6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog: Repeat After Me: An Ugly Win Is Still A Win

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Wednesday, April 14, 2004

Repeat After Me: An Ugly Win Is Still A Win

The great thing about ugly is its diversity. For instance, here's a new kinda ugly I came across today, the 10 worst album covers of all time. Then there's James Lileks' discoveries in the cookbooks of yore, The Gallery of Regrettable Food. As a kid growing up in the 60's, I can vouch that my mom not only made dinner from some of these recipes, but they actually looked like the pictures included therein. It's a wonder I didn't run away to become some kind of skinny aesthete who only eats tofu and string beans.

And then there's tonight's game.

Let's face it: Ortiz is never going to be anything beyond a number four. Four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings? At this rate, I'll be happy if he gets his ERA below 5.00. While it wasn't a blowout, this is beginning to look like the upper limit of Ortiz's ability. Fortunately, he managed to get reasonable run support, even though he gave up a two-run tater -- would it be an Ortiz outing without one? Ask for the opposition's ball in the stands -- it's the Ramon Ortiz sign of quality! But all carping aside, the offense didn't stink for most of the game, considering the team was up against historic Angel-killer Freddy Garcia.

If there was any theme to this game, though, it had to be the Moneyball saw closers are overrated. I would have felt a lot better leaving Frankie in the game, but stupid rules are stupid rules, and in went Flyball Percy. One half-inning later, the M's tied it up, 5-5. Mercifully, the Mariners' bullpen obliged us in return and coughed up a walk to Guerrero and two stolen bases to Figgy. Inbetween, Myers managed to peg Guillen on the same damn hand he got hit on earlier in the season. Expect fireworks tomorrow if Guillen's still in the lineup. Jeffy sent one deep to Ichiro!, who, arm or no, wasn't able to keep up with DeChone's legs, and the Angels won, 6-5.

A few additional thoughts:

Just who the hell does Shane Halter think he is? Somebody needs to tell this guy he's only a bench player. Bench players don't have a .375/.444/.500 line. Of course, that was going in to today's game, but driving in two on a gap splitting double goes a long way toward making me feel better about Glaus' continued downtime. Of course, the same comments apply as for Bubba Crosby, but what a fine start for this sub.
Rah rah rah for the Kingfish having a good night at the plate. 3-4 (one triple shy of the cycle) is a damn fine evening.
Sean, what's that you're smoking when you're writing about Erstad's purported great season? 10 for 43 is .238, hardly "great". I can dance the sample size tango until the end of April, but Ersty needs to step it up.
Between K-Rod (I'm disliking the moniker less these days now that he seems to be earning it) and Shields, the bullpen is definitely improving. Weber continues to make me nervous every time he's on the mound. Note to Osama: lose the ultra-goatee. It's just weird. Update: How about that out pitch Shields made to a freshly-hurt Ichiro? Ichiro fouls one off his ankle, and then Shields chases him out of the batter's box with a fastball that looks like it's aimed right for his elbow... only it slides over the plate for strike three. Nice bit of psychology and pitching, that.
Update: Just who's idea was it to have a gimpy Guerrero run home on a close play? Do we have our own version of the Cubs' "Wavin'" Wendell Kim at the third base coach position?
Update: if you're an M's fan, you have to be liking this game, even though it was a loss. The team was finally swinging the bats reasonably well, and even managed to prolong the game by a half inning. Sure, the bullpen finally gave out, but it wasn't one of those lopsided laughers the Angels handed the Mariners last week.

Update: corrected Ramon's and Ersty's numbers after the box score was finally published.

// posted by Rob @ 11:48 PM link // 0 comments