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I get it that players and teams go on streaks. They can all get hot at the some time or cold at the same time. But when the same group of guys generates 4 runs on 14 hits in one game, needing only 6 total pitchers, and then generate 21 runs on 35 hits less than 24 hours later and burn through 14 total pitchers, I have to believe the main difference between the two games is the plate umpire. It would be brilliant of sabermetrics begins digging into umpires and posting that data on their daily tracking pages. If we can invent a thing such as CERA, why can’t we have such a thing as UERA?..........
And, so, Texas is over. 6 games played and 1 postponed and instead of losing 7 games the Angels ended up 3 and 3, with a fair shot at being 4 and 2. The Angels finished their first half with a 10-inning loss, 11 - 10, and we can all indulge in a giant scoop of Cam Bedrosian sour-gummy ice cream.
Bedrosian had been having a pretty stellar season up until June 30th. Since then he has gone 4.2 innings pitched, 9 hits, 11 runs (7 earned), 2 walks, 4 Ks, 2 home runs. And that includes the 6th inning game giveaway last night, when Cam came in and we got to experience a Houston double, walk, single, grand slam home run, double. Then we would get the K, ground out, fly out that we really need out of a 6th-inning reliever, but by then 4 Houston runs had scored and a 4-run Angel lead was pissed away.
The Angels are 45-46, 1 game under .500, 12.5 games out of the AL West lead, 6.5 games out of a WC slot, 4 and 6 over the last 10 games when Houston (1st place) and Oakland (2nd place) have been going 7-3. Both of those records include feasting on Seattle, which we get this weekend. We are 5 and 8 against the Mariners so far.
Cam was due for for regression in general, and the Angels are due for sweeping the M’s. One thing happened this past weekend. Let’s hope the other thing happens next weekend. It’s only fair. And baseball is fair, right?
The team has played 49 games in 52 days. And at the tail end they have suffered the tragic loss of teammate Tyler Skaggs. Some days off are in order. Let’s take a break, rest and reflect.
And while they do, you and I need to sustain our momentum with these All-Star-Break-HaloLinks:
A Little Bit Of Angels News
Andrew Heaney with an opening tribute pitch to honor his friend, Tyler Skaggs. I love how the pitch was announced by Dustin Garneau to Houston lead-off batter George Springer and home-plate umpire Chad Fairchild...........
If you were not watching The Futures Game last night, you missed Jo Adell gaining a lot of camera time. As a player, Adell was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, 1 run scored and 1 strikeout to end the game (tied at 2-2). His hit was off a 100mph Heliot Ramos fastball. But broadcast shots of the kids in the dugout just could not avoid featuring Adell. Lots of personality there. Had Adell realized a base hit in that last, extra-innings At Bat with the winning run on second base, Adell would have been MVP............And, yeah, Adell is going to be a monster............
With 2 more home runs yesterday...Mike Trout has asserted himself on the MLB fWAR leaderboard. is 6.2 fWAR over 87 games would land him at 11.5 fWAR over 162, but Mike’s numbers are driven hard by his last month. If he keeps that up from here on out he would bust 13 fWAR easily. He has also taken over the MLB lead in wRC+.............
All of which puts Trout back into tomorrow’s All-Star game, starting centerfielder. And Mike loves it..............
Jonathan Lucroy took a brutal shot yesterday. The kind of shot that breaks a nose and requires a CT scan. Everybody gets to have an opinion on such a play, and I am no exception. Mine is the still the same opinion I had as am immediate reaction when I watched the play live. Jake Marisnick had a line from 3B to home that had him running down the inside of the baseline. But in his last two steps he strode away from the foul line towards the infield side to put his body in a path to take out Lucroy, AND raised his right shoulder and forearm to protect himself upon impact, imparting the force on Lucroy. Skipper Brad saw it the same way, and thinks that Marisnick needs a suspension............By the way, what we lose in this replay is yet another brilliant throw to the plate by Kole Calhoun. You might want to pay some gahdammned attention, Justin Bour.............
One goes hunting for Links, scours social media feeds for chatter about Halos, and stumbles across Shohei Ohtani being serenaded Happy Birthday on the LAA charter flight in Texas...in Chinese??? Damn, how stupid, how embarrassing...............
Ohtani has been killing it lately. He has 10 hits (4 home runs) over his last 7 games, batting .357 on 10 for 28 hitting............
Matt Harvey will be back next weekend. I know. Exciting, right??............
Weekly Mike Trout Career WAR Perp Walk. I would like to think that we all wake up on this Monday morning and find Mike in the #97 range, at or above Scott Rolen after passing Gary Carter. He is at a location in the Top 100 where he will pass a couple of guys every 0.2 fWAR until he catches Bobby Grich at #90 with 71.1. Then it becomes a longer cycle or two before he reaches Rafael Palmiero at #91 with 71.9 fAR. But the fun one? He is within 2.5 fWAR of Derek Jeter, who took 20 seasons to reach 72.4 fWAR. This is only Trout’s 9th.............
Everywhere In Baseball
It’s All-Star Week. Here’s your guide...........The important things are that (1) Jo Adell played last night and played well, (2) the Celebrity softball game was played last night but will be broadcast tonight, (3) Mike Trout will be on base by 5:15PM PDT tomorrow, and the (3) Angels play next on Friday, in Anaheim, hosting the Mariners. Everything else is a distraction............
If you ask 9 sports journalists whether MLB should be sticking to the rule of every team being represented, you get 8 yeses and 1 right answer. Take it away, Jon Taylor: “I’m not watching the game to see John Means pitch, and I can’t imagine any Orioles fan is going to be swayed to tune in for the minuscule chance that their lone representative will get into the game. The All-Star Game is about stars, not representation. Have the best play in it, not get snubbed because tanking teams can’t be bothered to field players good enough to make it there on their own.”...........
The MLB Front Office got the message from Yankees manager Aaron Boone loud and clear. After Tommy La Stella went down with a broken leg, creating an opening on the AL All-Star roster, the MLB corporate employees of 245 Park Avenue New York made the silly mistake and tabbing Rays infielder Brandon Lowe to replace him. But Lowe was injured himself, necessitating yet another player to be dug up and fill the roster spot. In stepped Boone, who claimed that it was an absolute joke that Gleyber Torres had not been voted in to begin with. Boone was very vocal, even dropping the “first place club” meme because, you know, baseball is just like tennis or golf, where everything is because of one player. Well, that was loud enough to reach those 8 milies across town and remind MLB that there was. another opportunity for another Yankee in the ASG. Bingo. Hello Gleyber Torres. But for the rational-minded among you, please pay some attention to Marcus Semien. That would be 3.4 fWAR Marcus Semien versus 2.5 fWAR Gleyber Torres...............
Somebody needs to explain this to me in a way that can be defended. CC Sabathia will receive special recognition before All-Star game in Cleveland. I can’t recall MLB doing this for anybody else. And it’s not as if Sabathia is some Hall of Fame first-ballot lock. It’s more as if he is just a New York institution. Sure, he played in Cleveland at the start of his career, but that feels like a generation ago now. But interrupt a fan-oriented event that is already interrupting the real baseball season to force everyone to clap about a guy who belongs in The Hall of Very Good?............
Speaking of The Derby, which is kinda appropriate because it’s THE Event for tonight, erstwhile favorite Christian Yelich has been forced to back out, literally. He withdrew due to back issues, and has been replaced by Matt Chapman. There’s your bone from Park Avenue, Oakland fans...........
($$) - And, for the umpteenth time no, there is no Derby Curse............
Six innings, 71 pitches, no-hitter in hand, no problem. Well, rookie, forget about it. It’s 2019 Major League Baseball, and you kids are not trained to pitch more than 5 innings............
Joe Maddon suspects that the MLB baseballs might not be so consistent, after all. In fact, some might even be smaller than normal. But, then, Maddon is becoming that crazy Uncle Joe that every family has saying strange things at Thanksgiving gatherings...............
Francisco Cervelli knows what Jonathan Lucroy is going through. Cervelli has had 6 concussions, and he is done playing the position of catcher for his own sake............
MLB player agent turned Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen is coming to grips with the reality that being on the buyers side of the player-franchise relationship is far more frustrating than being on the selling side. He already fired and replaced the Mets pitching coaches. And when that failed to curtail and Bedrosian-esque performances of the Mets bullpen staff, his anger boiled over to the point where he is now throwing chairs during an emergency meeting with the Mets coaching staff.............
Jack Morris calling out Miguel Cabrera is yet another sad data point on the ongoing metric table of Asshat Morris The Angry Old Man............Morris’ own undistinguished MLB career was propped up as a legacy by Angry Old Men who happened to be BBWAA voters. But, in reality, Morris can’t hold a candle to Miggy’s career............
The Duffle Bag
Nolan Arenado making Major League Baseball look like Little League............This Khris Davis .247 thing is becoming scary.............Max Scherzer, forgetting how to count all the way up to 9............Because mets.............One is most definitely NOT the loneliest number..............