The return to action for the Halos was met with a collective thud of wasted opportunities. Dan Haren proved to be mortal and the Angels couldn’t cash in on many of the chances afforded them by the A’s. As a result the second half of the season gets off on the wrong foot and tomorrow’s double header looms even larger.
It’s amazing how one game can completely change your outlook on a team. Prior to tonight, we all thought the Angels might be good enough to get into the playoffs. Last week I was off my rocker in comparing this team to last year’s World Champs the Giants. But after tonight, that 2 1/2 game deficit to Texas appears to be widening like a canyon and the Angels need to get things back into the Pre-All Star groove or it will get ugly fast. See what did I tell you…things move quickly around here.
Game Notes
— Congrats to Mike Trout on his first RBI. I still contend that Trout seems overmatched at this point and often pulls up on balls in the outfield I think he could catch. His 9th inning at bat was a classic case of over-eagerness to please and instead he struck out on a ball four pitch. But he did get a key hit to bring the Angels closer at the time so we take the good with the bad.
— Dan Haren did not pitch well tonight. Haren seemed up in the zone and he paid for it with a huge home run and a seemingly endless parade of sharp singles and doubles. Not sure if it was rust or just one of those days but we all agree Dan on his game is imperitive for Angel success.
— You just kind of felt that if the Angels didn’t tie it up in the 6th when they had bases loaded, one out and Erick Aybar up then it just wasn’t meant to be. The A’s were burning relievers like kindling for a bonfire, but Aybar hit into a double play to end the threat. Well, at least it wasn’t Torii who hit into the DP.
— Up until the double in his last at-bat, Bobby Abreu was primed for the Halo A-Hole award. He has really struggled as of late and seems to be less aggressive even for him. Hey Bobby, I get that you like walks but every once in awhile an extra base hit with a runner on is helpful too.
Halo A-Hole
So we spend the whole day talking about how the key to the Angels success lies in the hands of it’s on and off the field leader and what does he do. 0-4 with a strikeout and 4 left on base. If that’s leadership then we are in real trouble. Maybe Torii should spend less time mentoring the youth of the team and more time in the batting cage trying to fix his swing. Just a thought!!