Friday, September 02, 2005 |
Two Games
Rockies 11, Dodgers 3
Scoring, they tell us, is down at Coors Field, but you'd never know by this game. The Dodgers lately have had a hard time with the Rockies in Colorado; this year they're now 3-4 against them in Denver. Weaver was just bad, the second time this year he's lost at altitude. If not for Mike Edwards' home run, I could have sworn the Dodgers were playing back home again. With 22 hits between the two clubs, four of them home runs, the Dodgers just couldn't get it together. Personally, I think Weaver's setting himself up for a disappointing offseason so far as salary's concerned, but what do I know.Angels 4, Mariners 1
Over at Baseball Prospectus, James Click recently wrote an intriguing piece about how the arrow of time affects our perceptions of the season. By running the season backwards, the Angels fall behind immediately to 3.5 games back of first place Oakland, who went 17-10 in their first month. By the end of May, the Angels find themselves trailing by an impossible eleven game deficit, and at the All-Star break, they've slipped even further back, to twelve and a half games. (The Rockies, in case you were wondering, lead the backwards NL West with a 37-45 record.)I bring it up because (a) it's cool, and (b) it shows how expectations change your evaluations. As Click points out, people wonder about the Orioles because they started off so hot and then cooled, never looking at the team's aging offense. So it is, to some degree, with the Angels. After their hot start and eight and a half game division lead, I expected the Angels would cruise into the postseason, but the A's proved their early season struggles weren't indicative of their talent.
The rotation has been what's kept the Angels in contention throughout the season. If the Angels' rotation starts to fall apart -- shows some regression -- I won't be too much surprised, but they've shown a remarkable resilience I certainly never anticipated. But at the same time, it's been the hitting that hasn't gotten it done throughout the second half.
That wasn't the case tonight, though, as Erstad and Vlad both homered, with the Angels collecting eight hits besides. The only Angels hitters to miss getting any hits were the allegedly hot Rivera, and Kennedy, who at least got on base by a walk, the latter ultimately scoring a run.
The last few games have seen some remarkable plays, and tonight's game was no exception. In the bottom of the fifth, we got three consecutive treats:
Vlad's 300th career home run
- First, Figgy was correctly called "safe" on an extremely close call at third. Beltre's tag actually hit the dirt before he got it on Figgins, though third base umpire Bob Davidson crooked his right arm like he was about to call "out" -- and then unfolded both to call "safe", which brought out Mike Hargrove for an extended conversation he did not win.
- Second was Jeremy Reed's catch of Anderson's sac fly in the fifth. The catch itself was remarkable, and Reed stumbled getting the ball out of his glove. Scioscia, in turn, tried to get the (correct) call turned his way to no avail.
- Of course, the biggest treat in the fifth: watching Vlad simply crush a ball in the deepest part of centerfield. Hopefully now that he's got career shot 300 out of the way, he can get back to being Vladtastic again.
Bartolo Colon and John Lackey, the Angels' two most consistent starters, are likely candidates to start on short rest at least once down the stretch.-- worked as motivation? Byrd's pitching like a man who doesn't want to miss any turns."We want to give Bart as many starts [as possible] at the end of the season, also John Lackey, the way those guys are throwing," Scioscia said.
*Rich writes to remind me that K-Rod was most assuredly not getting it done four days in a row, though he did pitch four days in a row.
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