We need to spread out our head-to-head games and need to face off against Houston only every 5th turn in the starting rotation. That way, we can send out Andrew Heaney every time.
Heaney held the Astros in check. Either that, or they were exhausted from all the pummeling they dealt out on Friday and Saturday. But the real news is that the Angels posted a 7 run 7th inning and ran away with a game that was already pretty well in hand, winning 14-5.
Lots of guy had lots of really good game. But none had it better than Ian Kinsler. Kinsler was 3 for 4, scoring 3 runs and driving in 2 (with a solo home run, one of those runs he scored was also one of those runs he drove in). He also walked once. 8 total bases on offense. No runners left stranded. 0.3 fWAR for the game.
The top of the order was 6 for 12 with 2 home runs. But if you add in David Fletcher down at the 9th slot, those 4 consecutive batters were a combined 9 for 17 with 7 runs scored, 9 runs batted in, and 3 walks against only 2 K’s all game.
I’m exhausted, too. Today we got like a Hundred-Thousand-All-Excellent-HaloLinks:
A Little Bit Of Shohei Ohtani News
Mike Scioscia is on board with the plan to have Shohei pitch again this season. Maybe kind of aggressive, especially if Billy Eppler turns into a seller............
A Little Bit Of Mike Trout News
Right after the Tweet-O-Sphere made some hay about Mike ‘Singles’ Trout not driving in any runner other than himself (that rare and random solo home run), but Mike goes and drives in somebody other than himself......And then think about this. Mike slumps and the Angels lose. Mike slumps a lot and the Angels lose a lot. Kind ‘valuable’, no?............
Anyway, Jeff Miller looks to blame the other 24 guys on the roster for Mike not driving anybody in.....Jeff Fletcher looks into the same idea......I might point out that Trout has been a banjo-style singles hitter for the month (2 HR’s, 2 2B’s, 10 singles so far)..............
Afterward Mike went back to his day job as weatherman...........(Update to those who follow HaloVet. Now that he has solved Korea, he is back in the USA. Over on the east coast, getting hammered by these thunderstorms that so fascinate Trout.)............
His July has sucked, but since only a little part of July is included in the “first half”, Mike is the honorary 1st half AL MVP..........
One last (maybe?) note about the Rob Manfred dust up. ESPN is coming to Mike’s side of the issue. Well, let’s clarify this. During the peak of the news cycle for Manfred’s take on Trout’s marketability, ESPN spent hour after hour letting their talking heads bash Trout for being so boring and unmarketable. I endured a lot of that myself in a pub during lunch. But then one of the ESPN baseball newsies popped up with this. If you read the most recent comment to that tweet, you see yours truly calling them out. It worked. They created this article, using that very bit of fantastic fan interaction to come to Mike’s defense. Mission accomplished...........
A Little Bit Of Angels News
Jim Johnson is back from the DL. Well, OK, that means that Taylor Cole is the bullpen arm that is sent down. Because of stamina. Geez............But, whatever, it’s more important to note that the recent roster shakeup of guys coming up and going down to try and fix the pen, has some people thinking that it is starting to fix the pen. Really, the comment there is that in July they have been pretty good. Um...no. No they have not...........
The trade deadline looms. The Angels should sell? The author cannot figure out who to sell, but that doesn’t stop him from selling anyway............
Finally somebody at FanGraphs has noticed. I don’t know how all those writers spend their time, but it sure took them a long time to get around to figuring out that Kole Calhoun has busted back out............
Luis Valbuena is doing his darndest to get David Fletcher into the lineup. His July has been far worse than Trout’s......Fletcher went 3 for 5 yesterday alone, which pretty much outdoes everything that Valbuena has done all month....AND he did this on defense...........But Valbuena? Valbuena does know how to connect with the fans. So expect him back right away..........
Welcome back, Trop..........Keep working, Shoey..........Griffin Canning is coming..........But all you guys need to stay out of the way of Jo Adell!...............
Everywhere In Baseball
Mike Trout has not participated in the Home Run Derby. While Rob Mansfred is Commish, he might not ever. But one guy who HAS participated and HAS NOT participated - Aaron Judge - says not participating is much better. So stick to your instincts, Mike............
Are the Twins experimenting with bullpenning in the minors? Or, perhaps, are they getting their future bullpen arms used to the process of bullpenning so that they are productive at the MLB level in a few years when the Twins can pull the trigger?...........
Noah Syndergaard with hoof and mouth disease? Officially, it’s hand, foot and mouth disease. Because Thor is not a cow...............
It’s good that the Dodgers got themselves a 3B/SS utility guy from the Orioles. Justin Turner, who just came back, is going right back out............Which is kind of a thing this weekend. Yeonis Cespedes, who just returned form the DL and played fantastic, has said he may be choosing surgery and is going right back to the DL, not returning until some time next season. Now if only the Mets were on board for this news...........
I am going to day this right now, as fair warning. I am reading far too often the rising desire among MLB players and managers and officials to ban the shift. If they do that, I am walking away from baseball and walking back in to the rest of my life...........
It’s a sign when your 53-year old dad makes the same Independent League team and is doing better than you are............
Mike Trout might be a great ballplayer, but he sure has his ups and downs, No consistency. Not like this guy............
Now that Manny Machado has been moved, things are opening up in the trade rumor mill. Way too much to itemize here. So summaries. Just summaries............In other moves, Jerry Dipoto really likes his Scott Servais. The total deal has not been announced, but maybe it’s a 10-year deal?.........In a move completed, the Mets sent Jeurys Familia to Oakland. Just to torture us...........
The Duffle Bag
Things are getting chippy in Washington. Whatever else happens, this is NOT the kind of thing we would anticipate happening in Anaheim...........Yankees fans boo their own for one bad outing? Why, of course. It’s the MFY way.............Umps, though, they are having bad days all over the place. Take these guys in Mexico (both of whom were suspended)............Or take this guy (C.B. Buchnor, again!)...........Or take Ed Hickox in yesterday’s game (That is Lance McCullers, showing that Hickox wasn’t calling a good upper zone for anybody, all day)..........Need a job? The Reds need a Data Scientist. That’s a pretty fancy-dancy title that is really hot in the IT industry these days, and going to get hotter............I haven’t seen a 48mph pitch since AA in Little League. And those pitches hit a lot of batters, too............Sweet work, reddit user. Clayton Kershaw pitch tunneling in action. A master............Even sweeter work, other reddit user. Grandma teaching granddaughter how to keep score............The Rays’ social media maven is still winning the Internet...........This guy is a dick......The Cubs know that dickhead made a dick move...........Tim Tebow is a real pro baseball player now, kids! He has hit the DL, just like the big boys..........