See what happens when you start to give a small amount of credit to the Angels bullpen? They trot Fraudney and his sideways cap out for an inning too long and he ends up costing the game. Which is too bad since it spoiled a great pitchers match up as Joel Pineiro came off the DL and into the rotation with a bang. It just would have been nice if the Halo Hitters had joined in the reunion party.
Game Notes
— I give the Angel hitters credit and think that they are just going to continue to roll on with the hit parade and instead they decide to strike out 14 times. I’ll give you second to absorb that stat. Of the 27 outs recorded half were of the swing and miss variety. That is just pitiful. James Shields made the Angels look like T ballers who hold the bat the wrong way as he thoroughly dominated the game for 8 innings. Only a bullpen meltdown allowed the Angels back into the game.
— Joel Piniero’s outing was a clear Halo Hero performance as he matched Shields pitch for pitch for seven strong innings. Piniero got his allotment of ground ball outs and seemed to have great command, walking one and making only one mistake on the homer to Joyce, who is fast becoming a real pain in the butt for the Rays.
— I have long been an opponent of the contact play since it seems as if it rarely works, but the ninth inning was a clear example of why you put that into action. I was listening to the game on radio and the great Terry Smith did a masterful job of detailing how Hunter’s break caused the bobble and gave them the run. It was really the only way the Angels were going to score and I was proud of Scioscia for being aggressive.
— I need to research this but at this rate it seems like the Angels will set a new record for extra inning games at their one a week pace. It would be a good idea for them to win more of them then they are though.
Halo A Hole
How do you ruin a pitching masterpiece by two starting pitchers? Just add Fraudney!! He exceeded his one pitch, one out limit in the 8th and should have never seen the mound in the ninth. When he gave up the double, I knew it was over, but on a wild pitch? That is just cruel irony. Poor Hank Conger would have had to be a Stanley Cup winning caliber goalie to make that kick save. So thank you Fernando, you earned this award in style.