Final Score in Los Angeles of Anaheim: Angels 6, Indians 8
All Star closer Brian Fuentes blew a save for the first time in a long time as the Cleveland Indians shrugged off a 2HR night by Kendry Morales and a back-to-back-to-back HR outburst by Juan Rivera, Mike Napoli and Morales and came back with a 3 run Victor Martinez blast followed by a Jhonny Peralta solo shot in the 9th inning to win 8-6.
The Angels held Howie Kendrick out of the lineup on Monday and if he is in it tomorrow night at Angel Stadium, it may be in an Indians jersey. With a deal for Roy Halladay to the Angels dead on the Angels refusal to part with owner Arte Moreno's favorite employee shortstop Erick Aybar, the Angels are matching up well with the Tribe's need: a young 2Bman who is inexpensive and loves the fastball for a reliable #2 starter who could theoretically pitch deep into the playoffs.
But they won't be getting to the playoffs with the effort exuded tonight - starter Joe Saunders was lucky to get out of the game only giving up 4 Earned Runs and Closer Brian Fuentes was on the spot to allow the offensive flood that had been banging on the damn Angels dam all night. Carl Pavano could not accept the gift of early run support and allowed the trifecta HRs in the 2nd inning. Saunders put everythign in the heart of the plate and the Indians had a deja vu when Fuentes landed slow fastball after slow fastball for hearty hit to hungrey hitters looking to get traded to a winner.
Then Angels lead in the American League West shrank to 2.5 Games over the Texas Rangers.
0 recs | 114 comments
Sorry Brian.....
normally Im on your side………but tonight……no bueno, just not your night buddy
norcaliangelsfan - July 27, 2009
All Saunders.
Sick of watching this guy struggle through every inning.
Go away.
clover_black - July 27, 2009
saunders
5 innings!!!
i mean u know we have a shitty bullpen
princeton11loveshalos - July 27, 2009
Oh,and HK for Lee....
Love you Howie, but DO IT.
clover_black - July 27, 2009
Fuentes sucks 8=========D
dmoney2741 - July 27, 2009
Hater!
Fuentesaurus just had a bad burrito prior to tonights game, he’ll recover overnight.
HALO N BRIMSTONE - July 27, 2009
44FAN - July 27, 2009
Saunders may suck
and Fuentes may usually be rock solid, but you can’t come into the game with a 2 run lead, record no outs, and swap the leads.
All failure on the 9th inning blow-a-thon.
Bring back Torii.
shiftyeyedgoat - July 27, 2009
let me use that magic spray
and heal torii this instant
i’ll be right back
princeton11loveshalos - July 27, 2009
I saw Torii hamming it up out in the bullpen. What the heck did he say that caused Fuentesauraus to suck? ;)
Downing Rules - July 27, 2009
Fuentes
Swap out “Fuentes” for “Nathan” and you’d have what Twins fans were saying the other day. We said it about Frankie a few times, too.
It happens with any closer, no matter how good.
George Kaplan - July 28, 2009
amen.
I saw at least 2 flyballs fall in tonight that Torii likely would have had.
dmhead - July 28, 2009
as much as fuentes was the blame
he’s been doing great for us
but saunders has just been struggling and nothing new here today
JoseGuillenSux - July 27, 2009
This is all on Saunders
he does his job… no need for Fuentes.
cupie - July 27, 2009
Im very sad to say this but Funtues.
Your still the best but you pitched like a man with no arms.
WillGoAngels27 - July 27, 2009
correction fuentes saunders reggie gmj and quinlan all suck 8============D
Willtits - July 27, 2009
hey GMJ got 2 hits
just with nobody on base, the time a hit would have really changed the game he hit into a tailor made double play. If the Angels have any questions about Torii coming back they need to get another OF. GMJ doesn’t cut it out there.
MH252525 - July 27, 2009
Where's Nate Haynes when we need him?
Seriously GMJ is there strictly for his defense, Willits positively sucks and Q might’ve helped if Sosh allows hime to pinch hit.
Co-BOTG=GMJ, Reggie, Sando and Sosh
HALO N BRIMSTONE - July 27, 2009
Fuck Quinlan
matt92130 - July 28, 2009
I blame Steve Physioc
Phineas_Fogg - July 27, 2009 via mobile
Indeed...boring as ever, probably affected the team tonight
The team must win tomorrow as I’ll be there enjoying Retro Night!
HALO N BRIMSTONE - July 27, 2009
Me too.
He jinxed it with the “50-4 leading after 8” stat.
red floyd - July 27, 2009
No big guys
I would rather loose a game with only one or two guys blowing it then watch the whole team struggle. we’ll be fine
UCIHalo - July 27, 2009
we’ll be fine
I believe that was someone’s sig last year.
It’s a great sentiment. Thanks.
red floyd - July 27, 2009
I blame K-Rod
chairmanofthebar - July 27, 2009
Yeah, his playoff choke performances will be missed dearly.
HALO N BRIMSTONE - July 27, 2009
Fuentes
Dude doesn’t mess around when he blows a save. Not the garden variety 1 run blown lead, this guy shits the bed when he has a bad night and it leads to a L.
At least frankie had the decency to keep it tied when he blew one.
Hoping Kendrick is an Angel still.
Quinlan's Goofy Swing - July 27, 2009
haha i was thinking the same
he had been SO good it was like he needed to get a bunch of bombs out of his system or something
ihearhowie2.0 - July 27, 2009
Well remeber at the start of the season he gave up bombs. And didnt for a long time!
He gets thes out hes going to be good for along time!
WillGoAngels27 - July 27, 2009
hahaha....right? Jesus, Fuentes at least make it interesting...
Load the bases and get like 2 outs before you blow it. Just dont come in pitching BP….
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - July 28, 2009
What are your sources on this Kendrick for Lee trade?
Just wondering…
TheAngelsAngels - July 27, 2009
LA times
dmoney2741 - July 27, 2009
It's a good trade but I still haven't given up on Kendrick
I was ready for him to be one of my favorite Halos. I am conflicted…
TheAngelsAngels - July 27, 2009
Howie Kendrick is the Angels' version of Barack Obama...
He came in with all this potential and hype, and everyone loved him even though he hadn’t done a thing to deserve it. And now, despite his chronic failure to live up to expectations, people still make excuses for him. I say we get rid of Howie now before the rest of the league wakes up and realizes just how overrated he is.
5_Giant_Raider_Clipper_Laker_13 - July 28, 2009
Yeah, well cleaning up eight years of George W. Bush shitting the bed is going to take some time.
44FAN - July 28, 2009
zing!
SenorChuckles - July 28, 2009
Leave the politics out of it.
hauldog - July 28, 2009
Or Howie is closer to the Raider teams of the earlier 2000's
linkbruin - July 28, 2009
Also Freddy Sanchez was held out of the Giants game(hes 6-8 career vs Lincecum.)
Thats another trade going down.
WillGoAngels27 - July 27, 2009
Thanks fuentes
for shitting on the W
dmoney2741 - July 27, 2009
yeah well if you think gmj is good then your a fuckin idiot
Willtits - July 27, 2009
Willits and GMJ are both amateurs!
HALO N BRIMSTONE - July 27, 2009
Results Up
scottnak - July 27, 2009
lose
vlad IS my man - July 27, 2009
Terrible fucking loss
Texas won, we’re in a close race, and we get a 2 run 9th inning lead on a shitty team, and we can’t hold it. Just awful, awful, awful stuff. This is the kind of loss that feels like it can really cool down a team that is coming off a hot streak…a win would have tempered yesterday’s loss as being a bounce-back. A loss makes it seem like a potential trend. It really hurts.
And fuck any trade involving Kendrick. He’s finally back, and I don’t have faith in Cliff Lee keeping this charade up.
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 27, 2009
Yeah but you trust Howie Kendrick??????
Hes gets hurt every year.. Its getting old. i love howie but Izzy is better then Howie.
WillGoAngels27 - July 27, 2009
Maybe not Better.
More Consistent
WillGoAngels27 - July 27, 2009
howie's career numbers > izturis
check izturis’ injury report.
Quinlan's Goofy Swing - July 27, 2009
check Howie's injury report
and don’t forget his awful baserunning
Fred Fredrix - July 27, 2009
boom
TheAngelsAngels - July 27, 2009
Check Howie Career Playoff numbers.
WillGoAngels27 - July 27, 2009
I would take Howie over Izzy any day of the week
younger, equally healthy, and one hundred times more upside which he is right in the midst of displaying the last two plus weeks.
Caseys Kiss of Death - July 27, 2009
agreed, unbelievable how quick people are to bury Angels players on this site
Howie struggles to start the season, and people are ready to bury him. Yeah, sure he sucked in the playoffs. Dude’s a .300 career hitter. He’s hitting like .370 since he came back from Salt Lake. I don’t get the thinking sometimes.
If people want to bury guys like Speier and GMJ, I get that. I don’t get the hatred for Howie.
hk47 - July 28, 2009
shitty team
but they can hit. These things will happen. And I’m conflicted about trading Howie, too, but to call what Cliff Lee has done the last 2 years a charade is flat out wrong. The guy is a legit number 2, maybe even a number 1. He would help us immensely. Have you noticed how shitty our starting pitching outside Lackey and Weaver has been?
dmhead - July 28, 2009
Give Fuentes a break, it was one shitty game.
That said, the Angels can’t continue to put up with the abysmal production from the starters. The offense usually comes up with some clutch hits, but for these two losses they’ve gone missing. Just let Soth do his job and right the ship tomorrow.
moosemastr - July 27, 2009
That said, Reggie Willits can rot in hell.
He just can’t make the big play.
moosemastr - July 27, 2009
Could not agree with you more
I have been preaching this to the empty ear of my girlfriend for months now. There is no question of his effort, but his ability to make the great play is just not there. Simply put.
TheAngelsAngels - July 27, 2009
Big?
He can’t make a garden variety play.
hauldog - July 28, 2009
Howie swapped for Lee works for me!
Send Sando down and call up O’Sullivan ASAP Sosh!
HALO N BRIMSTONE - July 27, 2009
Thats all reagins haha.
WillGoAngels27 - July 27, 2009
Give Saundo a break, the dude has been good just no of late.
SenorChuckles - July 27, 2009
When was the last time he was even good this season?
I honestly cant remember
JoseGuillenSux - July 27, 2009
Greinke duel
linkbruin - July 27, 2009
can he be sent down
does he have any options, so that a team doesn’t claim him?
blochead - July 27, 2009
This is the site I use
http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/
I was actually curious too, so I’ll check it out.
linkbruin - July 27, 2009
it was when we played the NL West.
SD, LAD, and COL were all good starts…
SenorChuckles - July 27, 2009
and of course we can't play the NL west again...
darn! snaps fingers
JoseGuillenSux - July 28, 2009
Saunders is currently the worst pitcher in the majors
Everytime he goes out chances are he is going to get shelled. There is just no way he can be kept in the rotation pitching like this can there?
blochead - July 27, 2009
dude have you seen the nationals?
SenorChuckles - July 27, 2009
He would fit right in with that team
He is not worthy enough to be an Angel.
blochead - July 27, 2009
hes 40-21, career.
he has had 6 straight bad starts not making it past the 7th inning, hes just not good right now.
SenorChuckles - July 27, 2009
I'm not stating one way or another here
Because I think Saunders is just kind of in the middle. But W-L is a terrible indicator of how good a pitcher is.
linkbruin - July 27, 2009
it just shows.
that when he pitches we have a chance to win.
SenorChuckles - July 27, 2009
Hopefully we have a chance to win any game
I don’t think there’s as big a relationship to the pitcher on the mound and how many runs we score as you’re assuming, and that’s the problem with the w-l stat.
linkbruin - July 27, 2009
to be honest im just a big Saundo fan.
but id did say it would be good in Halladay trade. I became a big fan when we pitched a the Big A with a VT hat.
SenorChuckles - July 27, 2009
I really like Saunders as well
I think if he didn’t consistently get so far behind in counts he could be the great pitcher he showed flashes off earlier this year and last year. That’s his biggest thing.
linkbruin - July 27, 2009
he needs to pitch like he has a chip on his shoulder.
he still needs to prove a lot.
SenorChuckles - July 27, 2009
I would Take John Lannan anyday. He is going to be good.
WillGoAngels27 - July 27, 2009
I would Take Stephen Strasburg anyday. He is going to be good.
vlad IS my man - July 27, 2009
I would Take Craig Stammenanyday. He is going to be good.
My brother played for the Vermont Expos(Nationals Low A) in 2006 These were his two roomates. So I have a little bit of favortism.
WillGoAngels27 - July 27, 2009
Indians are dangerous
Getting pasted by the Tribe is something of an Angel Closer tradition.
Fuentes was just getting jumped in tonight. He’ll go back to his regular self tomorrow.
Trade for a bullpen arm only- no major deals.
Rusty Carew - July 27, 2009
Howie for Cliff Lee would make my day
linkbruin - July 27, 2009
mine too
Fred Fredrix - July 27, 2009
probably would also take
a prospect like S-Rod
vlad IS my man - July 27, 2009
* in addition to HK
vlad IS my man - July 27, 2009
Howie+prospect for last year's Cy Young winner is a good deal
linkbruin - July 27, 2009
realistically
I think the Angels need to ALSO add-in a mid prospect with that for CLE to bite………
vlad IS my man - July 27, 2009
Reggie WIllits!
WillGoAngels27 - July 27, 2009
lol
I heard that guy’s a great burger flipper!
vlad IS my man - July 27, 2009
He also does well with those paper bags
JoseGuillenSux - July 28, 2009
They're gonna want a pitcher
Howie+Reckling+mid propsect
linkbruin - July 27, 2009
Howie+Reckling+Willits.
I like it. Throw in Justin Speier to.
WillGoAngels27 - July 27, 2009
Fuentes fault…. he’s a closer, he is responsible for 3 outs. I know its easier said then done, but 3 outs is alot less to ask from a guy then to ask him to go 6-7 innings.
robi s - July 27, 2009
We need true #4 and #5 starters pronto!
I would be willing to promote O’Sullivan to #5 and replace Sando and Ervin with Lee.
HALO N BRIMSTONE - July 27, 2009
bummer of a game
missed it, but kinda glad i did. Fuentesaurus had a rough game…
On the Lee front – i’d try for a 3-for-1 swap…
Lee for Kendrick, Reckling and one of Walden/Bell/Smith/just about any other pitcher not named O’Sullivan.
If we had to, I’d throw in one more low prospect, but not another pitcher.
howiestheman - July 27, 2009
Horrible Game but....
every team will eventually have a game like this… just thank god this hasn’t been a usual occurrence like it was in the beginning of the year… I will be at the game tomorrow and I have a feeling that they will bounce back like they have done plenty of times before.
On a lighter note… anybody got advice for some 80’s gear for tomorrow… I was born in 88 so i kinda missed out on that whole decade
O ya, and I am a fan of HK for Lee, I’d say throw in another mid-level prospect, maybe a good/great AA guy, and see if CLE bites
One more thing…
Go Halos!
trojanangelfan - July 27, 2009
This shit made me laugh!
its Kazmir,Lee,and halladay Angels are looking for. here are trade samples Saunders for Halladay,Santana for Kazmir,o’Sullivan for Lee are rotation would look like this
1.lackey,2.Halladay,3.Weaver4.Kazmir,5.lee.Thats an Awesome rotation + good arms.
Posted by: Angelsfan451 | July 28, 2009 at 12:04 AM
quite possibly the stupidest trade proposals I have ever heard, these trades would cost at least 10 players. you cant run a MLB team like its damn video game…
SenorChuckles - July 28, 2009
Did Aybar play some sick D tonight or WHAT?
Wow! He made two amazing plays.
Downing Rules - July 28, 2009
Saved 2 runs in 7th
linkbruin - July 28, 2009
Seriously?
Is there a source for this idea? The Indians already have a solid 2B/SS in Asdrubal Cabrera (.302 / .358 / .424 at age 23). Kendrick is probably a step back from that. They want a real shortstop or a third baseman. Maybe it makes more sense that Kendrick was on the bench because Scioscia wanted to go with the hot-hitting switch hitters against the righty Pavano? If a trade was up in the air, the Indians also might wanted to have, you know, have a chance to scout him.
The Angels starting pitching right now is a whole lot of ugly. Cliff Lee isn’t going to help that much. He’d get 11 or 12 starts in before the end of the year. Those are starts that would have been taken by Palmer or O’Sullivan. However, the Angels are 15-3 when one of those two guys starts, not because either of them are particularly good pitchers, but because the team scores a lot of runs. The point is, the Angels have a decent chance of winning at least half of those remaining 11-12 games already. How much better would they do with Cliff Lee?
The problem is with Saunders and Santana. These guys are supposed to be the core of the rotation, so Mike Scioscia doesn’t have a choice besides sending them out to get shelled. If they aren’t hurt you can’t do anything besides send them back to Salt Lake, but then who’s going to pitch? The team doesn’t have the flexibility to swap guys out of their spots in the rotation like they have with the #5 position. They have nothing committed to guys like Palmer, Loux, O’Sullivan, or Ortega, they’ve just been moving them in and out and going with what works at that point in time. But with Joe and Ervin all that Scioscia and Butcher can do is hope they do better next time. Cliff Lee won’t solve that problem. They need to get some production from the guys they’re already depending on and winning in spite of (except the last two games).
Suboptimal - July 28, 2009
I feel as though inserting Cliff Lee into the rotation...
would light a fire under the asses of Sando and Santana which could lead to a beneficial sense of urgency and competition in the rotation. Also i am not sold on Soth not demoting either Sando or Ervin if both of them continue to struggle (case and point Jose Arredondo). Lastly, I think Cliff Lee would be very helpful in the playoffs. Simply put he would add to our currently floundering starting rotation and howie kendrick, i am sorry to those HK supporters, might not be too much to lose for some insurance. We already have a logjam in the infiled between Maicer, HK, Aybar, S-Rod, Wood, and Figgy. I say trade HK, rotate Wood/Maicer/Aybar at Second and Short, and Extend Figgy at third (with Woody playing there if Figgy needs a break). Obviously K-Mo at first… that sounds like a pretty solid infield to me and you still have S-Rod at AAA ready to go. Of course if Reagins could swing a deal for Lee centered around S-Rod than do it but I just don’t see that happening…
lmk what ya think
trojanangelfan - July 28, 2009
Agree 100%
The santana and saunders (o’sullivan too) need to feel some heat. They have been coasting cuz of the awesome run support lately.
but none of our guys have pitched like they deserve to be that 3rd pitcher in the playoffs.
robi s - July 28, 2009
all true
but if we actually reach the playoffs, a front 3 of Lee, Lackey, and Weaver would boost our chances alot more than if we were to replace Lee with Saunders or Santana. Of course, that’s more than 2 months away, at which point either of those two guys could be pitching great by then…
dmhead - July 28, 2009
Fuentes threw 13 pitches in the 9th. ALL were fastballs. Why?
Was it explained anywhere why he threw nothing but fastballs?
Fan Since 1981 - July 28, 2009
It was explained in that Cleveland scored four runs and Fuentes got no outs
hk47 - July 28, 2009
Wow.
Howie Kendrick and maybe a prospect for 1 1/2 years of Cliff Lee (a #2 pitcher, really)? ahahaha
If you want Lee it’s going to cost a haul similar to the CC deal. The Indians will not be competing next year if they trade Lee and will be looking for players that are near major league ready … not guys that are nearing their arbitration years.
So, you would be looking at 2, top 20 prospects (one being a pitcher) a low A guy (MI) and a throw-in AAA arm. That’s the kind of deal that would land Cliff Lee. That’s why he probably isn’t moving this year (unless somone gets needy).
The Indians don’t really have a need at 2b as they have Cabrera, Valbuena or even Barfield (if he ever turns it around). So, Kendrick becomes even less valueable to us.
Toxicadam - July 28, 2009
What makes me think this deal might be going down is...
I thought for sure that Kendrick would pinch-hit for Willits in the ninth last night after Gary doubled. He didn’t. Why? It makes no sense unless they are talking the trade-talk.
V-Hawk Angelorum - July 28, 2009
Offering Kendrick to the Tribe...
…looks like it was an invention of the Times writer. Nowhere in there does it say the Angels are actually discussing trading Howie. Howie and Wood have been starting against left-handed pitching, last night with a righty on the mound they both sit. As for Howie not pinch-hitting, Rivera could have pinch hit for Willits the other night in the bottom of the 9th and didn’t, that’s just Scioscia.
Fred Fredrix - July 28, 2009
For what it’s worth, and speaking as an SBN Indians blogger, I don’t think the Indians are especially looking for a middle infielder, nor do I think they’d go for one who generally has a very low walk rate and is headed into arbitration. The only believable part is that Kendrick is really talented, and the Indians do buy low and sell high when they can.
Jay - July 28, 2009
The blown save overshadowed
another solid effort by Kevin Jepsen, who got the four most important outs of the game. Inherited two runners from Oliver and got out of the inning. Then he pitched a shaky 8th, getting out of a 1st and 3rd, 1-out jam. That guy’s got great stuff.
hk47 - July 28, 2009
Jepson pitched well.
The last inning was really hard to watch.
opiejeanne - July 28, 2009
BOTG
Scioscia for leaving Willits in to bat in the ninth. Ugh.
Higz - July 28, 2009
That pile of shit Reggie Willits is the BOTG
hauldog - July 28, 2009
Sorry I was too pissed so I forgot to post the Fuentesauras
mjhsieh - July 28, 2009
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