Final Score in Anaheim:
Oakland Athletics 2, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 0
Baby-faced rookie Trevor Cahill two-hit the Halos' lineup through seven agonizing innings, yielding just a broken-bat single to Vlad Guerrero and an ineffectual double off the wall to Jeff Mathis.
The offense squandered a perfectly serviceable start from Ervin Santana, who began the game in dominant '08 form by flashing an unhittable 94-96 mph fastball. Then, with two outs in the first, he clocked A's catcher Kurt Suzuki in the ribs with said fastball, lost a little mojo,and managed to hit 94 only a few more times the rest of the evening. A solo homerun and a triple - arguably a flyball misplayed by Juan Rivera - did him in.
Things went better in the field. Torii Hunter robbed Rajai Davis of extra bases with a flying stab at the wall in the first. Kendry Morales vacuumed up a pair of wicked short hops to save a couple of errors. In the eighth, Maicer Izturis went full extension to spear a grounder up the middle and flipped the ball from his belly to a waiting Erick Aybar, who then rifled the ball across the diamond in time to record the out. Just your average 6-4-3 putout.
The Angels drop a game in the standings to Texas, who muscled past the Yanks today on 2 Ian Kinsler homeruns and now trail the Halos by a mere four games. This is going to be a dogfight.
0 recs | 37 comments
Stupid Yankees
Can’t do anything right.
moosemastr - August 27, 2009
They have perfected losing to the Angels in the playoffs.
Downing Rules - August 27, 2009
I wrote postgame wrap when I did not see this one posted
HERE IT IS:
Final Score in Anaheim: Oakland 2, Angels 0
So the boxes on the “Hall of Fame” plaque giveaway read “April 9,2009” and the postponed game from that awful date was just no fun.
* HIghlight was a stabbing stop by Maicer Izturis who flipped to Erick Aybar, not to hit 2B for the bases were empty, but to throw to 1B. a cool 4-6-3 single out.
* Torii Hunter made a great catch at the wall
* Santana pitched well but was over a hundred pitches at the completion of 6
* Matt Palmer out of the pen had a perfect 1/3 of a game. Not a ball left the infield.
* Four out of the last Five Angel losses … THIS ONE INCLUDED … have featured the tying or winning run at the plate when the final out was recorded, so don’t get all whiny about just a bummer of a game on a one-hundred degree day in Southern California.
Rev Halofan - August 27, 2009
Matt Palmer Rules!
He just seems to get better and better, the white Darren Oliver. Izturis and Aybar are amazing to watch.
44FAN - August 27, 2009
That was the sickest defensive play I’ve seen. Awesome.
Downing Rules - August 27, 2009
Pure sickness.
44FAN - August 27, 2009
Retched.
Downing Rules - August 27, 2009
Not completely Voodoo's fault.
He was throwing strikes in that third (fourth?) inning… they just kept fouling them off.
Of course, he did let two guys get away after 0-2.
red floyd - August 28, 2009
You're a complicated man Rev...
Just last year, with a comfortable lead in August, you were spouting heresy about “shades of 1995” after a brief skid and a couple of hard losses. Which sparked a series of conversations and an sorta/kinda apology.
Now your talking tough and dont take no whine.
Well, aren’t you a regular ole politician.
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - August 28, 2009
Last few games have been sloppy, but I like what I'm seeing out of the pitching
You can get away with a misplayed ball and a few outs on the paths when you are hitting above 300 w/ risp, but when that dries up a bit, and the long balls aren’t in your favor … it will look like tonight … or every playoff series against the red sox.
Quinlan's Goofy Swing - August 27, 2009
Hunter is missing from the blame game
Quinlan's Goofy Swing - August 27, 2009
With his grab at the wall and sneaky bunt single in the ninth
I didn’t feel it warranted. What’s your case?
rghan - August 27, 2009
3 LOB
struck out in the 1st (2 on, no out), left mathis stranded in the 6th (definitely blame abreu more that inning)
Quinlan's Goofy Swing - August 27, 2009
Figgy's pickoff and Torii's 1st inning K settled down Cahill...
Horrible way to smother that first inning rally.
The pre-game Hall-of-Fame festivities were AWESOME. I attended the game and the only issue was that it was difficult to hear Brian Downing’s voice. I hope somewhere on the internet his speech will be posted.
My highlights:
1. Seeing Jackie Autry in the parking lot, said “hi.”
2. Talking with Brian Downing’s friend while we were both shopping in the Team Store during the game. He was a nice fellow who grew up with Brian and he claimed: “My father ‘discovered’ Brian” and then I heard Brian being interviewed by Hud and Phyzz on the Team Store TV’s and they were talking about how he was ‘discovered’ by his good friend (who I was standing next to while they were interviewing Brian!). Cool. He assured me that he would extend my “Brian is my hero” message to Brian!
Downing Rules - August 27, 2009
Agree with everything in your post
Except when I went to the team store I stood next to a fat chick trying on a Figgins All Star Jersey that did not fit. Then she said it was too expensive.
Rev Halofan - August 27, 2009
Jason Bulger was in the Team Store?
;)
Downing Rules - August 27, 2009
LMAO
panther-esque comment…
vlad IS my man - August 28, 2009
It would seem that
every time the Angels kill a first inning rally they can’t recover at all.
Also, Rivera and Morales need to lift a ball out of the infield.
Teixeira Who? - August 28, 2009
Kurt Suzuki was seen filling out a police report with the Anaheim PD after the game...
he was robbed TWICE tonight.
Suspects: Torii Hunter and Izturis/Aybar/Morales.
Downing Rules - August 28, 2009
Nice.
Clutch - August 28, 2009
Nice recap.
Kendry left his power at home tonight. I was pullin for him…
TheAngelsAngels - August 28, 2009
That was the problem
They were all “pullin”. You don’t do that on a sinkerball pitcher.
red floyd - August 28, 2009
You do on the mistakes
which we seemed to miss out on…
TheAngelsAngels - August 28, 2009
Stellar Defense, dead offense
And a dude sitting in the row behind me who talked loudly and drunkly without stopping. Literally it was 9 innings of non-stop boozy nonsense.
Also believe I saw the Rev, but as it was right as the game ended and he looked none too pleased, I figured I’d choose another game to introduce myself.
OntariGro - August 28, 2009
section 239?
Rev Halofan - August 28, 2009
That's the one.
I was in 240 row D. I was amongst the throng hightailing it out of dodge.
OntariGro - August 28, 2009
two wonderful pitching preformances
the A’s on the mound were good too
hittheg - August 28, 2009
Napoli
Pinch Hit SO batting for a guy who had 1 of only 3 hits.
vladtheimpaler - August 28, 2009
Go Angels!
Prime Rib
vladtheimpaler - August 28, 2009
Why isnt Figgins on the list to chose from
I pick Figgins for being picked in the first. Rally killer there!
Angel Aviator - August 28, 2009
+1
but my peeps here make the polls when it is their poll night.
Rev Halofan - August 28, 2009
At least he got on base
Figgi4life - August 28, 2009 via mobile
It was a good at-bat that got him on base, too. That was one hell of a pickoff move by Cahill. He nearly balked twice while Figgy was on base in the first.
Downing Rules - August 28, 2009
I likedd our defense and pitching, especially relief lately
the sky isn’t falling yet boys
RexTookMyStash - August 28, 2009
yep, the bats were overdue to cool off for a bit
Fred Fredrix - August 28, 2009
Ha yeah, a .300 top to bottom lineup is hard to maintain at best.
RexTookMyStash - August 28, 2009
On that 4-6-3 single out...
Anybody see how the telecast graphic showed the runner reaching first then quickly removed it? Funny
muddybox - August 28, 2009
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Halos Heaven to post a comment.