Final Score in Los Angeles of Anaheim: Rangers 11, Angels 6
Pitcher Joe Saunders had another short, bad outing for the Angels, one from which the Halos could not come back. But it has been revealed that the culprit was not the former All-Star's grit levels, heart or desire to win. No, the Lefthander has been diagnosed with a strained shoulder and was placed on the Disabled List ten seconds after tonight's game ended. Reliever Jose Arredondo will be in Anaheim tomorrow. But just as the injury news was being announced late in the game, pitcher Shane Loux's 4 innings of 1 ER ball seemed to be a glimmer of hope amid the wreckage. Loux seesm to be the logical candidate to take Saunders' spot in the rotation.
Saturday's game was all Rangers, despite an exciting Maicer Izturis 3-Run Homer in a 4-Run 7th inning, which at least forced Texas "manager" Ron Washington to exhaust Neftali Feliz, who ended up throwing 28 pitches, only 23 of which broke the sound barrier with none even close to the speed of light, so so much for all the hype, right?
Angels "reliever" Justin Speier might have ended his carer on the same night as Saunders, Giambi, Padilla and Smoltz with an inning that saw him surrender 3 solo HRs to Michael Young (probable), Taylor Teagarden (who makes Mario Mendoza looks like Babe Ruth so WTF, Justin) and Omar Vizquel (a 43-year old infield glove).
If the game had ben reasonably close, you can bet the miserable home plate umpiring of Bill "fistbump" Hohn would have been the subject of criticism. At one point, he consulted THE CATCHER to rule on a foul tip. You know, because the opponent is so damn objective about close plays. Even Mumbling Mark Gubicza split his lps into coherency and remarked that he had never ever seen that in a baseball game in his whole life. When the MLB finally gets a Tim Donaghy-style scandal ... Dave Parker's cocaine and David Ortiz' steroids are going to look like jacuzzis compared to the tsunami that is on it's way.
0 recs | 73 comments
Why!!! Why!!!! Why!!! Didn't he tell someone he was injured?
angelsfan777 - August 7, 2009
They never do. None of them. They go out to the mound and pitch until they drop.
44FAN - August 7, 2009
Is it pride? Or just dumb pig-headedness?
opiejeanne - August 7, 2009
Pride, responsibility, doing what they are paid a lot to do, not wanting to reveal any weakness,
not wanting to lose, or be responsible for losing and letting the team down, not wanting to hurt their own value as a player by being injured, show that they are tuff by playing through an injury.
44FAN - August 7, 2009
they are taught to be tough and have seen injuries that look like little things derail a career
so they think they can fight through it and end up making things worse
sctrojan13 - August 7, 2009
Pitchers are like cats
Illness is a sign of vulnerability in the wild, so they mask any problems as long as they can.
rspencer - August 8, 2009
Joe has been coughing hairballs
the past few starts…
Rev Halofan - August 8, 2009
Past few months.
jimmuscomp - August 8, 2009 via mobile
turn the page
norcaliangelsfan - August 7, 2009
thank you Bob Segar
Dono Romantico - August 7, 2009
This time Saundes has an excuse
Dono Romantico - August 7, 2009
Please let Speier go.
mjhsieh - August 7, 2009
SPEIER IS STAYING
Loux will be the 5th starter
Pen Order is:
Fuentes – Frankie
Bulger – Shields ’05
Jepsen – Donnelly ’04
Oliver – down by 2, 1 or tied, 5th or later or late inning situational lefty
Arredondo – same as Oliver but more leverage to audition for a later inning HOLD role
Speier – down by 3 or more late
Palmer – down by 4 or more early
Rev Halofan - August 7, 2009
is the loux thing a fact?
or is that just speculation
sctrojan13 - August 7, 2009
speculation
on my part.
Rev Halofan - August 8, 2009
Looks like sound speculation to me
At least for now. If Loux falters, I imagine SOS will be brought up.
rspencer - August 8, 2009
Physioc has confirmed Joe Saunders has been sent to the DL.
Jose Arredondo has been called up from AAA Salt Lake.
44FAN - August 8, 2009
this makes me sad
trojanangelfan - August 8, 2009
im sick of seeing speier...
dude just seems to not give an F… “oh im in the game and we’re losing… whats another 3 HR’s gonna do ha ha ha?” F U speier
BigBangRobbDawgg - August 7, 2009
I feel like if the Angels were completely honest
They would say they put Saunders on the DL for shitty play. They just want to get him out of the rotation without embarrassing him. He’s really taken a turn for the worse these days. I hate watching him pitch.
TheAngelsAngels - August 7, 2009
Ugh
Figgi4life - August 7, 2009
that sucks for whoevers cargo that was
JoseGuillenSux - August 7, 2009
cargo = Angels pitching staff
yeswecan - August 7, 2009
then the angels pitching staff sucks
not that we didn’t already know that
JoseGuillenSux - August 7, 2009
nice call man
TheAngelsAngels - August 8, 2009
holy crap...
this shit is scary looking…dont post this again.
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - August 7, 2009
Speier must have been driving
blochead - August 7, 2009
Hud on the postgame
Discussing Philly getting Cliff Lee: “With all the Angels arms on the farm they should be able to get a pitcher in a trade…”
All farm arms are not created equal. Our farm arms are just not as great as those in many systems AND we ought to think about keeping the ones that ARE good, yeah?
Rev Halofan - August 7, 2009
wait, are you actually taking the time to argue a point by Hud?
dont waste your time…
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - August 7, 2009
Glad i missed this suckfest
Realistically, though, we only had a chance to take 2 of 3 anyway with Saunders starting game 1.
blochead - August 7, 2009
Chances of Speier getting DFA'd?
blochead - August 7, 2009
Who does he get replaced with?
Better to have him at this point, when the alternative is to rush yet another AA (or even single A now) pitcher and possibly jeopardize their development….
Clutch - August 7, 2009
anything would be better than Speier at this point ANYTHING
My suggestions are Mosebach or Rafael Rodriguez, but i think some solid relievers could be picked up via waiver wire and by “solid” i mean anyone that is not named Justin Speier.
blochead - August 7, 2009
Rafael Rodriguez is beyond horrible in the bigs.
Not ready at all.
Wouldn’t miind seeing Mosebach a little more…was impressed the first time I saw him.
clover_black - August 8, 2009
He stunk too
Based on what they are paying Speier my assumption is that they stick with him.
Rev Halofan - August 8, 2009
What about the likes of Jose Arrondondo....
LOL….
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - August 8, 2009
Seriously
Smoltz, Prior, Ryan all better than Speier at this point.
matthiasstephan - August 8, 2009
No they aren't.
Prior can’t throw. Ryan has been released twice and Smoltz had the Escobar surgery last year. Speier is bad – bit better than all of those guys. They are seriously injured.
Maybe Ryan if he is healthy.
jimmuscomp - August 8, 2009 via mobile
Injury my ass...
I doubt that.
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - August 7, 2009
The injury being that he sucks balls
he should go on the DL for being crapppy pitcher.
blochead - August 7, 2009
*a crappy
blochead - August 7, 2009
thats why he is going
he is not hurt, he just sucks, we see this all the time, a pitcher seems to get hurt just as he’s sucking if the team doesnt want to get rid of him
hopefully a little rest and some aa and aaa ball will help
i was just thinking this morning that i hoped this happened
sctrojan13 - August 7, 2009
Saunders all the way
I had barely sat down and taken my first sip of beer before he gave up 4 runs in the first. I turned to my wife and said, “Luckily these tickets were free tonight or I never would’ve came to this game”. That’s the kind of pitcher Saunders has turned into. It hurts me to say that because he was nails last season. Argh…
chairmanofthebar - August 7, 2009
A bad day at the ballpark beats a bad day at the office any day.
Downing Rules - August 8, 2009
Pretty obvious for awhile that Saunders hasn't been fully healthy for awhile
I mean look back in his start in the playoffs. The guy was throwing 94. He lost a decent amount of velocity to say the least after his great first couple of months.
He wasn’t winning with smoke and mirrors. When healthy he’s got great stuff and command. Hope you get healthy soon Joe, but shoulder injuries SUCK. This is not good Angels fans.
MH252525 - August 7, 2009
Hopefully Saunders didn't go for so long without telling anyone that he's now injured beyond repair...
Clutch - August 7, 2009
Saunders did look like he was in pain pitching tonight.
Looked like he had the flu too.
44FAN - August 7, 2009
totally agree.
i firmly believe, despite “statistical evidence” (the same kind of statistics that say the Angels have been lucky for what, the last 8 years?), that Saunders is a very good pitcher. I’m actually glad he’s hitting the DL, gives him a chance to get ready for a postseason run.
101halo - August 8, 2009
how can u vote speier
i mean he sucks and should be dfa’d but this game goes on saundo’s shoulders
5 ER in 1 2/3 and he left 2 runners on, this is all him
is it crazy to think padilla would be a good option?
sctrojan13 - August 7, 2009
hell his ugly ass is pitching better than saundo
JoseGuillenSux - August 7, 2009
since june 30
saundo had the worst era in baseball
before his game of 27+ tonight
from what i heard in the pregame, it was a chemistry issue so maybe padilla would thrive pitching against his former team
sctrojan13 - August 7, 2009
chemistry?
Padilla’s team mates got sick and tired of being retaliated against every time he decided it would be fun to hit an opposing batter with a pitch. Stuff gets old after a while.
44FAN - August 7, 2009
The guy was a total douche
He will not be missed by his teammates or the fans. Just the other day he was cracking up in the clubhouse when one of his fellow teammates got plunked. Not exactly a high character guy that Soth seems to prefer.
blochead - August 7, 2009
he has a huge alcohol problem as well
rangersfan32 - August 8, 2009
thats all this team needs
swine flu…
TheAngelsAngels - August 8, 2009
I saw why Padilla got released.
He plunked a batter. The other team retaliated by plunking Michael Young. The umpire gives both sides the warning, the camera pans to Padilla, and he is laughing and mocking the umpire giving the warning. The Rangers announcer kept going back to it saying how they couldn’t believe Padilla was laughing about getting the warning, especially since his teammate just ate a pitch for him. That guy has no desire. Say what you want about Speier, but you’ll never see him laughing and smiling after giving up 3 homers, I’ve witnessed Padilla do it in Oakland. F that guy in the face.
Quinlan's Goofy Swing - August 8, 2009
quote by saundo
“i’d pitch on a broken leg if i’d had to”
….
JoseGuillenSux - August 7, 2009
This one deserves a Co-Bum of the Game
Keep your head up Colonel, however Speier is DFA ready.
HALO N BRIMSTONE - August 7, 2009
considering we are still in first place
i want the rangers to make the playoffs, because they will lose in the first round and they can keep the red sox* out
sctrojan13 - August 7, 2009
Arredondo can't come up any sooner.
clover_black - August 7, 2009
Interestingly
Speier is actually pitching better this year than last, and is almost league average with an ERA + of 98 (100 = average). I’d say he still has a ways to go, but, tonight’s performance aside, DFA’ing him at this point seems counter-productive—especially given that the rest of the rotation and bullpen are still struggling, AND Arredondo was just called up to replace Saunders, so there’s no clear replacement for Speier, unless a hitter such as Brandon Wood replaces him. Hard to say. Maybe he goes when Torii comes off the DL?
Clutch - August 7, 2009
if they didnt dfa him after he allowed what, 13 straight batters to reach base
I don’t see them ever releasing him, unless he questions mike scioscia.
that’s the only way to get a timeout on this team
Quinlan's Goofy Swing - August 8, 2009
Haha
Yeah, I don’t see him getting DFA’d. Maybe hope he turns it around a bit and then package him up as part of a trade in the offseason to a team looking for a serviceable 1-year rental. He’s been so good for so long before these past two years, though, that you really wonder if he’s hurt, just in a prolonged slump, or just plain out of gas. I’d hate to see him end his career ignomniously.
Clutch - August 8, 2009
I feel bad for Joe
but I have to admit to being a little excited..Ive always been a big fan of Loux. I hope he gets the opportunity.
HaloDutch - August 8, 2009
i nominate myself for BoTG...
i went to dodger stadium when the halos were in town. it hurt seeing the out of town scoreboard. i was neutral but did clap when GA tied it with a base hit in the top of the 9th. i will NEVER EVER make this mistake again.
SCHalo - August 8, 2009
heres the question...
did you pay for the ticket or did you go for free??
haha I am just kidding, we all make mistakes sometimes
trojanangelfan - August 8, 2009
If you clapped for the visiting team, you were obviously not in the bleachers.
Downing Rules - August 8, 2009
LOL, i did go for free.
sat in section 168, reserve i think.
SCHalo - August 8, 2009
In OT, Frankie gives up a walk-off GS.........
vlad IS my man - August 8, 2009
NICE
At least he never did that for the Halos, did he?
Clutch - August 8, 2009
D L sounds like a blessing.
I’ve read posts here about how Howie was underperforming because he had a child. Saunders was similarilly blessed last year and pitched like an all-star. So take this this time Joe and get busy. Horizontal therapy is the answer, or go Kobe style.
hittheg - August 8, 2009
No question there was something wrong with Joe this year
Saunder’s ineffectiveness this season is explainable. As per today’s LA times, there has been tightness in his shoulder all year. Clearly, you can see the effect as there has been a drop in velocity for Joe this year. Below is the velocity chart for Joe’s fastball covering his starts in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Fan Since 1981 - August 8, 2009
On that bogus foul-tip against Izzy,
Were Rory and Gubi right? Did the umpire really ask the catcher what he thought?
red floyd - August 8, 2009
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Halos Heaven to post a comment.