Ernesto Frieri Blows Save, Game, Angels Back Below .500

The Angels have an off day tomorrow to let the most gutless loss of the season to fester.

After getting an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning to make the score 4-1 Mike Scioscia allowed Ernesto Frieri to stay in the game a little too long.

Once again Frieri gave up a home run on his "go-to" pitch, a fastball that tails off the center of the plate... except when it doesn't. But that only made it 4-2. he then got a strikeout and things seemed to be going our way. Then walked a guy, then he walked another guy. Then he went 3-0 on Jayson Werth and when a pitch came over the plate the veteran smacked it down the line to tie the game. Why David Freese was not hugging the line to prevent that is inexplicable beyond the little league level.

Not only was the game totally winnable, it would have put the Angels over .500 for the first time in 387 days. They won on Opening Day last season and ave not been over the .500 mark since. They were three outs away from a road sweep and were building on the great sensation of Albert Pujols re-emerging to the national prominence he has earned.

This one is going to ache for a while. The Angels need their terrible bullpen fixed ASAP and if that means demoting the almost useless Frieri, so be it.