The Angels did all the right things they didn’t do the night before to get the win. They ran the bases well (6 stolen bases), pitched well (Haren CG), and had timely hits (from Hunter and Aybar). Now we can all sit back, relax and get ready for the main event of the series with the knowledge that, at worst, the Halos will get a split and head home with a winning road trip.
— Dan Haren was awesome in his complete game win. I think he goes into every game now knowing he has to throw darts since the offense doesn’t usually give him much run support. Jose Mota even made a joke about it on the telecast (which got a weird, nervous laugh from Dick Stockton). You look at the monsters the Tigers have in their line-up and the CG is all the more impressive.
— When the Tigers decided to run out Jacob Turner, I got a little worried and for five innings that worry was justified. Turner is the real deal with really good stuff and good command. The Angels lucked out that he was on a pitch count and had to be pulled in the sixth. This is not a guy I want to see on a regular basis.
— If Jeff Mathis can’t get down a sac bunt then he might be more useless than we initially thought. How much longer are we going to have to suffer him as a viable catching option? This is borderline torture.
— I’m officially calling for the Mark Trumbo for Rookie of the Year campaign to get into high gear. This one is going to be tough since the Angels get very little national publicity, but the dude derserves it. Come on Halo Fans, let get behind this!!!
Halo Hero
I dare you to name three better shortstops in the game right now. His all around performance today was a sight to see. Three hits, 2 runs, 2 Stolen bases is a good day at the dish. Add in the ridiculous double play he made to when the game was in the balance and he gets the award for the day. Aybar doesn’t look it, but he is one of the smartest ballplayers out there right now and seems to always make at least one heads up play every game. That’s a gold glover in my mind.
Game Notes