6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog: A Win That Feels Like A Win: Angels 6, Orioles 3

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Saturday, April 21, 2012

A Win That Feels Like A Win: Angels 6, Orioles 3

I will get my negativity out of the way early tonight, and limit it to the second inning Albert Pujols at bat in which he flied out to the warning track, only to find this thing we call the marine layer. You think the geography has conspired to kill Prince Albert? I have seen him hit batting practice balls against the far wall of the away bullpen when he still sported Redbird colors at Dodger Stadium. Time and subtlety has eroded him, and the Angels are the poorer for it, despite their signing of the Great Man.

That said, so many things went right that it scarcely seems sporting to speak of anything else. The Angels got off to a 2-0 lead in the first on a combination of back-to-back doubles by Torii Hunter and Mark Trumbo, and they never looked back. In fact, if anything, Trumbo's exit in the eighth inning felt like a cheap shot by Mike Scioscia; he had been playing left field with some credibility, actually retiring J.J. Hardy in the fifth with a bit of effort.

The big score of the game was on Howie Kendrick's bases-clearing double in the sixth thanks to another error against the O's by Adam Jones (throwing) that allowed the team its margin of victory. Baltimore came back on a Nathan Reimold two-run shot in the top of the seventh that made it a game again, but no more, and so it stayed to the end, thanks to Angels closer Jordan Walden. For some reason, previous wins felt tenuous and slippery; this one was much more substantial to me. I can't put a finger on why, but I really think this is the start of the season for the Halos.

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