Angels win over Seattle, but all attention on Matt Shoemaker after scary line drive to head

Angels 4 Mariners 2

The Angels won on Sunday, a close shave over the Mariners 4-2, giving them their fourth series win in a row, three of which have been on the road. That’s no easy feat, and the games in Seattle have been especially bonkers. Homers and extra bases out the eyeballs, and good pitching a couple nights in a row, and you will almost always go to bed a happy fan.

Today, though, we should go to bed as supportive fans, with Matt Shoemaker in our thoughts above winning/losing, above everything Angels-related. Shoemaker needs that positive energy sent his way.

It happened in the second inning, Shoemaker on the mound and pitching with a 2-0 lead given to him by Albert Pujols/C.J. Cron back-to-back homers in the first. Kyle Seager up to the dish, and he smokes a 105 MPH line drive right back at Shoemaker, who tried to dodge it but still got tagged right in the side of the face. Almost immediately, Safeco fell silent.

Shoemaker had fallen to the ground, on his knees, his hands holding sturdy on the field, dazed and seemingly shaken up. Rightfully so, once you could see the replay. A frozen rope right to the head. All the players took a knee in place, or paced nervously, while the medical staff looked at Shoemaker. Finally, after many minutes on the ground, he got up and slowly walked towards the dugout with the doctor and trainer.

As the hometown crowd gave him a standing ovation, the scary moment all had endured had finally had some air taken out of it’s sails; we could all exhale. I can only imagine what Matt’s wife and family must have been thinking, but walking off was a good sign, and the Angels later tweeted out that he was alert and responsive at the hospital, where he was getting a CT scan (official hospital notes also said he had a laceration from the hit).

Exhale. That was crazy and emotional and I don’t even know. But here’s to Matt Shoemaker and his family. He’s been having an amazing year, and I can’t wait to see him come back from this injury.

So, the Angels still held on to that 2-0 lead with the help of their bullpen stepping up in The Cobbler’s absence. Meanwhile, the Angels added a couple more runs, just in case.; Albert Pujols drove in yet another run, this time via single, and Andrelton Simmons got himself an RBI single, as well.

The Mariners would get some runs off of the bullpen eventually, including yet another Nelson Cruz homer, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Angels and their series victory. The win was good, the win on the road was even better. But nothing is better than knowing Matt Shoemaker is alert and responsive and is getting taken care of at the hospital right now.

Many things to be grateful for today.

UPDATE 09/04 4:30pm:

Whoa. Scary stuff.

UPDATE 09/04 04:41pm: