Angels lose to Rays 4-2 early on 4th of July, freeing up our holiday afternoon

Angels 2 Rays 4

“Today, we celebrate our Independence Day.”-President Thomas Whitmore

Everyone remembers that immortally rousing line from the documentary Independence Day, a call to action heard across the world and a rallying cry that would reverberate throughout the 100% real alien battle that followed.

It’s one of the most inspiring moments in our country’s history. Let’s all take a moment to marinate on those words, and the sentiment behind them. Let us think of our freedom, our beautiful melting pot we call the United States, and the heroes that have fought for it over the years.

Let’s think or say anything that will take our attention away from today’s game and put it on more positive or productive pursuits, like grilling the perfect steak today or doing the world’s splashiest cannonball into a pool surrounded by people that don’t like getting wet...I call them “commies”, but your mileage may vary.

Seriously, just enjoy your day, pretend there was no baseball game played. It doesn’t matter, really, because there was nothing here to be missed.

The good news: Nick Tropeano is back on the MLB team, and he pitched well. He finished with 5 IP, 4 H and 2 ER. Not bad at all, at least compared to most of the other starts we’re used to seeing.

Other good news: While NiTro did give up some runs, his teammates picked him up. When the score was 1-0 in the 4th, the recently-hot Andrelton Simmons hit a game-tying double. When the Angels had then fallen behind 2-1 afterward, Jefry Marte tied up the game on a homer. These are good things. Good for them.

The bad news: With NiTro leaving and the game tied at 2-2, I wanted to take the time to remind Tropeano that he’s making big league salary while he’s up with the club. That’s important to remember, because it then becomes easier to swallow when you’re all of a sudden reminded that part of being on the Angels means having Fernando Salas come in for relief.

Salas was introduced in the sixth, and then gave up an RBI single and an RBI double, giving the Rays a 4-2 lead and more or less ruining 4th of July, in pure Halos-related terms, at least.

That’s why I’m imploring you to move on with your day and your attention. Luckily this game was super early, east cost time, and now you have plenty of daylight left to go show off your most patriotic beer koozie, or to get as close as humanly possible to blowing yourself up via fireworks, without actually blowing yourself up, of course.

“Today, we celebrate our Independence Day away from the Angels, because we could all use a break from this team. Now, let’s go fight some aliens and stuff! America!”-President Thomas Whitmore, in the sequel to the documentary Independence Day (at least I assume that quote is in there, I actually haven’t seen the film)