Joe Smith folds in 10th and offense follows suit, Padres shutout Angels 4-0

Angels 0  Padres 4

I’ve been here before, haven’t I? The Angels get a good pitching performance. The offense does nothing. Close game. Long nights. Bad dreams.

Matt Shoemaker came into the game hot on the heels of a bad start in Baltimore and a horrible start in Toronto, looking to get things turned around against the visiting Padres. Some question if the league has completely wised up to him, or if he’s just lost something on his slider, or perhaps it’s also the lack of run support...either way, this isn’t the Ol’ Shoey that we came to know and love last year. But that isn’t to say he hasn’t had a few flourishes of that 2014 rookie year strut here and there. Well, tonight he was struttin’. Shoemaker threw for seven innings, getting six strikeouts, walking one batter while allowing just four hits and no runs. He was not a man to be denied on the night of his fuzzy faced bobblehead giveaway, going so far as to get out of a bases loaded jam at one point, and he set the Angels up nicely for an easy victory. They’d just have to give some run support. (Famous last words)

The Angels were facing San Diego pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne, and were having as tough as time with him as the Padres were with Shoemaker. Despaigne allowed just five hits and no runs to keep the game tied at zero in late innings, and both bullpens were able to continue keeping runs off the board. San Diego may have the less forgivable role in taking this game into extra innings, as they were 0-7 on the game with RISP, but I’ll take it. The Angels were only a tad better than that, as they were 0-3 with RISP. Both teams had opportunities, but neither knew what to do with them.

And into extras we went...and then everything went black. It was a bad dream all over again, woken up from the scoreless lull by a jarring bullpen kick to the head, followed by a flurry of Padres run punches. Joe Smith, the ringleader of a four run, tenth inning coup de grace. Another night, another good start wasted, only this time a crushing defeat. It was horrible. Eventually I would regain my faculties and begin to gather my bearings, but the damage was done and the Padres, threatening all night long that they’d score, finally punctured the Angels pitching staff and we all knew it was over.

It’s getting more and more pitiful, and something needs to change. Another good start wasted, but this time there would be no heroics. The Angels couldn’t even score any runs, period. I’ve been here before, haven’t I? The Angels get a good pitching performance. The offense does nothing. Close game. Long nights. Bad, bad dreams.