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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (64-53) @ New York Yankees (70-45)
Pitching Probables: LAA – Tyler Chatwood (6-8, 4.10 ERA) NYY – Bartolo Colon (8-6, 3.33 ERA)
Game Info: 10:05 AM PT; TV – Fox Sports West, ESPN; Radio – KLAA 830 AM
Oh, great, just what the Angels needed, another rookie starting pitcher facing the Yankees. Yeah, that should work out well.
Wait, what’s that you say? Big Fat Bartolo Colon is pitching for the Yankees? Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
I don’t care how good Colon’s ERA is this year, I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him, which is probably only about three centimeters. As for Chatwood? He’s much smaller, so I trust him for maybe about three feet. What? You think you could do better? Have you ever tried throwing a full-grown man? It isn’t easy.
Anyway, given the rough patch Chatwood has been going through lately, the Angels best be ready to jump all over Colon the first chance they get, because there is no guarantee Chatwood is going to be any better than Richards was last night.
Monkey See, Monkey Do – Do hope that Chatwood at least continues his recent trend of throwing more strikes. While Tyler has not had a good line in his last two starts, allowing 11 runs total, he has been good about not issuing free passes, walking just three batters in his last three starts. No team in the majors has drawn more walks than the Yankees, so if Chatwood starts nibbling again, he is going to get himself in trouble in a hurry. He might still get in trouble by letting the Yanks swing their bats, but at least they’ll earn it that way.
Monkey See, Monkey Don’t – Don’t talk to me if Aybar is batting leadoff again. Not only is his OBP at .299 on the season, but he is 2-for-29 this month. If Scioscia is really dumb enough to not only bat someone who is so poorly suited for the role but also is totally ice cold at the top of the order (again), then I might just rip your face off if you bring the topic up with me.
The Monkey’s Bananas Prediction of the Game: The Angels will finally wise up and pitch carefully to Curtis Granderson and he will NOT hit a homer in this game. Crazy, I know. That might be my wildest prediction to day.