Final Score in Seattle: Mariners 2, Angels 1
The Mariners sent Doug Fister to the mound tonight to face a team that had beaten last night 10-0. Didn't phase him a bit. A composed performance assisted by a generous strike zone saw him guide the game, own the Angel bats and squeak by with a 2-1 victory. The Angels suffered from unlucky (as opposed to sloppy) infielding. Darren Oliver got the loss after a ball rolled over Erick Aybar's glove and then a big fly made Bobby Abreu look like a scared kid hiding from a dropping ball.
Ervin Santana pitched a gem but the occasional fielding lapse caused his pitch count to hit a hundred after 6 IP with only 1 ER scoring. Darren Oliver was fantastic but the unmagic gloves of lousy leather failed Darren as if the Mariners had Endora on their side and he was the Darren from "Bewitched" (the 2nd Darren, the smug, cocky one who was more annoyed by magic than terrified of it like the first Darren was). Darren could have just been annoyed with Bobby Abreu busy opening his AARP monthly coupon mailer in Right Field late in the game and approaching the dropping fly ball with veteran tentativeness. If Abreu is influencing his teammates, let's hope it is in how NOT to field.
Meanwhile the Rangers won a double header in Texas and trail the Angels by only 4.5 games. Next up: The first taste of the Kazmir trade as we are moving thru Kashmir to face the Queen, Felix Hernandez.
0 recs | 25 comments
oh well
Let’s get ’em tomorrow!
vlad IS my man - September 1, 2009
Hopefully we get lucky against King Felix.
deejayelleseven - September 1, 2009
We have Kaz going, so it should be interesting.
Zu Long - September 1, 2009
the aybar out was killer...
i didnt see bobby’s bobble on the hit by lopez though… man he’s a crappy fielder.
BigBangRobbDawgg - September 1, 2009
Runs were a premium in this game
Aybar failed to give the team the best shot to tie the game.
BOTG
norcaliangelsfan - September 1, 2009
Aybar you big idiot.
responsible for the go ahead run, and didn’t move izturis over to 3rd.
Oh well, he is still beyond awesome.
clover_black - September 1, 2009
abreu had that ball and he took his eye off it :(
SenorChuckles - September 1, 2009
Aybar goes to E-Bar for tonight
JoseGuillenSux - September 1, 2009
You win some and lose some..
And every once in a while you misplay a ball in right that leads to the go ahead, winning run. Abreu for BOTG.
halofolife - September 1, 2009
Man if only I switched today's pregame picks with yesterdays....
but on a serious note…damn.
Aybar’s and Abreus errors killed us
JoseGuillenSux - September 1, 2009
Yeah, Texas takes a double header and we lose
No bueno.
chairmanofthebar - September 1, 2009
Aybar has had 2 fielding miscues in the last week
that have been huge.
July aside, he’s a guy that gets on base at a .320 clip.
No reason for him not to be bunting in the 8th inning.
I think Mike gave him too much rope that at bat.
Quinlan's Goofy Swing - September 1, 2009
yea
I was shocked that he wasn’t bunting. I mean he had only 2 hits in his last 5 games and of course he did the exact opposite of what he’s up there to do. He wanted to try to pull the ball on the ground and instead he hits a flyball right down the LF line. Especially with his improved bunting this year I would have just bunted him over and hoped that he made it on with his speed.
MH252525 - September 1, 2009
Something I thought of
Is it possible Mike just said, “Screw it. If these guys want to win this game, they have to do it. My bullpen is on fumes; I’m not going to play for a tie and risk going 15 innings and destroying my pitching for the rest of the week. I’m playing for the win and if it doesn’t work out, oh well.”
I would be much more likely to think that was a possible thought process if rosters hadn’t just expanded. Thompson was available down there, so a lengthy extra innings battle wouldn’t have been disastrous. Plus with Texas having won two, I think it was important to win that game.
Although he would have only increased the Angels’ win expectancy by 4 tenths of a percentage point by having Aybar bunt.
Gorbachav5 - September 2, 2009
Well, whenever you are behind, if you want to win you first have to tie.
Stirrups - September 2, 2009
Just another September Angels Baseball game… aka a loss.
Hopefully it isn’t a repeat of years past.
BrentSchmidt - September 1, 2009
Sorry I voted for Vladdy (yeah I know he isn't on the list)
just sick of his lack of ‘clutch’ hits. Good news is that I am only 34 so I have a good 50 years to see if he ever gets one.
pslakerfan - September 1, 2009
...
never mind
eyespy - September 1, 2009
Where was the bunt sign
How is Mike letting Aybar swing away in that situation? That is a coaching error in a big way.
Rycat512 - September 1, 2009
I've noticed this...
I’ve noticed this too. we never bunt anymore, unless you count Figgins bunting to get on, or Maicer laying one down on a rare occassion. it’s like batting fundamentals suddenly don’t exist with this team anymore, they are afraid to play small ball if needed.
Brian S (brianguy) - September 2, 2009
A Fist to the gonads, ouch!
HALO N BRIMSTONE - September 1, 2009
Up
scottnak - September 2, 2009
Man oh man
Bobby may be a hitting machine, but he can’t field for shit! We need to focus on finding a quality RF this off season.
KingF15h - September 2, 2009
He hasn't even been a hitting machine lately
That single in the ninth was the first ball he’s hit hard in two weeks.
Gorbachav5 - September 2, 2009
I guuess Abreu had no idea that the runner would be going with two outs, he kinda looked like Willits playing the outfield in the bottom of the 7th. He is to blame.
KubanKowbell19 - September 2, 2009
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