Dan Haren Not 5-0 in Angels Loss

by Rev Halofan on Apr 22, 2011 11:59 PM PDT in Angels Postgame

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 22: Dan Haren #24 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim heads back to the mound after a 2-0 Boston Red Sox lead during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium on April 22, 2011 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Hey, I got an idea, let's wear the uniforms we had on when we were one strike away from the world series but lost. And to make the mojo work against us, let's wear those uniforms at home while playing the same team we lost that playoff home game to 25 seasons ago. Let's put Scott Downs on the DL and call up Trevor Bell and have him pitch, seeing as he was born on October 12, 1986, the very day of that game. Yeah, who believes in all that baseball mojo anyway.

With a pathetic fanbase making out with its own reflection, the baseball gods were not kind to the Boston Red Sox early this season, but the Angels found a way to turn the forces of baseball nature against themselves tonight. That sickening Boston bandwagon held a pink hatted pride parade around Angel Stadium of Anaheim. If Red Sox fans are not the most self-infatuated frontrunning simulations of codpiece armor, it is because the core alcoholism that defines them has knocked a section or two of the bandwagon out early tonight in Anaheim, clean stone passed out face first into the happiest gutters on earth. Jon Lester did what they pay John Lackey the big bucks to do and Dan Haren did not join Jered Weaver in the Five April Wins club.

Good as the Angels starters are, the idea that they will have to be 2ER or less precise each and every outing is getting tough to swallow. A little euphoria that came from taking over first place for two days has evaporated in the light of the task ahead: how a ragtag group of career minor leaguers, overpaid veterans and two aces can win the ninety-some games that will be required of any team making the playoffs this season. You want to have faith, but it would be nice if you could just shut up the ESPN Pamela Anderson manbreasted newbies swaggering over the steroid legacy of David Ortiz and the ghost of Manny Ramirez.

Poll

Blame of the Game

Pitching (Haren)

9 votes

Fielding (E-Wells, E-Bourjos)

282 votes

Not Hitting

261 votes

552 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 42 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Great song

Bad game.

by Suboptimal on Apr 23, 2011 12:09 AM PDT reply actions

I can't stand the Police

Sincerely,
Morrissey.

by LA Seitz on Apr 23, 2011 12:12 AM PDT reply actions

Someone refresh my memory.

Has Howie Kendrick ever gotten a big game-winning hit?

I've got nothing.

by bc56274 on Apr 23, 2011 12:18 AM PDT reply actions

Walk-off bunt last year?

by linkbruin on Apr 23, 2011 12:21 AM PDT up reply actions

I stand corrected.

I've got nothing.

by bc56274 on Apr 23, 2011 12:22 AM PDT up reply actions

The walk off HR the night after Kendrys walk off

by homercles on Apr 23, 2011 5:37 PM PDT up reply actions

How could anyone

Forget this?

by Suboptimal on Apr 23, 2011 12:43 AM PDT up reply actions

Oh yeah!

Remember the game-winning homerun 24 hours earlier?

Sad.

I've got nothing.

by bc56274 on Apr 23, 2011 12:46 AM PDT up reply actions

I was there, sadly

The only time I’ve been to Angel Stadium in the last five years, and all I got to see was the worst walk-off grand-slam in the history of the universe.

by Suboptimal on Apr 23, 2011 12:56 AM PDT up reply actions

I better not talk to you anymore.

Something bad might happen to me.

I've got nothing.

by bc56274 on Apr 23, 2011 1:03 AM PDT up reply actions

Is your name Kendrys Morales?

by Suboptimal on Apr 23, 2011 1:06 AM PDT up reply actions

Yo no hablo ingles

I've got nothing.

by bc56274 on Apr 23, 2011 1:10 AM PDT up reply actions

The retro unis are BS

and for exactly the reason you mention: the Angels.

Never. Quite. Got. It. Together.

Witty .sig goes here.

by scareduck on Apr 23, 2011 1:02 AM PDT reply actions

This game...

Like last night’s and my own game tonight, was lost on our own stupidity.

Stop being dumb and we’ll win.

CommNate.

Scioscialist Party of America - Redistributing your defense since 2000.

by Commander_Nate on Apr 23, 2011 1:58 AM PDT reply actions

Im kinda over watching Boston use us as a fat chick booty call and laugh while they splooge on our faces.

I brought sexy back, but they only gave me store credit....

by PhiSlamma on Apr 23, 2011 2:00 AM PDT reply actions

I got to take exception to the headline describing this game

“Lester Strong as the Red Sox defeat the Angels.” It should read, “Angels Defense Weak and the Same Red Sox Homer Umpire that Screwed the Angels Behind the Plate Last Night Screwed the Halo’s Again to Give Lester the Win.”

OK I know that is a bit wordy. Maybe “Halo’s Weak Defense, Bad Call at Third Make the Sox Lucky Again.” At any rate, that was hard to watch.

Both starting pitchers pitched well. At the beginning of the game, everything close was a strike but the strike zone seemed to tighten up after Dustin, my face looks like a rat, Pedroia got in the umpires face after being called out on strikes.

Watching Wells run his rainbow route to the ball he then bobbled turning what should have been an out into a double with an error puts me more firmly in the “Worst Trade of the Decade—Wells for the Napster and Rivera” bandwagon set.

Not sure what went on with the fly ball to center that wasn’t caught but I think that Peter differs too much to Hunter on fly balls he can get to and it looked like he expected Hunter to make that play. He needs to take charge out there and tell the two past their prime center fielders to stay out of his way. I’m thinking that if he wanted to, Petey Boy could have caught the ball that bounced off the wall that Hunter missed too. At any rate, that didn’t look like the best defensive outfield in MLB by a long shot.

But the worst thing about last night was when I had to go to the bathroom and heard a bunch of cheering on the TV and thought that the Angels must have done something good only to find out that it was the Boston fans cheering. I’m all about being civil to opposing fans and all—after all we don’t want to be like Yankee and Boston Fans—but weren’t there enough Angels fans at the game to drown out the pink hats with boos when they had something to cheer about. Come on Angel’s fans—man up and don’t be punked in your own ball park by a bunch of obnoxious drunks.

Well the good thing about baseball is that we get to do this all over again today and it is a long season so lets hope this is just a fluke and move on.

I need a better screen name and signature line but I have zero creativity--Go Angels!

by Halo84653 on Apr 23, 2011 2:23 AM PDT reply actions

The Angels did not get screwed behind the plate last night.

Plenty of bad calls went their way. They got screwed on the bases.

"Ballplayers play baseball." -Jose Mota

by Fred Fredrix on Apr 23, 2011 7:07 AM PDT up reply actions

I didn't say they did. I said they did the night before by the same umpire that missed the call at third. But hey I was just ranting.

The fact is that their defense and inability to string any hits together lost them the game. (but that same umpire has shown he’s is inept two nights in a row.)

I need a better screen name and signature line but I have zero creativity--Go Angels!

by Halo84653 on Apr 23, 2011 7:57 AM PDT up reply actions

Yep. Salta... Salta... whatever his name is... was definitely out at 3B.

Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch

by red floyd on Apr 23, 2011 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions

Awesome post on so many levels

I love this team.

by Downing Rules on Apr 23, 2011 8:43 AM PDT up reply actions

This year's offense...

…seems a lot like last year’s offense.

Having to be flawless in every game to win is not a viable strategy for a division championship.

by mustard_man on Apr 23, 2011 3:59 AM PDT reply actions

Aybar's base running blunder in game 1

cost us that game. Tori, Peter and Vernon all cost us game 2 with poor defense. Angel teams win when they play smart and fundamental baseball. They could not do it last year and they are not doing it in this series. We need the next two in this series.

Angels in 2011!

by tanana40 on Apr 23, 2011 7:12 AM PDT reply actions

As Sosh likes to say ...

… let’s turn the page. I can’t stand to think about this game any more. Just a big “Ouch.” Now let’s kick some Red Sox butt today.

by Seraphan on Apr 23, 2011 7:31 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs

I fucking hate everything to do with Boston!

God #@%^ Mother F@#$in' Reagins! You make Omar Minaya look good.

by Monkeyspanked on Apr 23, 2011 7:43 AM PDT reply actions

I blame Mathis and Sosh for putting him in ahead of Conger

Conger is by far the superior player and Jeffy Premium is bad mojo. (disclaimer: there is absolutely no scientific back up for this statement and Halos Heaven, SBN, nor any of their advertisers should be held liable for this obviously delusional opinion.)

CONGER, CONGER, CONGER !!!

by steelgolf on Apr 23, 2011 7:49 AM PDT reply actions

conger sent in to hit for mathis

even mike s is finally showing his lack of trust in mathis

by thatsaitalian on Apr 23, 2011 8:48 AM PDT up reply actions

And to add a little salt to the wound:

In 29 at-bats, Mike Napoli has 4 homeruns, 7 RBI’s, and has a batting line of .310/.474/.793. The Angels offense could have used some of that pop. Heaven knows what his numbers would be if he had 80 some bats like VW. And in case anyone is not aware, the Angels player with the highest slugging percentage right now is Howie Kendrick at (don’t laugh) .566.

A wise man does not need advice and a fool won't take it.

by angelslogic on Apr 23, 2011 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions

Well, to be fair Napoli's numbers would look a lot worse with 80 PAs.

Texas is playing him half-time, primarily against lefties, and in that context, he looks like a complete stud.

That said, all we ever wanted from Napoli was 450 PAs a year, like any primary catcher. Conger + Napoli platooning at catcher would have been the bomb.

by Turks Teeth on Apr 23, 2011 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions