts that way. Anybody finishing the year with 20 wins or better gets votes regardless of where they spent the first several weeks of the season.

by Stirrups on Jun 30, 2008 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Of course, by then Joe might be at 25 wins himself.

Lackey wouldn’t even end up as the best pitcher on the team.

by Stirrups on Jun 30, 2008 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"On Pace?"

The way I figure it, Lackey has about 15 starts left this year. He’s averaging over 7 IP/start this year. Round that down to an even seven, and he’ll pitch another 105 innings. Add that to his 68 2/3 thus far, and I get 173 2/3 IP. That’s more than one inning pitched per team game, rounded to the nearest integer (i.e., 174 > 162).

A better question would be, in a non-strike year, has any starting pitcher ever won the Cy Young with 175 or fewer IP?

And if he really maintains a miniscule ERA, say 2.5 or lower, could he really be denied?

by jjackflash on Jun 30, 2008 5:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ah, my bad

Added his games started wrong. Nevertheless, only David Cone in 1994 has won a Cy Young with less than 190 IP; the average Cy Young winner as a starter has pitched 247.2 IP.

Witty .sig goes here.

by scareduck on Jun 30, 2008 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs