Saturday, August 13, 2005 |
Two Games
Angels 9, Mariners 4
Jamie Moyer
And so, Vlad. I listened to the game yesterday, coming in late, and so missed the monster shots Richard gushed over; even the Seattle Press-Intelligencer openly thinks about calling those upper deck seats "Vlad's Veranda", as he becomes "the first player to hit the almost-unreachable left-field upper deck at Safeco Field twice in the same game." In a season that appears to be headed for disappointment, Vlad remains the one inconsistent constant Angel fans can rally around.
However much Adrian Beltre's loss hurt at the time, his subsequent nonperformance -- last night's two-run dinger notwithstanding -- hasn't been anything to write home about. Speaking as somebody who wears both a Dodgers cap and an Angels cap: good.
J.J. Putz's epic meltdown -- or an incredible Angels rally, whichever you choose -- altered the game and cost the Mariners a win; the blowup was his worst of the year. You get a sense that this will be the thing that wakes up the M's staff and starts them playing better, taking the next two games, just as the Angels lost the second two against the A's, just as they did against the Yankees on the road recently.
There was a moment early on where Washburn threw the ball away and I found myself thinking -- oh, here we go again. The Angels just can't get through a game or a series and play crisp baseball without making some fundamental error or other. If he's trying to screw things up for himself in the offseason, that's one way to go about it. So, no, not a good game for Wash.
Another good game from Gregg. I still don't trust him -- he did manage to drop one of his splitties into the dirt, always a bad sign -- but he mainly was able to throw strikes and keep going. And I can't leave without saying something good about Donnelly, who managed to atone for the previous day's meltdown in front of the club's principle rivals.
One final word about Finley. Aside from the box-score intelligence that he went 0-4, he had an extra-special moment wherein he failed to execute a bunt properly, popped it up and made an out instead. $7M/year for all this. Ugh. We need a Steve Finley Release Clock, or a betting line, or something. I'm taking the offseason.
No, I don't think Mathis' strikeout was representative. It's his first game in the majors after being called up. What did you want?
Dodgers 7, Mets 6
I missed virtually all of this game playing with my new
toy, but when my wife called from the road (she's up north with her sister-in-law, on a road trip -- better get those in before gas gets to $5/gallon, kids, it ain't gettin' cheaper), I looked up and there was Dioner Navarro. And there was the game.
I should send out a special encomium to Mets reliever Roberto Hernandez, who took a line drive to the shin, got in trouble, and got back out of it. That was a manly performance, for sure.
: 8/13/2005 11:43:00 AMIf a manager yanking an effective starter with only a modest pitch count drives you crazy, don't even think of checking today's Astros game box.
And that A's-Twins game last night was indeed a thing of beauty. An old fashioned pitchers' duel of the very highest degree. I watched more of it than of the Angels game (though I did see that amazing first shot by Vlad into his Veranda; Wow!).
: 8/13/2005 06:27:00 PMI am sure that in his prime Frank Howard could hit one completely out of the park to left. Frank hit the longest homerun I have ever seen in my life at old Connie Mack Stadium in the 60's against Chris Short. I imagine if Vlad played at Safeco more often, he would clear the upper deck in left.
Stan from Tacoma
: 8/13/2005 06:38:00 PM
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