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Tuesday, August 16, 2005 |
No Excuses, Mike: Blue Jays 4, Angels 3
No damn excuses. Not only did the Angels waste a brilliant outing by Joe Saunders, but the loss was preventable. After Frankie walked in the tying run, out he goes. Or should have gone.
That game was absolute crap.
Update: Okay, things to take away from this:
- Gregg is getting better. No way do we trust him after last year's late-season awfulness, and this year's early-season awfulness, but lately he's been throwing strikes. Consider it a revokable gift from God.
- Shields is losing it. He needs to be a one-inning pitcher.
- Frankie has lost it. He needs to be a one-inning pitcher and rested as much as humanly possible. When Escobar comes back, I'm seriously thinking about dubbing him closer and moving Frankie back to his 7-8 inning role.
- Finley should have been pinch-hit for in the ninth. There was no justification whatsoever for letting him continue to hit. Or, maybe, that was the straw that broke the camel's back; Mike has said previously that Finley was brought in to provide those kinds of late-season outings. Finley should be benched for the remainder of the season, except to provide Figgy an occaisional day off. Period. I mean, really, the guy couldn't even get down a sac bunt. Pathetic.
- On second thought, I understand Mike not wanting to pull Frankie too early, but c'mon: with the lead gone, it should have been a no-brainer.
- Anybody thinking Kotchman was going to provide significant amounts of offense needs to recall that he's still principally an 0-fer hitter lately, with six 0-fer games since being called up on August 2. This isn't a knock on him; he still has some hitting to do in the minors. The "Erstad to center" idea is just a trial baloon, and while Angels fans might be quick to jump on that bandwagon, a more studious look would reveal that it just moves the offensive hole from centerfield to first base.
- Juan Rivera was hitting .364/.447/.515 on the month going into today's game. If anybody's giving this team an offensive boost late in the season, he's it. I don't trust him, but given Anderson's gimpy hip, it's worth keeping him around a bit to let Anderson heal up a bit.
- Vlad's offense continues to be on-and-off, but more on than off in August. This is Good.
- Can we please for the love of God end the Cabrera-in-the-two-hole experiment? Unfortunately, the alternative seems to be Erstad in the two hole, and he's not doing much better.
ESPN Box (when they finally decide to publish one) • Recap
Comments:
"That game was absolute crap."
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Couldn't have said it better myself. The positives were the great outing by Saunders and the surprisingly effective work by Gregg.
But right now this doesn't look like a team that will make it past the first round of the playoffs, assuming they even make the playoffs. Generally it's a good idea to have a closer who can find the strike zone.
And Finley, as usual, did a fine Scott Spiezo impression.
What shit.
- Chris
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Couldn't have said it better myself. The positives were the great outing by Saunders and the surprisingly effective work by Gregg.
But right now this doesn't look like a team that will make it past the first round of the playoffs, assuming they even make the playoffs. Generally it's a good idea to have a closer who can find the strike zone.
And Finley, as usual, did a fine Scott Spiezo impression.
What shit.
- Chris
# posted by 
: 8/16/2005 10:15:00 PM
: 8/16/2005 10:15:00 PM
Yeah I agree Finley should've been pinch hit and I think Escobar should be getting serious consideration for the closer role.
Finley should be relegated to the bench warmer role. Granted, $7 million a year makes for one hell of an expensive bench warmer but so be it. Signing him was perhaps an honest mistake on Stoneman's part given Finley' stellar year last year. I think what happened it that he went super nova and no longer has anything left to offer at the plate.
- Chris
Finley should be relegated to the bench warmer role. Granted, $7 million a year makes for one hell of an expensive bench warmer but so be it. Signing him was perhaps an honest mistake on Stoneman's part given Finley' stellar year last year. I think what happened it that he went super nova and no longer has anything left to offer at the plate.
- Chris
# posted by : 8/16/2005 10:44:00 PM
: 8/16/2005 10:44:00 PM
As long as Cabrera gets a hit a game and can bunt, I like him better in the 2 spot than down in the lineup. We have too many outs coming from the 6 to 8 spots (DaVanon, J. Molina, Finley, and often Rivera). At least, his spirits are up in the two spot.
One of the guys at Fanstop said ABC News reports that the Angels are on the verge of a big deal. I'm awaiting an answer on where he heard this (radio, online, TV). With the uncertainty with GA, we definitely need another bat.
One of the guys at Fanstop said ABC News reports that the Angels are on the verge of a big deal. I'm awaiting an answer on where he heard this (radio, online, TV). With the uncertainty with GA, we definitely need another bat.
Do you really think the team should have Kennedy #2 and Erstad #3? Scioscia said that Kennedy hits too well to be a pure situational hitter.
Scioscia said that Kennedy hits too well to be a pure situational hitter.
What the hell does that mean?
What the hell does that mean?
# posted by : 8/17/2005 10:29:00 AM
: 8/17/2005 10:29:00 AMNewer› ‹Older
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