Skipper Brad flipped the script on the LA Angels reputation for how the team approaches pitcher usage. In a move that is a complete 180 from 2018.....he used an Opener. Hansel Robles went the first inning, allowing to take over and do his 5, lasting into the 6th inning. This gave Skipper the imposing trio of Ty Buttrey + Noe Ramirez + Cody Allen to wrap up the back end and shut down the Mariners. That would be a pleasant change of pace after suffering Seattle’s humiliating run of 5 straight smackdowns out of 5 chances so far in 2019.
The Angels were up 4-1 at that point, and destined to ad 4 more. With 7 runs to work with, this bullpen had a cakewalk, right?
Not so right. Ramirez and Allen gave up 5 runs in the 9th, and the tying run actually came to the plate. Skip brought in Luis Garcia to save things for Cody Allen. Not what we should be expecting based on reputations, but whatev. I guess we have to claim the opener worked (out after all).
Halos hang on to win 8-6. The Yankees come to town now showcasing their AAA roster (seriously, look at this injury list) but doing at least as well as the Angels.
Bring on those Emma-Effa-Yanka-HaloLinks:
A Little Bit Of Angels News
OK. Tommy La Stella ripped a PAIR of home runs yesterday. The kid is tied for the team lead in HR’s now. And that means that, yes, he now is outperforming Daniel Descalso of the Cubs. I admit it. La Stella’s SLG, OPS and WAR leads are credible. I will stand down. For a while.............
Another Halo hot as a pistol would be Andrelton Simmons. Yesterday he doubled for the 5 consecutive game, 6 now in this run. And batting .406 in this span..............
Mike Trout DEElights in DEE WAR............
Getting reports from the meat wagon that is the LAA starting rotation of this decade, Tyler Skaggs is almost back. One more side session of practice pitching............That would put Skaggs just a little bit ahead of Andrew Heaney............
If you are just getting back into baseball this morning, you need to know that Justin Bour did something as stupid as anybody under the Halo has ever done in a live baseball game. You need to know this in case you read other HH’er making some random comment about Bour’s critical thinking skills............
Also over the weekend, Albert Pujols passed Babe Ruth in career RBI to take sole possession of 5th place.....Or maybe he didn’t...........Either way, Seattle pitcher Anthony Swarzak has a fantastic reaction to being stamped into the record books............
Last week we also saw something pretty rare. It happened in a game with the Rangers. The official scoring on the play was K(1-3), which translates to strikeout, put-out pitcher to first base. TH article goes into the curiosity and effort to research, and the result is that this particular play has happened only 58 times “since at least August 8, 1932.”..............
And one more from The Athletic for those with subscriptions.....LAA starters are not getting a lot of guys out. That’s kinda their main job.............
When we see Shohei Ohtani next, we will learn that he has been assimilated by the Borg..........And you bet, with his bionic arm in place once that Ohtani takes to the plate resistance is futile...............
Weekly Mike Trout Career WAR Perp Walk. This past week Mike has been humanized by his annual dose of nagging injury kryptonite. His groin injury has kept him pretty much neutral (not even the best baseball player in SoCal), and he has not passed anybody. Well, maybe BBR updates overnight and he breaks his tie with the immortal Goose Goslin...........
Everywhere In Baseball
Matt Shoemaker remains snake bit. Shoey was off to a thrilling start for 2019. Top 30 in all of MLB kinda stuff. Then, in the middle of fielding his position and running down, then tagging out Oakland A Matt Chapman, Shoemaker tears his ACL and is out for the rest of 2019............
If you looked close enough when you clicked above, you will see that the Yankees are coming to town without Aaron Judge. Judge crushed his own oblique swinging his bat, Hitting the IL.............
Every little bit of every game delay that has ever been imposed on us fans all came back to earn the full worth this weekend when the Yankees lost a home run in their home stadium due to fan interference by one of their home-town fans. Never again Derek Jeter and Jeffrey Maier............
We need to hurry up and get to the Orioles pitching staff while we need some help for our offense. (That happens May 10th.)...........
Christian Yelich is just crushing it. But crazily, only under certain conditions. It’s gotta be in Milwaukee, and it’s gotta be against the Cardinals, Dodgers or Cubs.............
David Price is certainly provocative, but he has a point. Red Sox GM Dave Dombrowski backed Boston into a corner to buy a World Series trophy. They got their rings, but with their shitty 2019 it might be an opening for Dombrowski to buy his way out of the MiLB cellar. And trading a big name such as Price or J.D. Martinez (but not Mookie Betts. That’s just stupid talk) might be a possibility if things keep going as they have been.............
Everybody is amazed at the brilliant home run robbery here, and the oddball way that the A’s turn a double-play. Yeah, OK. But I am amazed at how far Ramon Laureano throws the damned ball. That’s gotta be in the neighborhood of 365 feet!............
Holy balls is this bad. Robinson Cano gets hit by a pitch on his hand, and in his agony he twists to the ground in pain. Plate umpire awarded him first base. But the 3B umpire overruled that and claimed that Cano swung. Strike. Cano was so injured he couldn’t even finish his At-Bat and as taken away from X-Rays (negative)............
Khris Davis in my canary in the juiced baseball mine...............
If a baseball play-by-play announcer can tell the future, why does he keep waiting until after the action takes place to inform the audience?............
Here is the most in-depth study of the past 3 Free Agent off-seasons I have yet to find. There is a massive amount of great info there. The bottom line, by the way, is that overall Free Agents in 2018-2019 did as well as they did in 2016-2017. 2017-2018 does not a trend make............
The Duffle Bag
Just a warning. In a few years when I visit every ballpark in one season, I will NOT also be doing my best Van Gogh...............Flubbing fly balls and bouncing them over the wall for home runs must be an outfielder meme this season............Old Guys Rule...........104mph. Simply unfair............Derek Jeter’s clown car act in Miami just keeps on dashing about the circus tent and crashing into the tent poles..............Add Eric Hosmer to the 2019 roster of silly injuries............