6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog: 25 Hits: Dodgers 16, Angels 3

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Friday, May 19, 2006

25 Hits: Dodgers 16, Angels 3

Well, we can almost assuredly call that the series. The Angels couldn't buy a run, though they hit plenty; with ten hits, it wasn't like the offense took a night off. Trouble was, the only extra base hits were Napoli's double and Vlad's homer. This is how singles offenses fail. They stranded a collective eight runners, and all this despite a rare-of-late 3-5 night from Chone Figgins.

They even lost despite Grittle's miscues; the two that come to mind:

In the bottom of the fifth, with men on second and third and one out and the score 4-2, Aaron Sele came up to bat. Grittle had a chance to pinch hit for him, say, with Olmedo Saenz, and the way the Angels have been hitting of late, a four-run lead should have been enough cushion to win the game. Of course, Sele immediately hit into a double play. Oops.
The second situation was using Jonathan Broxton for mopup duties in the seventh after the Dodgers' blasted the game wide open with nine runs the frame before. Isn't that what they have Lance Carter for? Carter (and Tim Hamulack) eventually did come into the game, but that's not the point. Little appears to have learned nothing since his 2003 ALCS meltdown.

Of course, Scioscia blew it a couple times himself. In the sixth, Scioscia ordered Robb Quinlan to play in — twice — and then the Dodgers hit screaming singles down the right field line that he was unable to play because of his location. It's one thing if it doesn't work the first time, but it's another if it doesn't work at all and you still don't change your plans. That's called folly.

For the Dodgers, everything went right, including for Andre Ethier, whose 5-5 night with a (just) home run capped his young career. As for the team, their 25 hits marked a new Los Angeles record. Aaron Sele gets to see another day in the rotation, though his luck may be close to running out.

Somewhere, Arte's fuming about this loss, and all the others preceding it. Erstad, Figgins, and Anderson all fumed in the dugout while this catastrophe was going on, and I expect some broken fists as one or more players punch out various pieces of ceramicware in the bathroom. If there's any good to come of it, perhaps it means we get to see what Jered can do presently.

Dodgers recap — Angels recap

// posted by Rob @ 11:26 PM link // 0 comments