Final Score in Adventureland: Angels 3, Rangers 2
Jered Weaver pitched deep into the 8th inning, Kevin Jepsen blazed 100 MPH heat to Hold the game and Brian Fuentes got a Save with a dreadlocked asterisk as Erick Aybar made one of the great infield catches on a liner that you will ever see. Angels radio announcer Steve Physioc botched the last play of the game on KLAA, a screaming liner to 1Bman Kendry Morales that tired old Phyzz called a strikeout after ten seconds of silence, deflating any drama for Angel fans lucky enough to have missed the terrible announcing of Eric Karros and some monotone dreary yapper of a play by play guy on the Fox National telecast.
Vladimir Guerrero showed very little plate discipline, golfing Ball 2 of a 6th inning AB into the LF seats for his 6th HR of the season, but plenty of Angel fan "experts" will whine about him swinging at that pitch and demand he be lowered in the order. Vlad was on 2nd base earlier in the game when Kendry Morales doubled him home. Terrible, over the hill and sloppy on top if it all, right you bandwagoneers... uh, I mean, baseball experts?
Besides Weaver's masterpiece over a lineup that scored 11 runs against the Angels less than 15 hours before today's first pitch (7.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 11 K, 1 BB), Jepsen's truly game saving stuff dominated the Rangers late in a way that Ranger true believers are convinced is the sole proprietorship of their Mister Special Neftali Feliz. Jepsen came in with runners on 2B and 3B with only one out and got a strikeout and a flyout while everyone else in Southern California was biting their nails or stuffing fingers in their ears to avoid terrible announcers on radio and television.
When closer Brian Fuentes was brought in to get the final 2 outs against lefty batters, Erick Aybar nabbed a smoking Josh Hamilton liner up the middle for the inning's 2nd out. Little Glovey-Dovey Aybar had homered off of Eddie Guardado in the 7th inning to put the Angels ahead. Texas manager Ron Washington had brilliantly brought in Guardado to turn Aybar around and bat from the right side. What an idiot.
Meanwhile, to tarnish the lit-up Halo, one ha to wonder if Fuentes giving up three hard hit liners to lefties means that he is still lost in the woods of Incompetency looking for a return to Excellency Mountain. Check that radar gun, Kevin Jepsen might have inherited a spot closer to closing today.
0 recs | 89 comments
post game interview w/ fuentes...
interview the real hero… jepsen
BigBangRobbDawgg - August 8, 2009
Fuentes' 34th birthday is tomorrow
he asked his wife to have the house clean!
yeswecan - August 8, 2009
K-Mo?
Got us started…
Figgi4life - August 8, 2009 via mobile
alright...........no matter what still gonna have a 3.5 game lead......
way to go
norcaliangelsfan - August 8, 2009
isn't it 4.5?
WillGoAngels27 - August 8, 2009
...even if we lose tomorrow...
BruinHalo - August 8, 2009
yes but
no matter what happens the lead will be no less than 3.5 when TEX leaves
Rev Halofan - August 8, 2009
are we thinking like this?
eyespy - August 8, 2009
Ranger-Rooter
44FAN - August 8, 2009
but why?
eyespy - August 8, 2009
exactly...
it’s going to be 5.5 after tomorrow! Win the rubber match, HALOS! WOO HOO!
(Free kool aid, and if you act now, we’ll throw in a free ring!)
Downing Rules - August 8, 2009
Im just covering up for worst case scenerio.......
and lord knows these guys have had our number this year………but Lackey is the guy I would want on the hill for the Rubber match.
norcaliangelsfan - August 8, 2009
They have had our team's number...
however, it is now time for those beotches to “regress to the origin,” which is their normal and rightful place.
Downing Rules - August 8, 2009
dont know about you.....
but I wont be holding my breath waiting for that lol
norcaliangelsfan - August 8, 2009
Can we co-Panther Weaver and Aybar?
We’d be voting for BOTG if it wasn’t for both of them.
BruinHalo - August 8, 2009
Remember last year
That was a major argument on this site. People got pretty passionate in their arguments to have co-panthers.
vladtheimpaler - August 8, 2009
Yeah...
I’m on the side of co-panther
BruinHalo - August 8, 2009
im all for it
and even if theres no co-panther, there should be an option to put the whole pitching staff for panther or for botg like it was last night
sctrojan13 - August 8, 2009
I’m not crazy about the whole Panther thing.
It’s okay if we don’t take it too serious.
This is a team sport after all, and the Angels are a great team.
Clippo - August 9, 2009
I would say
That every candidate today deserves the co-panther. I mean, obviously, Weaver only made 1 mistake and was incredible afterward, Aybar hit a rare bomb and made that great play with 1 out in the 9th.
Meanwhile, Jepsen was completely lights out, hitting his spots with the newly adapted cutter. But Vlad scored 2 of our 3 runs with a homer and played an excellent game.
They all deserve it.
TheAntiSox - August 8, 2009
+1
Downing Rules - August 8, 2009
Figgins without a hit AGAIN? Jesus…
Nice win though.
BrentSchmidt - August 8, 2009
11 K's is 100% certified Panther!
HALO N BRIMSTONE - August 8, 2009
1 walk
Five hits in 7.1 innings. Stellar.
TheAntiSox - August 8, 2009
WTY did exactly what needed to be done...
held down the Ranger offense = panther
BigBangRobbDawgg - August 8, 2009
Yes
I still gave it to Mr. 100 MPH, though, just for that.
Clutch - August 8, 2009
I missed psyKo's outing. Glad it was good.
red floyd - August 8, 2009
what is wty
sorry i dont know all of the abbreviations and nicknames and wat not
sctrojan13 - August 8, 2009
Weaver the Younger.........
Jeff being Weaver the Older……..
norcaliangelsfan - August 8, 2009
ahh i got it
thanks
sctrojan13 - August 8, 2009
Might be that time of the year
for a nickname/HH lore fanpost. Someone should get on that… I’m too lazy.
BruinHalo - August 8, 2009
Like GA? Or lazier?
‘Cause GA’s too lazy to be lazier…
Clutch - August 8, 2009
I vote for Jepsen for Panther
Yes Weaver and Aybar were huge, but getting out of that 8th inning jam against Young and Bryd was what won them the game IMO.
MH252525 - August 8, 2009
+1
deejayelleseven - August 8, 2009 via mobile
Hard to argue with a 100 MPH fastball. Wow.
moosemastr - August 8, 2009
Great win, worst win call I've ever heard an Angels radio announcer make
Link.
mattwelch - August 8, 2009
can you blame him though?
Derek Jeter was at bat 3500 miles away.
MH252525 - August 8, 2009
hes on the radio
there is no video to watch
eyespy - August 8, 2009
He's in the booth in the ballpark.
Or was your comment meant to be ironic?
opiejeanne - August 8, 2009
Interesting to observe the evolution of Panther
Originally, it went to the guy who didn’t necessarily make the biggest contribution, but who just performed the most, well, Panther. Single-moment awesomeness, under pressure, preferably with elan. Under those rules there’s no doubt who wins tonight: Jepsen.
But now it’s more Fangraphsy, or sort of traditional who-made-the-biggest-contributiony, and so Jered Weaver will do well.
Not complaining, just observing.
mattwelch - August 8, 2009
Matt, see my comment below about why I voted for WTY
red floyd - August 8, 2009
No, totally understand all of it
It’s one of the best three-man dilemmas I can recall. Plus, that’s like, what, the third time Weave’s faced Millwood in the past month-plus?
mattwelch - August 8, 2009
I voted Aybar
Tough call today, but without our little SS’s home run we don’t have a lead for Jepsen to protect. Without Aybar’s great diving catch in the 9th, the Fuentesaurus was in for some deep cagada.
Jepsen was purely nails, though. So was Weaver.
highlandhalo - August 8, 2009
Gotta be the Weave.
7.1 strong innings when the rotation has been having problems? And after the bullpen was used for 7.1 innings last nite?
red floyd - August 8, 2009
Kotch just struck out for the BoSox
Still love the guy, can’t stand seeing him in that horrid uniform
highlandhalo - August 8, 2009
Kotch who?
HALO N BRIMSTONE - August 8, 2009
+1
Moondoggy - August 8, 2009
Soth has already decided on our 3 man playoff rotation
Lackey, Weaver, and Tyler Skaggs.
MH252525 - August 8, 2009
TrevBell?
PhiSlamma - August 8, 2009
The Rev
matthiasstephan - August 8, 2009
Q
eyespy - August 8, 2009
Is there a way to hear the last out called by Physioc on the radio?
bc56274 - August 8, 2009
I'll give some love to Vlad
Figgi4life - August 8, 2009
I'll repeat Pyyz's call here.
*crowd goes CRAZY
*silence from Phyz for 9-10 seconds
“And Murphy strikes out. He throws his bat at the ball and misses terribly!!!”
*1-2 seconds of silence
“Actually, Murphy lined a ball to first base that Kendry Morales caught”
So, did he really throw his bat at the ball?
Figgi4life - August 8, 2009
it was a defensive swing, for sure
yeswecan - August 8, 2009
I took it as
Later, he literally threw the bat at the ball…
Figgi4life - August 8, 2009 via mobile
And obvously was terribly wrong
XD
Figgi4life - August 8, 2009 via mobile
Dr Arte fire Phyz and DFA Speier ASAP please.
HALO N BRIMSTONE - August 8, 2009
F That,
Have Speier broadcast with Rex and have Phyz take over the mop up role.
PhiSlamma - August 8, 2009
Good call! ;)
Downing Rules - August 8, 2009
NICE
Clutch - August 8, 2009
BOTG
Phys
highlandhalo - August 8, 2009
Panther: Aybar
Now, I’m just waiting for the “Open apology to Aybar Fanpost.” Don’t look at me, I picked Iz over Aybar at short but never hated on him. But, boy, was I wrong (I’m Iz at second now).
Aybar has played like an all star shortstop for us this season. Hitting for average, clutch hits, runs the bases like a speeding bullet AND has made the “routine” plays. Leads the league in bunt singles (yes, Aybar CAN bunt). What’s not to like?
vladtheimpaler - August 8, 2009
Damn, that would have made a good fanpost
But it should come from an Aybar hater.
vladtheimpaler - August 8, 2009
still has too many Errors for my taste.
But I agree…..he’s made a believer outta me……
the bastard.
norcaliangelsfan - August 8, 2009
I think he only has like five errors all year
Gold glove candidate?
vladtheimpaler - August 8, 2009
5 errors all season too many?
Phineas_Fogg - August 8, 2009 via mobile
You can have as many as you want if you play on the Yanks
PhiSlamma - August 8, 2009
That'll make you a shoo-in
eyespy - August 8, 2009
It's more than that...........
half of KMO’s errors belong to Aybar as well…….IMO
norcaliangelsfan - August 8, 2009
I drank the Haterade big time
mmmm….mmmm Crow sure do taste good!
Moondoggy - August 8, 2009
Here here
wash it down with some Koo-aid*
*ring is at the bottom of the glass
eyespy - August 8, 2009
But Failbar was such a great nickname.
blochead - August 8, 2009
I just got back from the game
epic win
princeton11loveshalos - August 8, 2009
I had a flight and tickets
but foot surgery trumped….damn!
Moondoggy - August 8, 2009
Foot surgery?
Had to have it removed from Aybar’s ass?
sothball - August 8, 2009
Old Vlad..................or Vlad of old?
I’ll get right to the point; it’s a good sign that for Vlad’s first two HRs since coming off the DL he was somewhat out in front and almost in one-handed fashion swatted the ball over the fence. I’m hoping this is a signal that he still posses some of that awesome strength.
A couple of days ago he homered against the White Sox. It wasn’t the classic Vlad swing where he slugs the ball with both hands gripping the bat. Despite being out in front, Vlad pulled it 392 feet to LF and cleared the wall by plenty.
Vlad’s HR a couple of days ago against the White Sox.
HR
Just before his latest injury Vlad hit the longest HR at Angel Stadium by any player this year. Very much classic Vlad where he grips the bat with both hands during the follow through of the swing. 452 foot monster shot
And here’s Vlad from August of 2005. Two tremendous HRs – the only player in Safeco history to hit two upper deck homers in one game. (Both HRs were two-handed power shots). 2 HRs
Fan Since 1981 - August 8, 2009
timing is still a little off
so he is using his left arm to swing, and steer, the bat. While the top hand is just for stability.
Give Vlad a few more AB’s and he will be as good as Old Vladdie.
eyespy - August 8, 2009
+1
vladtheimpaler - August 8, 2009
As per my post, that's why I'm encouraged
The fact that his timing is off and Vlad still manages to slug the ball.
Fan Since 1981 - August 8, 2009
+1
vladtheimpaler - August 8, 2009
+1
eyespy - August 8, 2009
According to fangraphs
It’s Jepsen. And it’s not even close.
I voted Weave because of the dominance he displayed on the hill today, but Jepsen has definitely come around in a big BIG way. Like Rev said, “he might have inherited a spot closer to closing.” He’s got the stuff for it.
halofan4life - August 8, 2009
Aybar
What is that like day 34 in a row of Aybar silencing his critics? well all I care is that it doesn’t end anytime soon.
Brian S (brianguy) - August 8, 2009
9 votes por Vlad?
Broken back HRs totally suk
ReggieBullits - August 8, 2009
OUCH!!!!! First a pectoral muscle, then a knee muscle and now a BROKEN BACK?? That guy is freakin’ amazing! ;)
Didn’t see the hit … was it a broken bat HR? Wow. Glad I voted Vlad for panther! ;)
Downing Rules - August 8, 2009
The "Gracias Guardado" caption of the Aybar photo...
Muy Excelente!
hbhalofan - August 8, 2009
Off topic but related to the dicussions earlier this week...
Major Leage was just on AMC. Definitely better than FoD.
red floyd - August 8, 2009
Just so you guys know
The Angels vs Rangers were the lead game on QuickPitch Tonight:) I love MLB Network!
blochead - August 8, 2009
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