Final Score: ANGELS 1, Royals 0
Rev Halofan Reporting: Joe Saunders and Zack Greinke dueled complete games and a 3rd inning Chone Figgins sacrifice fly to score Gary Matthews Jr was the difference.
It was Greinke's first loss. It was a 5-hit shutout for Saunders. The Angels are above .500 for the first time since opening day, a game which was also not so coincidentally a shutout by Saunders.
While Greinke gave up only 4 hits in the game, the little things made the difference as a leadoff double in the 3rd by Matthews was cashed in after an Erick Aybar bunt moved him over to 3rd base. The run raised Greinke's ERA for the season to 0.51 while Saunders saw his lowered to 2.66 - you gotta wonder if we were not seeing future AL All Star teammates on the mound in the top and bottom of each inning.
The Angel Stadium crowd of 39,000+ roared the loudest for the 2nd out of the 9th inning when former Angel Jose Guillen struck out swinging on a full count, followed by a fly ball off the bat of Billy Butler to Centerfielder to Torii Hunter to end one of the great regular season pitching duels of the decade.
Of course, I am biased, but after an offseason of reading that regression from excellence for Joe Saunders was an absolute certainty based on all statistical models, the results that his 101 pitches thrown on Friday night amounted were a sly and defiant repudiation of putting theoretical assumptions ahead of the human ability to make adjustments.
While there is no narrative quite as touching as Greinke's overcoming Social Anxiety Disorder to regain the dominance expected of a #1 pitching Draft Pick, Saturday's simple slaying of statistical shibboleths by Saunders was a kick in the head!
0 recs | 134 comments
44FAN - May 9, 2009
Still my FAV win pic!
Thanks for dusting it off!
K3YEROUT - May 9, 2009
dude, i hate grilled chicken
mastermind565 - May 9, 2009
Like a classic film, it deserves to be re-run. I wish I knew who did the original for proper credit.
44FAN - May 9, 2009
'twas
Anaheim of Anaheim
Funke5ive - May 10, 2009
great picture
angelsfan777 - May 9, 2009
Old school pic
Old school being last year. My, how almost new has become old.
vladtheimpaler - May 9, 2009
Is there any doubt as to who the Panther is?
Moondoggy - May 9, 2009
I will laugh if a panther vote even pops up
HaloVET - May 9, 2009
I just voted for Saunders!
Or did I vote for Morales?
You will never know
acuda27 - May 9, 2009
You stuck by him
If you are right, you should get the credit
vladtheimpaler - May 9, 2009
Joe!
Honorable mention to Figgy (even though I didn’t see the play)
and Morales/Acuda
vladtheimpaler - May 9, 2009
Thanks......I'll take my first ever Honorable Mention : )
acuda27 - May 9, 2009
Honorable Mention
Figgins for the sac fly and heads up D in the 7th. Still no doubt that Saunders was the man tonight. Who was it that called a 1-0 pitchers duel in the pregame picks?
turs12 - May 9, 2009
that would be me.
wallispdub1 - May 10, 2009
nasty...............
norcaliangelsfan - May 9, 2009
Epic
Believe the hype. What a battle.
ReggieBullits - May 9, 2009
***P-A-N-T-H-E-R***
eyespy - May 9, 2009
is it just me or is the nail on that thumb freaking anyone else out?
teopeht - May 9, 2009
same
HaloVET - May 9, 2009
Did the chicken come before the egg?
44FAN - May 9, 2009
egg came out of that thumbnail!
K3YEROUT - May 9, 2009
Goose egg baby
Just like Joe was doing all night long
eyespy - May 9, 2009
sothball would say, "The egg should be gold, the egg should be gold for a win picture!"
44FAN - May 9, 2009
Ha! I'd say your shorts are full of eggshells!!!
sothball - May 9, 2009
Sabertooth modeled for me
eyespy - May 9, 2009
ooooh xmen reference
i like
teopeht - May 9, 2009
That thumb has Large Talons!!!
acuda27 - May 9, 2009
Gosh!!!
eyespy - May 9, 2009
great game had me on pins and needles
teopeht - May 9, 2009
It would have been more comfortable shifting to a seat with cushions, yes?
sothball - May 9, 2009
i see what you did there you clever clever man
teopeht - May 9, 2009
...unless you needed acupuncture...
sothball - May 9, 2009
just goes to show
that angels style of manufacturing a run is all that it takes to win
HaloVET - May 9, 2009
You know, Salmon said it in Seitz's interview...
What Soth has done with the Angels is made everyone into a team, believing in the power of teamwork and team accomplishments over individual stats. The Royals had their chances to manufacture runs and failed, and the Angels made it work just once. Once was enough.
Salmon said that back in ‘99 the Angels would get beat by the very good pitchers because they couldn’t score at all against them. And that being able to manufacture runs allowed them to have a chance against those pitchers. Well it sure happened tonight.
AlanFalcon - May 10, 2009
wow
Above .500 for the first time since game 1
1/2 game out of 1st place in AL West.
oh, and Lackey and Santana come back NEXT WEEK.. gentlemen and ladybug, the early season storm is passing, and we’re sitting pretty right now..
b0rd3rline - May 9, 2009
…and Vlad is close behind…
K3YEROUT - May 9, 2009
fyi - I'm a lady also...
angelsfan777 - May 9, 2009
ah, my apologies
its kind of a running thing around here to say “gentlemen and ladybug”.. guess we’ll all have to change that.. :-p
b0rd3rline - May 9, 2009
no that's fine
angelsfan777 - May 9, 2009
Most of us think its guys posting here...
…like an extension of Spike TV. No harm, no foul.
sothball - May 9, 2009
44FAN - May 9, 2009
b0rd3rline with the fail!
teopeht - May 9, 2009
epic
eyespy - May 9, 2009
Teamwork
pendletonmike - May 9, 2009
i've seen snipers do that too
it’d suck if one of those cartridges fell out into the guys uniform though…crazy burn?
teopeht - May 9, 2009
How about the hearing loss?
WillGoAngels27 - May 9, 2009
Joe Saunders:
“The prediction of my demise was much exaggerated”
(I’m taking the liberty of speaking for him on this one)
vladtheimpaler - May 9, 2009
I'll take no pre-game points for a game like that
angelsfan777 - May 9, 2009
you may regret that at the end of the season if you miss first place by one point. Ha Ha
44FAN - May 9, 2009
I've lost quite a few so it won't be by 1
angelsfan777 - May 9, 2009
i'll take it too
i cant believe Rev got 3 on it
teopeht - May 9, 2009
shocking, and the Angels could not get just one more hit for me. Oh well there is always tomorrow.
44FAN - May 9, 2009
I love how pumped saunders got
when he struck out guillen, you could see him saying F*** YEAH
HaloVET - May 9, 2009
Wish I coulda been here for this one, had to follow it on a friends phone.
I said it yesterday though. If there was anybody on the staff right now that could go toe to toe with Zack Greinke, it’s Joe Saunders. Fantastic game for the Colonel tonight.
TheOptimist - May 9, 2009
1-0 pitchers duel is greater than a 9-8 homerun contest anyday
Great job Hokie Joe
linkbruin - May 9, 2009
I have to agree with you on that.
angelsfan777 - May 9, 2009
I am no Lakers fan but...
Stu Lantz in an Angels hat is awesome
trojanangelfan - May 9, 2009
pic?
vlad IS my man - May 9, 2009
ill try and get one
but he was on Angels Live after both Weaver’s and Saunder’s gems rocking the Halo
trojanangelfan - May 9, 2009
Forever an Angel
trojanangelfan - May 9, 2009
One of the best games I've ever seen in my life.
3rd Echelon - May 9, 2009
NEVER
angelsfan777 - May 9, 2009
I think so...
To continue to even acknowledge the guy is already too much.
3rd Echelon - May 9, 2009
NEVER
AlanFalcon - May 10, 2009
Awesome game
And what do you bet that it gets 15 seconds on Baseball Tonight, while the four-letter network spends the whole hour dissecting the Skanks and the Sux losses.
red floyd - May 9, 2009
Yesterdays HR by the Fraud
minimum 20 minutes
eyespy - May 9, 2009
god that got old so fast
nobody cares that he hit a HR on his first AB.
teopeht - May 9, 2009
Like Rory said...
He was probably tipped off. ;-)
AlanFalcon - May 10, 2009
Way to go Joe.
Out-dueled the guy with a sub-1 ERA.
Zu Long - May 9, 2009
I was there
And oh man you could feel the energy and tension! I’ve been to some great games in my life but this was one of the best!
TheAntiSox - May 9, 2009
LUCKY
eyespy - May 9, 2009
wow im jealous
teopeht - May 9, 2009
You should be. It was that awesome
TheAntiSox - May 9, 2009
win
vlad IS my man - May 9, 2009
let me fix this for you
mjhsieh - May 9, 2009
Surrender the sweep, or else...
Big Easy Halofan - May 9, 2009
Tight
TheAntiSox - May 9, 2009
i dig this pic
teopeht - May 9, 2009
Yeah, very cool.
3rd Echelon - May 9, 2009
I think the first one is Albie Pearson...
…and the 3rd is Leon Wagner. Not sure about the rest.
sothball - May 9, 2009
Can't quite figure the stadium either.
Is that Autry in the distance in the white hat?
sothball - May 9, 2009
Looks a little to Chubby to me to be the singin cowboy
WillGoAngels27 - May 9, 2009
Autry wasn't too svelte in the early 60's!
I think the 4th guy is Bobby Knoop.
sothball - May 9, 2009
My Neighbor.
WillGoAngels27 - May 10, 2009
Knoop?
If so, you agree that’s him? I’d love for you to see if he can name the others in the photo…and confirm that’s Autry in the distance.
sothball - May 11, 2009
I think it's Wrigley.
red floyd - May 9, 2009
CHAVEZ RAVINE
Look at the smooth slope of the left field fopulpole seats in the upper right corner.
Rev Halofan - May 10, 2009
You're right.
red floyd - May 10, 2009
Final line on Santana
5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB:4 K, 79 pitches
b0rd3rline - May 9, 2009
No Joe Saunders
But I’ll take it. :)
vladtheimpaler - May 9, 2009
we should give him another week
vlad IS my man - May 9, 2009
I'm just glad he's getting the work in.
TheOptimist - May 9, 2009
Angel Pitching
Angels Defense
Get past that.
vladtheimpaler - May 9, 2009
Don't forget the Sticks
We be bringing them too
eyespy - May 9, 2009
I love the pic and headline story on MLB.com...
3rd Echelon - May 9, 2009
that's awesome
angelsfan777 - May 9, 2009
absolutely nothing on espn
This could have been billed as so much more.
linkbruin - May 9, 2009
Yeah, but they do have Saundo listed
as a “Top Performer” at the bottom of their MLB page along with Stults and Longoria
3rd Echelon - May 9, 2009
BEST THING ABOUT THIS WIN
it said Greinke wins 7th on yahoo before the game
HA! Fail
princeton11loveshalos - May 9, 2009
1 Month and Still not Forgoten
WillGoAngels27 - May 9, 2009
Amen.
3rd Echelon - May 9, 2009
:pounds chest and points up at sky:
2009 for Nick!
vlad IS my man - May 9, 2009
Nick will be remembered here for a long, long time...
and Henry and Courtney. And I hope Jon continues to recover.
sothball - May 9, 2009
Amen.
AlanFalcon - May 10, 2009
Wasn't at the game
But the next best thing: being with my mom and dad back home in OC watching the Colonel kick butt!
stolenbases - May 9, 2009
Baseball Tonight's lead was Zack Greinke getting his first loss.
Saunders’ complete game shutout didn’t get as much play as I would have liked, but atleast it was the top story.
TheOptimist - May 9, 2009
Just about to post the same thing.
It was the lead, but it was all “Greinke, Greinke, Greinke”. and “Oh, by the way Saunders threw a CG shutout… Greinke Greinke Greinke”.
red floyd - May 9, 2009
Halos: Ignored and Underestimated since 1961
teopeht - May 9, 2009
I have given up on ESPN
IMO Baseball tonight really isn’t even worth watching if you are an Angels fan. As much as I like baseball tonight, except for Steve Phillips, the East Coast bias is unreal.
MLB network isn’t too bad if you have that channel.
All that really matters to me is that we have one of the Greatest franchises in all of professional sports as our own. Our Owner cares not only about his players but also the fans. We get to go watch baseball in an absolutely beautiful Stadium and most of all, WE WIN
trojanangelfan - May 9, 2009
Adam Kennedy is on the A's???
Is this a recent thing??
bc56274 - May 9, 2009
yeah there was a fanpost about this
another turning to the dark side.
teopeht - May 9, 2009
I didn't see it.
AK is officially dead to me.
bc56274 - May 9, 2009
come on now....
the guy has a family to provide for….obviously its not the same AK that played for us…..he’s just trying to hang on as long as he can……I see nothing wrong with it….
norcaliangelsfan - May 9, 2009
Okay, he's back alive to me.
I’m easy.
bc56274 - May 9, 2009
LOL
thats what she said.
norcaliangelsfan - May 9, 2009
Wow what and awesome game by Saunders.
I had to DVR it as I had a graduation to go to. I also saw it on Sportscenter. I think they showed 3 of Greinke’s 5 K’s and NONE of Saunders’s 6 K’s. All they showed was a play by Figgy and the flyout to end the game…..
Can those who said the Angels wouldn’t contend this year because Saunders would regress eat crow yet? The guy has plus stuff with plus command. He’s no fluke.
MH252525 - May 9, 2009
Stupid midwest bias at play again...
bc56274 - May 9, 2009
I just saw an updated report that was far more favorable towards Saunders.
44FAN - May 9, 2009
went to my first game of the year
and what a great one. great game by joe! what a fun game to go to. one of the best in my life. if only i had better seats…
TheAngelsAngels - May 9, 2009
section....
vlad IS my man - May 9, 2009
538 big dog
nose bleedin it. what can i say? college student. i have to legitimately save to go to these things
TheAngelsAngels - May 9, 2009
power to you bro
me 2
princeton11loveshalos - May 10, 2009
Best comment on Royals Review Gamethread:
I won’t be posting for a while, I have to clean up the vomit
by Olentangy on May 9, 2009 7:59 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Wait Until It’s
Over.
I used to be an A’s fan until they left town and got good.
by philofthenorth on May 9, 2009 8:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
44FAN - May 9, 2009
Woke up to find a 1-0 CG shutout!!!
Musta been some game…
stuck in Romania - May 9, 2009
Great game tonight
And the Colonel was on fire. I truly believe as bad as this season has been, in terms of expectations and on the field play, we may have turned the corner. Not only will our starters return shortly, we have studs to help solidify the pen in Loux, Palmer and a healthier Oliver. Optimism wins out, I knew it was too early to give up on this season, complete game by Saunders, after WTY’s complete game, it don’t get much better than that. Go Angels!!!
halofolife - May 9, 2009
This game reminded me
of that duel between Pedro in his heyday and Ramon Ortiz (back when everybody thought he was going to be the next Pedro). I also love the fact that this game KILLED everybody on ESPN’s Streak for the Cash. Seriously, all the current leaders picked this game and LOST. That’ll teach them to pick against the Halos.
turs12 - May 9, 2009
The game was soo sick
sittin up in the nosebleeds (514) with the free angels tix i got for going to a ducks game a while back. Also, a photographer with redbow noticed my Del Ninja shirt, and I think he was a fellow HHer
anaheim angels - May 10, 2009
so awesome! :O
scottnak - May 10, 2009
that would be me!
hell, are we in the same fantasy league, too? My manager name is the same as my HH name.
neochoa - May 10, 2009
sick!
i dont think so, I just checked. My fantasy name is the same as my HH name as well
anaheim angels - May 10, 2009
There's a team "Anaheim Angels" in my league, my team name is "Team Awesome."
because, well, it is.
neochoa - May 10, 2009
so it is
mine was until, stuck in romania beat me 10-0
anaheim angels - May 10, 2009
I always look for the Money Quote:
“simple slaying of statistical shibboleths”
And there it was.
WiHaloFan - May 10, 2009
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