Tuesday Halolinks: Jered Weaver Does What He Does Best

Time to start a winning streak Halolinks - The best is yet to come (or something like that):

• Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics - August 6, 2012 - MLB.com. "Coming out of the bullpen, didn't feel so sharp actually," Weaver said. "I was telling Chris [Iannetta], we're going to have to battle today, and I was just hoping something clicked out there. Dan [Haren] said it right, you get through those first two, and something kind of clicks. It was one of those things where didn't feel too good in the bullpen, but was able to figure something out when I got out there." Those "clicks" are so important aren't they. And when they happen, you just know it.
• Kind of a weird fact about the Angels' starting pitching: Weaver wins ninth start in a row, shutting out A's - Yahoo! Sports. "The rotation is in a five-week slump, with Weaver the only consistent piece. His shutout Monday was only the 13th time in the past 35 games an Angels starter has retired a batter in the seventh inning." I haven't gone back to check, but I'd bet at least half of those 13 games were games Weaver pitched.
• Simple and to the point: Angels 4, Athletics 0 - FOX Sports. "'He's one of the best,'' catcher Chris Iannetta said. ''And that's what the best do.''
• Now if Wilson could just get back to his early-season form: Angels-Athletics Preview - FOX Sports. "Scheduled Angels starter C.J. Wilson (9-7, 3.27) is 0-3 with a 5.36 ERA in seven starts since winning at Baltimore on June 26, but he's 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA in four starts at Oakland. The left-hander allowed one hit and struck out seven over eight innings of a 5-0 victory there May 22 to improve to 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA against the A's in 2012. Wilson, however, has yielded 15 runs and walked eight over 11 1-3 innings of his last two road starts."
• Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics - August 7, 2012 - MLB.com. "Right-hander Bartolo Colon gets the ball for Melvin's A's, coming off eight shutout innings against Toronto. Colon (8-8, 3.55) is riding a scoreless streak of 16 1/3 frames that dates back to July 22. He is opposed by left-hander C.J. Wilson (9-7, 3.27 ERA), who hasn't gotten a win in seven starts going back to late June."
• "It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you have": Scioscia says struggling Wells has a lot of work to do - The Orange County Register. "I'm not saying Vernon is doing this. But whatever at-bats you're getting – you can either focus on the at-bats you aren't getting or you can focus on the at-bats you are getting. I think when Vernon gets at-bats, he's going to focus on the at-bats he's getting and not wonder about the at-bats he's not getting." Vernon needs to want his at-bats and for those at-bats to be at-bats he wants, or else those wanted at-bats won't be at-bats to be wanted. And yet, each at-bat you get you should want and each wanted at-bat shouldn't be unwanted. As far as at-bats go. Cuz I'm wanted (wanted), dead or alive!
• Lyle Spencer says: Angels ace Jered Weaver is better pitcher in baseball right now - angels.com. "Weaver doesn't need to break 90 mph to break hearts. He uses a hitter's aggression against him with a steady stream of off-speed pitches to perfect spots, everything with movement. His curveball floats home about 10 mph slower than his changeup and 20 mph off his fastball." I wonder how Weaver is having such a great season without CERA-god Mathis no longer behind the plate?
• The main piece of the Zack Greinke deal gets his call-up: Segura will get two-month audition with Brewers - Yahoo! Sports. "The Milwaukee Brewers decided not to wait until September to take a look at shortstop prospect Jean Segura. They called him up Monday with the intention of playing him regularly the rest of the season."
• Dodger Stadium renovations expected to start in winter - latimes.com. "Smith wants to incorporate these elements into the ballpark without altering its feel, similar to how she did at Fenway Park in Boston. "If you really look at it with a microscope, it's very different than it was 10 years ago," Kasten said of Fenway Park. "But you don't notice it. It feels the same. I think that's a good goal." First order of business, remove any and all blood stains. Actually, I've never been to Fenway, but according to my brother-in-law this past weekend who just returned from a trip to Boston, that stadium is really nice. "They did a really good job fixing it up. No urine smell." There you go Dodger fans, something to look forward to.
• Phillies see NL-record 257-game sellout streak end - ESPN. "The Phillies' crowd halted the club's consecutive sellout streak, which is the longest ever in the NL and third-longest in MLB history according to the club. The streak started on July 7, 2009."
• Big, long deals - The Hardball Times. "Another important factor to consider when signing long-term deals is that, by their very nature, they will look better during the early years than the latter years. I found that these 24 players averaged 4.1 WAR per season in the first half of their contracts and 2.5 WAR per season in the second half. When you look only at the first year and the last year, the difference is more extreme: 4.6 WAR in the first season and 2.3 WAR in the last season." There's only one slight mention of Gary Mathews, Jr. You have to look hard.
• "Well, if I can't have the Dodgers back, I'll just buy the Padres!": Group led by Peter O'Malley reaches agreement to buy San Diego Padres - ESPN. "A group headed by former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley and including pro golfer Phil Mickelson reached agreement Monday to buy the San Diego Padres from John Moores. The purchase price is believed to be around $800 million." Peter's the one who sold the Dodgers to Rupert Murdoch, now he wants back into the ownership club.