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There have been times in 2018, thus far, when the Halos’ offense looks straight up unfair, launching jacks left and right, handing out extra-base hits like Costco hands out free samples of lukewarm kielbasa on a Sunday afternoon. You know what? GOOD! As John Kreese, the esteemed and scholarly sensei of the vaunted Cobra Kai dojo once opined, “Mercy is for the weak.” This year’s Angels hit men most assuredly agree with that sentiment, because they lay the runs on fools and they lay them on thick.
Today, in a getaway game against the Colorado Rockies, the visiting Angels took their hosts to school and then some, continuing the recent trend of positive offensive outbursts that lead to big time Ws, all while more or less allowing the day’s Halos hurler to have the day off...more or less.
Speaking of the starting pitching, Jaime Barria had a good day for himself, going 5.1 IP and allowing just five hits, no runs, and a tip-of-the-cap worthy SEVEN strikeouts. All of that to just one walk given up by the youngster, which is exactly the type of day you’d want to see more of from Barria as he continues to figure out the ins and outs of being a big leaguer. Of course, today was one of those nice contests where he could’ve made a mistake or two and still have come out squeaky clean, basically.
That’s because the Angels were going yard like they owned the place; Justin Upton hit his eighth big fly of the year, and in the same inning, Zack Cozart hit his fifth of the year. Rene Rivera continues to pitch in not only behind the plate, but while hitting at the dish, too, as he had his second dinger of 2018 in today’s seventh frame. Throw in some XBH action from the likes of Albert Pujols, and some solid RBI knocks from Mike Trout and Ian Kinsler, and you can begin to see how the score got run up to that gorgeous 8-0 tally we saw when the final out was made.
Eight runs on the road and shutting down the home team, with homers galore and smiles and fist pumps aplenty. That’s a team that’s chugging along, and having fun. That’s a first place team, too, and if they continue doing things in this dominant a fashion, then I am going to feel REAL sorry for the rest of MLB. OK, that’s a lie. Mercy is for the weak, anyway.