Due to Major League Baseball's completely ridiculous blackout policy, I missed the beginning of Tuesday night's game. Since the Angels were playing the Minnesota Twins, and I live about 2 hours from Minneapolis, the game was blacked out for me. What is totally stupid about this situation is that Twins' games aren't broadcast in my area...I couldn't watch it on cable even if I wanted! But here's the weird part...I figured I could follow along with MLB's Gameday on my iPad, however just out of curiosity I clicked on the video link and the game appeared. Whatever. Maybe it was baseball's way of saving my sanity by having me miss C.J. Wilson's piece of crap inning. Here are today's piece of crap Halolinks:
- So Wilson had a Wilson inning and he's confused by it? Bullpen shines as Angels hold off Twins - Yahoo Sports. "Staked to a 5-0 lead after one inning, Wilson gave up five runs in the second inning and another run in the fifth before calling it a night. He allowed six runs on nine hits in five innings but still was credited with the win. "It was an interesting approach that (the Twins) had today," Wilson said. "They took a lot of first pitches, like take a first pitch right down the middle. But with two strikes, they would fight pitches off. "It was a Twilight Zone thing, hits with two strikes, hits on weird counts. ... Typically if I give up a big inning, it's because I walk a guy, plunk a guy or throw a ball away. But after the two home runs, it was paper cuts." I hope "fighting pitches off" isn't some foreign concept in the Angels' dugout.
- Gotta give credit when credit's due, the Halo bullpen got the job done last night: Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles Angels - June 24, 2014 - MLB.com. "The Angels bullpen, which coughed up leads to Texas, Cleveland and Atlanta in the past 10 days, threw four scoreless innings to pick up Wilson (8-6), who lasted just five innings and gave up nine hits. Mike Morin, Kevin Jepsen, Ernesto Frieri and Joe Smith combined to allow just two hits over the last four frames, securing the win and their manager's confidence." Mike Scioscia still want to eventually put Ernesto Frieri back in the closers role, for some unknown reason. What's the difference who pitches the ninth as long as they record the outs? If Smith can do the job let him, and continue to use Frieri in other situations. It's just stubbornness to delegate roles you feel a player must fill in spite of results. Results should be the only deciding factor on who to use when.
- Did anyone else think that flyball Frieri gave up to Eduardo Escobar in the top of the 8th inning was going out? Trout caught the ball in front of the center field wall, and anyone who was watching caught their collective breathes. Angels Afterthoughts: Kevin Jepsen picks a good time to do nothing: Angels Blog: Orange County Register. "Scioscia may have abandoned – at least temporarily – plans to use Frieri in the ninth, but he’s not stashing him in mop-up either. "He’s one of the guys we’re counting on to hold leads for us," Scioscia said. "Whatever inning it’s going to be, it’s like you are closing out that inning. We need to expand that group of relievers that can hold leads for us. Ernie is an important part of it." Why not Mike Morin for two innings, after he pitched a relatively easy sixth? Scioscia said he’s trying "not to stretch these guys too much," and he feared that Morin could have been pushed to 25 or 30 pitches if he’d tried to get a second inning out of him. He said he’s more likely to use his relievers for four outs than a second whole inning." I have to say I agree with Scioscia in this instance. Since Morin only pitched the one inning, he's available tonight. Had he gone two innings, he wouldn't be as "fresh" today.
- Garrett Richards - All-star (hopefully and deservedly): Twins-Angels Preview - Yahoo Sports. "In the rotation from the beginning this year, Richards has posted by far the best ERA of any Angels starter and has been more consistent than proven teammates Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson. ''They gave me the job right out of spring training,'' said Richards, whose .206 opponent batting average is the lowest in the AL. ''I don't have to worry about going up and down. I don't have to worry about pitching in Triple-A."
- Angels slide past Twins, 8-6 - Los Angeles Times. "REHAB REPORT: Tyler Skaggs (right hamstring strain) will start for triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday so he can get his pitch count up to about 80 before being activated next week. He threw 62 pitches in a simulated game Saturday. Hector Santiago probably will start Saturday at Kansas City."
- Baylor resumes duties as Angels hitting coach - The Orange County Register. "After rehabbing from a broken femur for 10 weeks, while he was limited to watching on TV and texting his ideas after the game, Baylor got clearance Tuesday to return full time to his duties as Angels hitting coach."
- Angels' general manager Jerry Dipoto is on the prowl:
Jerry DiPoto told us they need LH reliever and possible closer from outside the organization between now and trade deadline. XM 89/Sirius209
— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) June 24, 2014 - This is both the awesomest and most disturbing thing you'll see today. I'm falling more on the disturbing side just because I want to know (or possibly not) where this kid learned that move. Stripper mom?
- I take it back, the above video isn't the awesomest (but it is still quite disturbing), this video from Tuesday night's Phillies' game wins the internet. Good job Philadelphia:
- When I'm wrong I admit it. I was all for the Angels going after Grady Sizemore, but after thinking about it a little more, and now that the club has released Raul Ibanez anyway, I'm pretty happy with the team's roster: Philadelphia Phillies sign OF Grady Sizemore to minor-league deal - ESPN. "Sizemore has an opt-out clause if he isn't called up by the Phillies before the All-Star break. The 31-year-old outfielder hit .216/.288/.324 in 52 games and 204 plate appearances with the Red Sox this season. He made the club with an eye-opening spring training, homered on Opening Day and got off to an impressive start, with five multi-hit games and a .343/.395/.571 slash line in his first 10 games."
- Who's the biggest douche in baseball? Here's the #1 contender:
Of course this is how @IKinsler3 reacted to homering in his return to Texas. http://t.co/0vtZXlNfFa http://t.co/dZTf4vSTRy
— MLB (@MLB) June 25, 2014 - This looks like it might have hurt: Edwin Encarnación Elbowed In The Head In Collision At First Base. "A hurried Jose Reyes throw in the seventh inning crossed up Edwin Encarnación and sent him tumbling backward into the basepath just as Mark Teixeira was chugging in to beat the throw. The two men collided and Teixeira's elbow/shoulder hit Encarnación just about as flush as it gets, right in the back of the head. As Michael Kay says, it looks like he got some kind of whiplash effect, too." Anyone think Teixeira did that on purpose? Maybe a little?