What a perfect way to deliver the Angels organization their 4,000th victory as a club, a CG shutout by arguably their best player on the team. The offense, on the other hand, was extremely disappointing to watch. They still managed to turn in a victory, so all is good tonight in Anaheim.
I know I wasn’t the only one expecting to see the Angels run up the score on Fister and the Mariners after the 1st inning, and I know I wasn’t the only one frustrated the Angels couldn’t knock Fister out early in the game. The man threw 40 pitches and gave up 4 runs in the first for chrissakes! How on earth did this offense let him get locked in a mere inning later? Even more shocking is that fact that no Angel came away with more than 1 hit after that explosive opening inning.
Game Notes
- The most encouraging thing I saw out of this offense today, aside from the fact that they were able to explode with such ferocity out of the gate, was Mark Trumbo’s pinch hit double. For starters, that was only the 3rd pinch hit for the Angels all season, which goes to show just how bad this teams bench is.Seeing Mark Trumbo smack the first pitch for a double seemed to have some magical effect on my pants, seemingly tightening them in the blink of an eye! (Shame on you for understanding that joke). Although, if he can be that effective off the bench on a consistent basis then maybe he’ll be more suited to a bench role. That would require the Angels dropping Branyan and getting their hands on a real first baseman, which is highly unlikely.
- All season Jered Weaver has been showing off one of the biggest traits an ace can possess, the ability to effectively go deep into ball games . Last year Weaver had 0 CG’s, now he has 2 CG’s (1 being a shutout) on the season. He continuously throws 100+ pitches an outing without straining himself or his arm in the least bit and is able to carry his team through tough games. After the offense put up a 4-spot in the 1st inning it was pretty much game over with Weaver on the mound, and to add insult to injury he goes and throws a CG shutout against the Mariners. It’s great to see Weaver bounce back after a tough month of May.
- Aybar’s offensive troubles in the leadoff spot that plagued him last season have nearly dissipated. He’s been practically the entire offense the past month of the season, it’s almost as if he can do it all. He can set the table to the hitters following him and he has the tendency to get clutch base hits with RISP. Aside from him a few of the older players have been building upon positive performances recently, most notably Bobby Abreu and Vernon Wells. Abreu’s average has jumped to .29 during his 7 game hitting streak, while Wells has been striking out less and making solid contact with the ball. This offense has been needing someone with experience to step it up big time, so it’s good to see a few of the vet’s on the team getting their heads on straight.
Halo Hero
King Weaver does it yet again with another CG shutout. As phenomenal as Weaver has been, it would be nice to see someone else on the offensive side of the team step it up a notch. Weaver is everything that this team needs, a selfless homegrown hero who is out for the better of the team rather then personal glory. Let’s hope that he sticks around for the long run.