6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog

Per MLB.com and countless other media, though the first mention I can find so far (cribbed from Halos Heaven) is a Jon Heyman tweet from CBS Sports. Hanson has been said to have lost considerable zip on his fastball, which dipped below 90 MPH for the first time on a regular basis this year. Fangraphs is first out of the post with analysis, and it basically matches my own thinking:

The question, then, is exactly how much better Tommy Hanson makes them. He makes them at least a little better, because he’s a fifth starting pitcher on the roster. Previously there was no one in that slot. But there’s a reason the Braves didn’t have Hanson in their projected rotation, and there’s a reason the Braves gave him up for a reliever, even though he’s under team control another three years. The Tommy Hanson that exists now is similar in many ways to the Tommy Hanson that used to exist before, but when it comes to pitching, there are alarming differences.

For my money, and given the Angels' dire situation with the bullpen early in the 2012 season, sending Jordan away is no small matter. I don't like recent acquisition Ryan Madson's inability to stay healthy. Madson had Tommy John surgery this year, so he's going to be back at some point in the 2013 season, though just when that might happen is still an open question. Even though my rule of thumb for UCL repairs is 18 months, that number is now down to a year, but we'll see how it goes. Even then, there's no guarantees, and while I didn't like Jordan's lack of movement — he could throw hard but not fool anybody — it seems we are deeply into "devil you don't know" territory here.

I'm okay with getting rid of Ervin Santana — the Brandon Sisk deal was exactly the sort of thing you can do, though it was risky exercising his option and then trading him. On the other hand, Santana showed an elbow ligament tear on an offseason, post-trade MRI, so this could easily have been the beginning of his own Tommy John surgery and perhaps a shot at redemption. But that won't be in the Angels rotation. Likewise, I'm fine with the prospect of Haren going away, and Greinke (though the jury is still out on whether that happens, the Dodgers are apparently the lead team there). For this to work, we have to believe that Hanson is at least going to fill out the fifth starter role effectively, and I'm not entirely sold on that.

Labels: angels, braves, royals, trades, transactions

Per @EKayAngels on Twitter.

Update: Craig Kimbrel got the nod in the NL for his work as Atlanta's closer.

I should add this is the Sporting News award. The BBWAA award — the one that counts — is yet to be announced.

Labels: angels, awards, braves

Injuries Galore Imperil An Already Shaky 2011: White Sox 8, Dodgers 3

Hiroki Kuroda's third big-time implosion this year (the first being vs. St Louis on April 14 and the second at Citi Field May 6) was hardly the big occasion in this game. No, it was injuries to Andre Ethier and Rod Barajas that drew the most attention in a totally forgettable game. It seems like these days, a Dodger game that doesn't end in a 15-day DL stint is a success, forget the score. The good news, such as it was, was that neither Barajas nor Ethier broke anything according to x-rays, but that doesn't mean they won't be offline for a while:

Ethier suffered contusions to his left big toe, lower back and right elbow Sunday trying to flag down former teammate Juan Pierre's fourth-inning line drive in the Dodgers' 8-3 loss to the White Sox. Barajas suffered a sprained right wrist in the same inning, trying to make a diving tag at the plate as Pierre scored on Paul Konerko's sacrifice fly.

I could see either or both causing soft tissue damage, with a consequence that the Dodgers end up having to play one of their quad-A players in the outfield and/or behind the dish.

ESPN Box • Dodgers recap

Angels Go Over .500 With Series Win: Angels 4, Braves 1

A tough opponent and a hard time winning at home looked like the Angels were due for another brutal series loss, but after crushing the Braves 9-0 on Friday, the Angels shed Saturday's loss like so much water off a duck's back. Torii Hunter's two-run homer, a scoring groundout by Alexei Amarista, and a Bobby Abreu RBI double did the trick for the win, while Tyler Chatwood posted a fine rebound game following his catastrophic start in Oakland, providing the team with seven innings of one-run ball. The bullpen deeply appreciated it, because Saturday's game used every available arm.

ESPN Box • Angels recap

Labels: angels, braves, dodgers, recaps, white sox

I have very little to say about yesterday's loss, other than noting that Joel Pineiro was unable to continue his high-wire act indefinitely. When you give up eleven hits, you're playing with fire, and so eventually one of those ended up in the Atlanta bullpen, negating all but one run of the 4-0 lead the Angels had built up for their starter.

ESPN Box

Labels: angels, braves, recaps

I have been watching the Angels between my outstretched fingers of late. Losing five straight games seems indicative of the sort of team I thought (but weren't entirely sure) they might be before the season started, so when Torii Hunter lost the game-winning ball in the sun yesterday, I just cringed and turned the page.

I'm glad I did, because it picked up the narrative from April, it seemed like, all in one game. Now, granted, I think a bunch of this was because Braves starter (and former Oakland ace) Tim Hudson got hit hard from the very first batter. In fact, this was something of a historic slaughter for Hudson, because it represented only the fifth time he's given up eight or more runs in a game, the most recent being July 29, 2006 against the Mets. I think we all assumed he was going to be a multiple Cy Young winner, when what he became was merely a very good but flawed pitcher. Hudson's 2010 was very like what I assumed he would be, 17-9 with a 2.83 ERA, but the ERA and wins were both high-water marks in his time in Atlanta.

The Angels pretty much had their way with Hudson after the second inning, and you could tell it was coming, too. The outs were all but consistently hard-hit: Maicer Izturis, a screaming liner to right, Erick Aybar, a scorching grounder to first, and so on. They broke through in the third by pushing six across in a punishing display of offensive fireworks that came about despite lacking Howie Kendrick in the lineup due to a hamstring pull in Thursday's game. Three of those were due to a homer from Mark Trumbo, a no-doubter in that eventful third that put an exclamation point on the Angels' W.

The rest of it was largely denouement for Ervin Santana's complete game shutout, the sixth of his career, and something of a surprise to me; but Ervin has always been full of surprises, good and bad, the whole time he's been an Angel. More of this sort, please.

ESPN Box • Angels recap

Labels: angels, braves, recaps

Our Savior: Angels 4, Rangers 1

Weaver's fifth complete game of his career, and his fifth straight win this year — where are the Angels minus teh Weav? I don't know, and neither does anyone else. The offense kept moving along by dribs and drabs, posting single runs in four separate innings (including a much-needed homer by Vernon Wells, and a league-leading sixth homer by Howie Kendrick).

For one blessed day — maybe the last this season — the Angels are in first place. Hallelujah, and amen.

ESPN Box • Recap

Garland's For The Victor: Dodgers 6, Braves 1

The second complete game victory of the day, Jon Garland — the ex-Angel and ex- and once again Dodger — posted a complete game win over the Braves, the eleventh of his career. Somehow, somewhere, there's an irony about this, but I can't now find it.

On a day when Frank is scurrying into conferences with his legal team to investigate ways he can keep the franchise that is steadily evading his grasp, this complete game win seems utterly apropos: a brief celebration of the great things of baseball that allow us to overlook its transcendentally vile business dealings.

ESPN Box • Recap

Labels: angels, braves, dodgers, recaps

James Loney had a 1-for-4 night at the plate, which represented one-fifth of his offensive output over the last week. Loney's craptacular start led MSTI to write a post defending him, albeit as someone who desperately needs to get the hell out of Los Angeles (his road splits, and splits against right-handed pitching, show a fairly compelling-while-cheap first baseman). It occurred to me early on that Loney was remarkably similar to the Angels' Casey Kotchman. While their career arcs are liable to be quite a bit different, neither is outstanding. One of Loney's comps is the infamous High Pockets Kelly, widely regarded as the defining moment for vote-rolling favoritism by the Veterans' Committee, while Kotchman's comps include underwhelmers like Sid Bream. Kotchman seems to have reinvented himself in limited playing time for Tampa Bay, where he currently sports a small-sample-sized .313/.389/.313 slash line. It seems a similar fate awaits Loney, who deserves jettisoning at the first reasonable trade opportunity, or at the very least, a dramatic reduction of his playing time.

The real question this game answered, was "Is the Dodgers bullpen really this bad?" The answer, it seems, is an emphatic "yes". The team's relief corps is the fourth-worst in the league, with a 5.00 ERA collectively, with only three relievers — the fragile Hong-Chih Kuo, the unreliable Mike MacDougal, and Matt Guerrier — having ERAs below 3.50. Kenley Jansen, last year's 0.67 ERA superhero, and Ramon Troncoso, who still hasn't found his 2009 mojo, both self-immolated on the mound to put the game well out of reach. Leaving Jansen in a game that he was allowing to steadily slip away felt like a vote of no-confidence in the offense from Don Mattingly.

ESPN Box • Dodgers recap

Labels: braves, dodgers, recaps

The Giants ended Bobby Cox's long tenure in Atlanta, squeezing a win out of three runs and a fine Jonathan Sanchez pitching performance. Once again, Brooks Conrad butchered a play to give San Francisco the lead in the ninth; I wonder if he doesn't get moved or released in the offseason.

ESPN Box

Labels: braves, giants, postseason, recaps

Twins

I am inclined to agree with David Pinto: Fire Ron Gardenhire. At some point, there must be accountability, and the Twins have lost all but one postseason series of the last decade, and the first of the new one, for the third straight time by a sweep, and the 12th straight postseason loss. Gardy's contract is up for negotiation this offseason, and I can only assume he's going to be renewed. But I could be wrong.

My main point for his firing: a 3-0 lead going into the 6th on Wednesday, and he can't find it in his heart to pull his starter, Francisco Liriano? Not even after Liriano had a genuinely unimpressive 4.29 September ERA?

Braves

I have been exchanging talk with the Baseball Crank on Twitter, and it seems to me that the list of Hall of Famers Bobby Cox has managed might, by itself, make an interesting post (even including presumptive Cooperstown denizen Greg Maddux). But I say now, the whole series really fell on the poor sap Brooks Conrad, whose three errors made it possible for the Giants to slip past the hometown nine to ultimately advance to the NLCS. Brooks Conrad will never be confused with Brooks Robinson, but Bobby Cox will almost certainly make it to the tablet of Fame in New York.

Labels: braves, giants, postseason, twins, yankees

• Let's get the bad news out of the way, if indeed it is: Frank McCourt pulled the plug on president Dennis Mannion. Mannion was responsible for the Mannywood section (pulled down in early August). The Times article mentions a press release, but none appears on the team press release page. Typical Frank.

  Update: Steve Dilbeck:

  It was Mannion, of course, who absolutely trashed Jamie in a deposition in the McCourts' divorce proceedings, claiming she was frequently absent from executive meetings and not capable or interested in focusing on the team.

  Frank thanked Mannion profusely for his support, and then showed him the door. What a workplace.

• Fun stuff: Mike Scioscia will return to "The Simpsons", guest-voicing himself on an upcoming episode.
• If it weren't for the Giants' 1-0 victory last night over Atlanta, no home team would have won a postseason game. Roy Halladay pitched only the second no-hitter in postseason history with a 4-0 complete game over the Reds on Wednesday. Tim Lincecum was nearly as good, getting a two-hit shutout yesterday while fanning 14 Braves. Year of the Pitcher, indeed — helped out with some bad umpiring (again), which is why there are calls for greater disciplinary transparency. The Twins had similar problems with their Game 2 at home (resulting in a 5-2 loss to the Yanks) on a blown strike three call to Lance Berkman; the next pitch ended up bouncing off the wall for an RBI double.

  The Rangers return to Arlington Saturday after making the Rays look like Little Leaguers two games in a row, the second against a shockingly feeble Tampa Bay offense that failed to score in a 6-0 loss Thursday.

Labels: braves, dodgers, firings, front office, giants, postseason, rangers, rays, twins, yankees

In no special order:

• I was disappointed but not entirely surprised by the sort of year the Angels posted. The problems with the bullpen showed up early, from players who were expected to be and in fact were regulars. The real sad surprises of 2010 were Kendry Morales' broken leg that sidelined him for the balance of the season, ineffective offense from Bobby Abreu, the collapses of Erick Aybar and Jeff Mathis, the failure to transition effectively to the majors by Brandon Wood (who is on his way to being one of the worst offensive position players in history), the long-predicted decline by Joe Saunders, and a dreadful year by Scott Kazmir. That the Angels did not elect to return Eddie Bane to his head of scouting role is not too surprising, since some of these failings can be laid squarely at the feet of the man now occupying the GM's chair, the former head of player development, Tony Reagins. The team's 80-82 finish means they get a protected draft pick in 2011, which they will need.
• The Dodgers' 2010 was in many ways more baffling to me. If there is a reason to think that Matt Kemp should have so thoroughly regressed, I would like to know what it was. He ended the season with more strikeouts than hits, posted the lowest OBP of his career, and posted the worst full-season UZR/150 of his career. Of course, he wasn't the Dodgers' only problem; the rotation was a patchwork quilt outside of Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw, whose improvements (though somewhat uneven in Bills' case — he had a poor April and June) amounted to its only bright spots. Hiroki Kuroda — whom I falsely remembered as being injured much of the year — managed to pitch nearly 200 innings while keeping his ERA to an entirely respectable 3.39. The rest of the rotation was a mess, with Vicente Padilla actually spending scads of time on the DL, the Dodgers picking up Ted Lilly for no discernible reason, and John Ely up and down to prove why he doesn't belong in the majors (just yet?) after a very promising start. With the McCourt divorce case 90 days (at least) from its first resolution, the team's ability to manage its payroll is seriously in question for the first time since McCourt ownership started.
• The NL West and Wild Card races went down to the final day, and were both exciting. The Braves beat the Phillies 8-7 in a game that at first looked like a blowout after Atlanta's offense made it an 8-2 lead after six. The Phils treated it as a spring training game, trotting out a sequence of relievers in unaccustomed order, but it became a nail-biter late as Tim Hudson faded in the seventh, and the bullpen leaked runs, though not so many that the team lost.

  That set up the prospect of David Pinto's massive tie scenario, wherein Atlanta, San Francisco, and the Padres all end the season with 91-71 records. This would have meant a game 163 between the Giants and Padres in San Diego to determine the NL West winner, and the winner from that would have to fly to Atlanta to determine the Wild Card. But as the Giants blanked San Diego 3-0 behind Jonathan Sanchez and four innings' worth of relievers, the Giants took the NL West flag, and the next games start on Wednesday with the Braves as the NL Wild card.

  Similarly, even though the Yankees made it to the postseason, their 8-4 loss to Boston combined with a 3-2 Rays victory over the Royals (in 12 innings) means the Bronx Bombers won't take home a division flag this year. Small victories, right?

• Firings: It's that time of year, of course; the biggest news is that Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel are out in Flushing, with the team announcing a search for GM and manager, respectively.
• Pirates manager John Russell is out after three seasons; I had to scratch my head for a bit, because I didn't remember who got the job after Jim Tracy left.
• Ken Macha will not return to Milwaukee after two losing seasons. Word has it that he did not have a good relationship with Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, but as always, those sorts of things can be overlooked if the team is winning. I wouldn't be surprised to see him land in Pittsburgh.
• Contrariwise, Kirk Gibson will retain the helm in Arizona for at least another year.
• Postseason predictions: My picks for the ALDS series are the Yankees and Rays, though I am rooting for Minnesota; however, the Twins will be without the services of first baseman Justin Morneau, recovering from the effects of a concussion incurred during a June game.

  In the NLDS, I like the Reds and Phillies to advance; despite the problems Ryan Howard has shown against lefties, Philadelphia is still the class of the NL, though the distinction isn't as great as it once was. The Giants should be grateful they made the postseason, and the same is true of the Braves. I wager both series should be over in four games.

Labels: angels, braves, dodgers, giants, pirates, postseason, rays, reds, yankees

Chad Billingsley had things nicely in hand for six innings, but Joe Torre left him in one inning too long, and that was the ballgame, as the normally steady Dodgers relief corps fell apart. MSTI's analysis of Ramon Troncoso's sudden fall from grace also explains much, above and beyond Joe Torre's overuse of him this year; basically, Troncoso, who was the root cause of much of this game's catastrophic nature (despite the loss being charged to Bills), has had peripheral collapses every year for the last three seasons, this one included. He's walking more, striking out fewer, and getting fewer ground balls. Not a good way to stay on the team, honestly.

ESPN Box • Dodger recap

Labels: braves, dodgers, recaps

I Hate Getaway Day Games: Angels 5, Royals 4

At first, I was upset by missing this one entirely; I had my iPhone on vibrate, so when the MLB At Bat app alert ticked on, I didn't hear it. Too bad, because this one completed another Angels series win.

On the other hand, even though the Halos led the whole way, and Jered Weaver pitched another gem, I did miss

• Howie Kendrick having another 0-fer game in the two-hole. Dude, snap out of it.
• Kevin Jepsen exploding for two runs while making only a single out.
• Brian Fuentes surrendering a two-run jack to right-handed slap-hitter Willie Bloomquist. At some point Scioscia has to start paying attention to his platoon splits against righties, currently .263/.364/.711. Right? Am I right?

ESPN Box • Angels recap

Not My Kuroda: Braves 4, Dodgers 3

Hiroki Kuroda actually only gave up three earned runs, but the other kind counts too, and that's what sank the Dodgers. The offense didn't do much against Braves starter Kris Medlen — when I heard Vinny call his name on the radio, I assumed it was a typical Anglophone mistake pronunciation of Medellin, also the Columbian capital. But no, he was born right here in Artesia. He sure did a number on the Dodgers, who scored all their runs facing Aussie Peter Moylan, who allowed all his inherited baserunners to score. Thus the game.

A couple of injuries also marred this one: Jeff Weaver was announced but failed to take the mound; he apparently has a blister. Also, Casey Blake failed to make the start because of back spasms, and is presumably day-to-day.

ESPN Box • Dodgers recap

Vin Scully To Follow Dodgers To Fenway

To broadcast the interleague series against Boston. Yay!

Messenger Duly Shot In Baltimore: Dave Trembley Fired

They should fire Peter Angelos. Third base coach Juan Samuel will take over.

Fortunately, The Great Irish Author Is Long Dead

... or else the other other James Joyce would be getting the umpire's calls, too. Ironically, the living, not-author, not-umpire is a Tigers fan.

Dodgers Activate Charlie Haeger

The Dodgers activated Charlie Haeger from the 15-day DL, and optioned Travis Schlichting to AAA Albuquerque.

Bud Selig: 28-Out Perfect Game To Stand

And that's for the best.

Labels: angels, braves, dodgers, firings, funny, injuries, managers, recaps, royals, transactions, umpires

Ubaldo Jimenez, effectively wild early, and walked six. Changing to the stretch, Jimenez became unhittable and threw a no-hitter, the first in Rockies franchise history. He even helped himself with an RBI single in the fourth. An amazing performance for Jimenez and the Rockies, who haven't exactly been known for their pitching. Congratulations Jimenez and Colorado!

ESPN Box

Labels: braves, recaps, rockies

Mike Lowell Trade Off As The Third Baseman Gets His Thumb Worked On

Oops. Whether this negates the deal has yet to be seen, but Lowell himself isn't counting on being in a Red Sox uniform in 2010.

Dodgers Media Network?

Wuzza? Plus Jeanne Zelasko.

Javier Vazquez Back In The Bronx

Javier Vazquez is a Yankee again, acquired from the Braves for Melky Cabrera and a couple prospects. Shocking to me because the first go-round, Vazquez only lasted one year in the Bronx before getting shipped off to Arizona for the decreasingly valuable Randy Johnson.

Update: Via David Pinto, the final details of the trade:

• Braves get: Melky Cabrera, Mike Dunn, and Arodys Vizcaino.
• Yankees get: Javier Vazquez and lefty reliever Boone Logan.

Yankees Pay $25.7M Luxury Tax

And here I thought they were exempt.

Labels: braves, dodgers, hot stove, rangers, red sox, trades, transactions, yankees

I swear, I checked the score on my way out of Angel Stadium, and then by the time I got in the car it was a blowout, the Braves scoring five in the ninth. Ramon Troncoso and Guillermo Mota — the two culprits in Friday's and Saturday's losses, respectively — got on the mound again, and with the same results. Huh.

Now, I don't know if this qualifies as part of Joe Torre's bizarre bullpen utilization habits or not, but from the surface, it sure looks like it. Is there nobody else who could have pitched those innings?

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Labels: braves, dodgers, recaps

It's not like the Dodgers didn't have their chances in this one; despite letting Japanese import Kenshin Kawakami take a perfect game through the first three innings, the Dodgers erased themselves (Orlando Hudson in the fifth on a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play) or stranded baserunners in scoring position, leaving men at second in the fourth, fifth, seventh, and most depressingly, tenth innings, and failed to advance even one base in the eighth after a leadoff walk to Rafael Furcal.

The ensuing Kelly Johnson homer in the top of the tenth off Guillermo Mota — so good so often lately — seemed like an inevitability somehow, erasing all the good work of Clayton Kershaw and the three other relievers ahead of him. I confess, I thought Broxton would be the one to give up the lead, especially with his toe-induced wildness; but he struck out the first batter he faced, Martin Prado, and induced a couple infield bounce outs after that.

The Dodgers actually managed to load the bases in the bottom of the tenth (the final runner being Manny Ramirez on an intentional walk), and even pushed across a run on Andre Ethier's bloop double before that, but Matt Kemp wasn't up to the task, quite, and hit a ball up the middle that Yuniel Escobar turned into the final out with a fantastic play that nipped Kemp by a step.

You hope for better this afternoon, that's for sure. Jon's take is about right.

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Labels: braves, dodgers, recaps

As I was leaving the park yesterday, I switched to this game, which at the time, the Dodgers were winning.

Well, that didn't last long. Jonathan Broxton recorded his second blown save in his last four appearances, and Ramon Troncoso and Scott Elbert both gave up a pair of runs, Elbert on a three-run jack that allowed the last of his inherited baserunners to score.

The Cubs also lost to Colorado 6-2, hence the "trifecta". Blech.

On top of the loss, Chad Billingsley left the game early with a hamstring strain. Double blech.

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Labels: braves, dodgers, recaps, suck

Angels Escape Windy City With A Win: Angels 9, White Sox 5

I missed virtually all of this because I had work to do; apparently Vlad hit an absolute bomb in this in the third, and Bobby Abreu unloaded his career 250th longball. Good to see them get a salvage job; Ervin Santana got the win despite another meh pitching performance (four earned runs over six innings).

Yahoo box • Angels recap

Well, Of Course: Dodgers 5, Braves 4

Derek Lowe comes back to Dodger Stadium and pitches well against his old team? Well, of course.

The Dodgers offense strands a bunch of guys (nine in all)? Well, of course.

Andre Ethier finds a way to sneak one over the wall and still win it in regulation? Well, of course.

What a great ending to a game!

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Labels: angels, braves, dodgers, recaps, white sox

This looked to be a fairly taut pitcher's duel early on, with the game hanging on the kinds of plays that make the difference in such contests, Jair Jurrgen's 1-3 inning-ending, lineout double play in the top of the second being the most visible; but then you had predictable non-events like Chad Billingsley striking out with the bags juiced to end the fourth, or the Braves twice stranding a man on second in the first and third. The Dodgers finally broke through in the fifth, when with two out and two on, Matt Kemp reached out and tagged a fastball that wasn't as high as Brian McCann called for, and launched it out of the deepest part of the yard.

That was as much offense as the Dodgers needed tonight, and even though Billingsley got yanked after hyperextending his knee in a very awkward pitch, perhaps itself the consequence of a leg cramp he experienced during his at-bat against Matt Diaz. A thoroughly disgusted Billingsley found himself pinch-hit for in the top of the sixth (by Jason Schmidt, of all people, who even got a hit, the second pinch hit of his career); Bills ended with the win anyway, so there's that.

Kemp ended the day with five RBIs on a night when Manny Ramirez ended up stranding five. Go figure.

Yahoo box • Dodgers recap

Labels: braves, dodgers, recaps