Final Score in Anaheim: White Sox 4, Angels 3 in 10 innings.
Angels lose in Extras with tying run on 3rd, winning run at 1st, slumping catcher at the plate.
Ervin Santana gets no support and terrible defense from a fading Bobby Abreu. First-Pitch Happy Vladimir Guerrero makes the second guessers cocky, then wrong, then right all in the same game. Mike Scioscia overmanages precisely enough to make sure that Mike Napoli's slump becomes a psychological albatross. Figgins is batting worse than Mathis this month, Juan Rivera cannot square up a ball that is not sitting on a tee in the middle of the plate and Brian Fuentes is heading for demotionville, a trip that cannot come soon enough.
0 recs | 64 comments
What did Napoli do?
Not dive?
Figgi4life - September 12, 2009 via mobile
Well, that and make the last out with the tying run 90 feet away.
Zu Long - September 12, 2009
Then it should be Rivera
For the GIDP where a single scores a run
Figgi4life - September 12, 2009 via mobile
I'm not disagreeing with you.
See below.
Zu Long - September 12, 2009
Lack of a discplined at bat.
HALO N BRIMSTONE - September 12, 2009
What did Napoli do?
besides continuing to suck on defense and offense? Not much.
Rev Halofan - September 12, 2009
What did you want him to do on that wild pitch?
And he got one AB. And Mathia was 0-2 with two strikeouts, one with a runner on.
Figgi4life - September 12, 2009 via mobile
I want him to block the pitch
and not swing at the first pitch if he is not squaring up the ball…
Rev Halofan - September 12, 2009
seems like he was squaring the ball up last night
just the hits weren’t falling. I remember hard hit balls to the track two times at least
MH252525 - September 12, 2009
Wow.
That would have been the most amazing block I’ve ever seen.
Figgi4life - September 12, 2009 via mobile
I 'm surprised you've watched as much baseball as you have...
…and still think that was a routine pitch to block. Review your TIVO and your Gameday: it bounced three feet to the right of Napoli on a slow curve with a nine inch break. He had less than a 5% chance to block that. The scorer had no problem calling it what it was: a wild pitch.
It wouldn’t be an issue if Napoli were largely a DH, and playing every day, instead playing inconsistently, which we’ve known for three seasons only throws him into terrible funks.
Also: That’s not the way you use the verb “second-guess”. You second-guess someone post hoc. Critics of Vladimir in the clean-up spot, like myself, are assessing him in real-time, not second-guessing him. I don’t second-guess his historically elite status, for instance. But nostalgia isn’t a governing force in my life, either.
One RBI single in a game where he otherwise left five men on base hardly makes the critics “wrong.”
As for Mathis and Figgins, I’m not any more compelled by batting average than I am catcher’s ERA. Entering today’s game, where Figgins had two hits, Vladdy had one, and Mathis had none:
Figgins .386 OBP September
Mathis: .313 OBP September
Vladdy: .289 OBP September
Are we supposed to pass the piss and vinegar cup around the circle over a .386 OBP from our leadoff man down the stretch? Were his two hits and successful steal today not enough to escape the soft cushions and comfy chair of Rev’s red rage?
Turks Teeth - September 12, 2009
you guys win
frankly with the shadow and Fox’s subpar equipment in the telecast, I will take your analysis over my emotionally tinged postgame rage. Naps could not have blocked that pith. Cool
Rev Halofan - September 12, 2009
hahah yea, i cant believe im actually happier when mathis is in the lineup. Napoli isnt producing nearly enough to make up for his crappy D.
robi s - September 12, 2009
"And that's why I did what I did."
what Soth will say to keep you from second guessing his line ups and moves
eyespy - September 12, 2009
Wow.
This is a very hard BOTG vote…at least for me…
Figgi4life - September 12, 2009 via mobile
When in Doubt
Blame Scioscia or Hatcher
Dono Romantico - September 12, 2009
My vote......Napoli
Scotty G - September 12, 2009
LMAO...look at the graph...it looks like it's giving Fuentes the bird
ladybug - September 12, 2009
Easy
Fairy Fuentes
angelskid2210 - September 12, 2009
I find it hard to give it to Abreu due to him getting on 5 times and gunning someone down at the plate.
Napoli-doesn’t feel like he had a lot of control over what happened.
I want to say either Fuentes or Rivera.
Zu Long - September 12, 2009
Abreu...
Good day at the plate, but make that catch after the inside the parker and we win.
Doctor Wu - September 12, 2009
doesn't seem like the Angels have had a good fielding RF since Salmon
Vlad and Bobby clank at least 5 a year.
My vote for BOTG goes to Fuentes.
MH252525 - September 12, 2009
haha well at least vlade had an arm… abreu looks like an oldman out there. If only we could have 2 dh’s.
robi s - September 12, 2009
pierzynski for '05
figgifig - September 12, 2009
DOUBLE REC...If only that were possible...
Clutch - September 12, 2009
I got your second rec for you
halofan4life - September 12, 2009
Oh thank you!
Clutch - September 13, 2009
well after winning 4 in a row....
a stinker was bound to show up.
norcaliangelsfan - September 12, 2009
tell the rockies that
figgifig - September 12, 2009
I'm impressed that we made that as close as we did after playing so badly the first 7 innings.
Zu Long - September 12, 2009
g o o d P O I N T, ZU
that we got SO close after being SOFAR away is what makes it extra-disappointing,,,
Rev Halofan - September 12, 2009
Isn't that largely the Angels history over their first 40 years, though?
Pre-2002 (and then 2005), of course.
Clutch - September 12, 2009
Too many blames.
So FanGraphs WPA says:
Rivera (-.329)
Napoli (-.206)
Fuentes (-.182)
Fan Since 1981 - September 12, 2009
Chupa
If he had just put an average effort into playing RF, this game never would have went into extra innings.
Quad Fin Rider - September 12, 2009
This feels like one of those games with blame for all.
If Bobby comes up with the ball in right, a run doesn’t score. If Fuentes showed some composure and command, well he wouldn’t be leading for BOTG, if Ervin could have avoided Beckham and Posednik we might have won. And no one can buy a hit lately, let alone come through in the clutch.
halofolife - September 12, 2009
Weather forecast for Arlington at 7PM, 10PM, 1AM and 4AM.
Another rainout will make things interesting. And in other news, the moon will be attacked by giant drops of water and lightning
Fan Since 1981 - September 12, 2009
Fuentes
I am saddened by his second half performance. I so want him to succeed for us, but he has just not been getting the job done for a while now. There are so many pitchers who have been outperforming him — Jepsen especially — and there have been way too many games lately where someone has to come in and bail him out of a mess. In my opinion, it’s time to make a change and give Jepsen a chance at the job.
Brody - September 12, 2009
Rivera
AngelKeith - September 12, 2009
Didn't see this game
instead, I’m getting a frustrating USC game
Dono Romantico - September 12, 2009
Rivera
For a terrible at-bat with a new pitcher coming into the game and hitting into a double play. Terrible.
UpStream15 - September 12, 2009
Up
scottnak - September 12, 2009
fuentes makes me miss perci hell even shiggy
robi s - September 12, 2009
This is why the stat of a save is VERY misleading.
Fuentes sucks. He throws like a bitch and has the personality of a toad.
This wouldn’t bother me so much, but I can can see Sosh riding this mess until the wheels fall off..putting Fuentes in season ending situations just ot make a point.
Here’s praying for a season ending injury so Brian isn’t given a chance to “work it out” in the post season against boston.
clover_black - September 12, 2009
Praying for an injury is a little beyond the pale.
I’d rather see Jepsen close at this point, but I’m not going to wish harm on the closer of the team I follow because he craps his trousers in a non-save scenario.
Fuentes’ “bitchy” throwing manner has netted us 40 saves, best in baseball. Though his six blown saves ties him with ten other closers for fourth worst. He’s a good closer, not a great one. We’re getting about what paid for, and about what we should have expected.
Turks Teeth - September 12, 2009
Season ending, not career ending. :)
Again, 40 saves… who cares? Very misleading stat. Truck anyone from the bullpen out there, and they’re gonna put up near or around that number. Possibly more.
The “wishing injury” might be hyperbole, but I see sosh putting fuentes out there, front and center, come october… along with Q, because..well, the computer program in his head tells him to do so.
clover_black - September 12, 2009
You give love (yourself) a bad name.
You’re a Punk ass bitch!
Funke5ive - September 12, 2009
The hell is this?
clover_black - September 12, 2009
Yeah kinda bush-league praying for a season ending injury
Just putting it out there.
linkbruin - September 12, 2009
If you have to ask...
well then YOU ARE A CHUMP!
Funke5ive - September 12, 2009
I logged in just to rec this.
Downing Rules - September 13, 2009
Fuentes is starting to scare me now...
Monkeyspanked - September 12, 2009
Im sure Soth has a plan.
norcaliangelsfan - September 12, 2009
Thanks to Seattle today.........
no ground lost.
norcaliangelsfan - September 12, 2009
How many years is Fuentes sign for ?
hopefully only one .
Ed@northridge - September 12, 2009
2
linkbruin - September 12, 2009
hopefully after the season , the LAA realize this guy is kaput , and just eat the contract
Ed@northridge - September 13, 2009
excessive.
Downing Rules - September 13, 2009
I'd have to vote for Abreu
It looked like he just mailed it in today. That bloop that dropped five feet in front of him as he was jogging, that gaffe on the wall and, of course, the ball that he caught and dropped.
MaxTork - September 12, 2009
Texas lost...
So dust yourselves off and try again tomorrow.
moosemastr - September 12, 2009
Didn't watch the game
but color me unsurprised that Fuentes eats the loss because his 91 mph meat can’t get right handers out in mid september. Oliver has no problem getting lefties or righties out, why can’t he take the job if we are hanging our hopes on crafty left handers against right handers late in a game.
Quinlan's Goofy Swing - September 13, 2009
I would rather see matt Palmer start than Ervin lately.
44FAN - September 13, 2009
??
Can you really complain about giving up 2 ER in 7 innings?
Brody - September 13, 2009
Ervin can old his head high
Furthest thing from a “probelm” in this game. Given a league average Right Fielder today he gets the W.
Rev Halofan - September 13, 2009
Yes, but if Matt Palmer started...
the offense would have put up a ten-spot. The halos would have won 10 – 8, or so.
:)
Downing Rules - September 13, 2009
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