6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

Roaring, Biting, Mauling Tigers 10, Puny Angels Bats 1

David Matranga (1 AB prior to today's game)? Starting at 2B.

Kevin Gregg (2 ER, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 4 BB)? Loser, and on his way to Salt Lake.

This game was a setup by Mike; they were going to lose it almost no matter who they put on the mound, unless maybe it was Randy Johnson, and the way he's been pitching lately, I'm not sure he's even a good name to use.

It'll take a while to get the taste of this one out of my mouth. At least Woods and Yan had good, if brief, appearances.

Recap

That Goggle-Wearin' Man O' Mine: Dodgers 9, Reds 3

If you wonder why I've got such a man-crush on Phillips, a good bit of it is that I've always had a soft spot for catchers. Back in the days when Lasorda ran things, my favorite players were Steve Yeager and Joe Ferguson, and then this new guy, Mike Scioscia. By the time Piazza came up, I was in full baseball disconnect. On the one hand, it would have been great to see the early years of a player who's likely to go down as the greatest hitting catcher of all time; but on the other hand, to watch him get traded -- twice -- by inept News Corp. management would have eaten me alive. Maybe it was better that I didn't care when that went down.

Bradley, too, had a nice little night, going 3-4, as did Ricky Ledee, whose .319/.400/.507 season -- which almost certainly is a fluke -- gives the Dodgers some nice breathing room until the still-hobbled Jayson Werth can make it back to the big club. Griffey got off a highlight reel play on an otherwise certain home run by Bradley in the fourth; he would turn around and hit a solo shot in the next frame. In a perfect top-this moment, Bradley would turn around again and nail Eric Milton for a solo shot deep in the outfield bleachers only Superman could have caught.

Mike Edwards at least got a hit, which makes his continued presence on the big club's roster more likely. No matter what happens, I'm quite certain Tracy will keep a close eye on his bat over the next few days; the team needs some production at the hot corner until the legit prospects can come up, either later this year, or after spring training next year.

Finally, I did want to mention something about poor old Ben Weber. He's given up the double-pump thing he used to do while with the Angels, but his results are no better than they were last year. He used to be an extreme groundball pitcher, but that looks gone, as does his velocity. He just struggled and struggled on the mound, barely keeping the ball in the strike zone as the Dodgers just skied almost everything he threw at them. You can see the end coming for him; release by the All Star break, or maybe even before. Ben's a good guy, and it's sad.

Update 5/9: I should also add that Helen noticed something telling about the Reds' home park last night: it's not even June and there are ruts in the outfield from where their corner outfielders stand. That says their outfielders are permanently parked in the same place 90% of the time, and don't know how to position themselves. Given the pitch-to-contact fad they promoted last year, that sounds like a recipe for failure, and sure enough, their .6814 defensive efficiency isn't making a believer out of anybody, or getting the wins they need. Too, Eric Milton, whose 43 home runs led the league last year (the next worst were Greg Maddux and Matt Morris at 35 apiece) seems ill-suited to a park that amplifies home runs.

Recap

// posted by Rob @ 10:02 PM link  //  3 comments