Final Score in Chicago: Angels 6, White Sox 5 ... Ervin Santana pitched a great game and watched helpless as his bullpen almost blew it. After a rough 8th inning that saw the Pale Hose bat around and score 4 runs off of Kevin Jepsen and Fernando Rodney, gascan Brian Fuentes pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning.
Santana struck out 6 and allowed 1 unearned run in 7 innings pitched. The difference in the game turned out to be a monster 2-Run Juan Rivera HR in the 6th inning. Torii Hunter failed to hit a HR in his 4th straight game but he did get a deep double, a walk and score twice in the game.
For Angels fans ready to anoint Jepsen and Rodney as the closer over Fuentes... well... lets just say the argument was weakened severely as the two of them allowed all the runs in that 4-run 8th after two outs had been recorded and the bases were empty. In fact, Angels nemesis A.J. Pierzynski hit a Ground Rule Double that saved the Angels game as it would have scored Juan Pierre from 1B had it not left the field of play on a bounce.
Roll Call after the poll...
Roll Call: DAD OF VLAD, TheKingfish, sothball, LAASurfin, red floyd, BigBangRobbDawgg, 44FAN, Fred Fredrix, firebird81, ~MMP~, ryanfea, halofolife, Slyintine, angelsfan7, Carl Johnson, UCIHalo, MH252525, Figgi4life, Rev Halofan, chikmagnet_565, desecrator09, Ed@northridge, ihearhowie2.0, kbrown2225, salmonforever, jr714, Suboptimal, bc56274, Anaheim71420, phoenix15, The Limey, aldo H, yeswecan, blast21dave, raskul, angelfan1954, Quinlan's Goofy Swing, HoustonHaloFan, joeyz34, stuck in Romania, halofan1, hauldog, eyespy, RexTookMyStash, muddybox, pendletonmike, SCHalo, ladybug, UK Halo, clover_black, moosemastr, Halowood, Showtime!, K3YEROUT, angelskid2210, Downing Rules, b0rd3rline, HalosBiggestFan, Commander_Nate, Dono Romantico, scottnak, angels_rally_mom, LazorkoRules, teopeht, jtkelly86
Total Users: 65
Total Posts: 965
Total Threads: 2
0 recs | 35 comments
Great to see Santana pitching like his All-Star self!
K-MO!!!!
Wally's World - May 20, 2010
Santana
But I voted for Fuentes ’cuz, like, when you gonna get to do that again?
LAASurfin - May 20, 2010
I'm gonna point out......
This team has won 5 of it’s last 7 games and two of it’s last 3 series.
firebird81 - May 20, 2010
point taken
Anaheim71420 - May 20, 2010 via mobile
and winning 2 in a row right now on the road
was crucial to stop the road game bleeding.
Now let’s kick some National League butt!
Raaddad - May 20, 2010
It does stink that the two losses were against the Rangers
But you take what you can get, and right now I certainly take 5/7 games against anyone.
AlanFalcon - May 20, 2010
PotG: Fuentes. BotG: Jepsen and Rodney.
The win expectancy graph does not properly reflect the hyper-emotions Angel fans were feeling during that bottom of the 8th inning.
After the-piece-of-shit-who-shall-not-be-named hit that ground-rule double, the White Sox win expectancy was only at 34% but it sure felt like 100%.
Tip of the Hat
Wag of the Finger
Fan Since 1981 - May 20, 2010
This sums it up nicely.
AlanFalcon - May 20, 2010
Well Said
JR definitely the POTG bcuz that wind was blowing against the ball. Can you imagine what a rocket that’d be if no wind was present?
Vicious
maze88 - May 20, 2010 via mobile
nice summary
I’m liking the incorporation of fangraphs. You should do one for every game.
blochead - May 20, 2010
agreed
good concise game breakdown, and I like the humorous subtitles.
But besides “tip of the hat” and “wag of the finger,” how about “wake up smack in the head”
Raaddad - May 21, 2010
I still believe in Jepsen
His BABIP is stupid high (unlike Rodney’s, which is stupid low). He had to battle an inconsistent strike zone, and Quentin and Beckham both hit pitches that were right on the edge of the plate. The only mistake I saw was one slider left over the plate for Ramirez. Meanwhile, Fuentes is still throwing slow-moving souvenirs to the fans behind the backstop and Rodney couldn’t find a strike zone if you gave him printed directions.
Suboptimal - May 20, 2010
The most important moment
might have been that ball that went over the wall for a ground rule double that prevented the tying run from scoring.
ryanfea - May 20, 2010
That really was an unlucky break for the White Sox
I’ve never been a fan of that rule, but I am at least for tonight.
Suboptimal - May 20, 2010
This pen is unbelievable
Fuentes is lights out and PsyKo and Rockin Rodney struggle;
Go figure!
Raaddad - May 20, 2010
for everyone who is pointing out rodneys struggles
look at the stats…when hes not the closer hes awful and when he is the closer he is lights out…this isnt anything new
sctrojan13 - May 20, 2010
Well it just points out that he's not a good pitcher.
He can do well if he starts the ninth with a clean slate, but can’t be counted on to come in the game mid inning to stop a threat – which should be the most important job of any reliever.
snowhor - May 21, 2010 via mobile
I disagree.
I think it points out that he is one of those guys who focus better under pressure. I think all signs point to that.
firebird81 - May 21, 2010
Then he should be nails coming in to a runners on pressure situation in the 7th or 8th
Epic Dean - May 21, 2010
I'm not seeing it?
Splits……… G…… IP…. ER…. ERA…. PA…. R…. H…. BABIP
8th inning… 10…. 8.1….. 1….. 1.08…. 35…. 3….. 6…. .261
9th inning…. 9…… 9…… 4….. 4.00…. 36…. 4….. 5… .174
LAASurfin - May 21, 2010
I had to vote Fuentes
For being Nailtes for once.
linkbruin - May 20, 2010
I thought the 1 run on Santa Ana was unearned?
3rd Echelon - May 20, 2010
LA Angels IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Santana, E(W, 3-3) 7.0 7 1 0 3 6 0 3.75
3rd Echelon - May 20, 2010
thanks for catching that!
Rev Halofan - May 20, 2010
How could you miss Frandsen throwing a ball into RF....
that guy is worse than Wood.
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - May 20, 2010
LOL @ panther votes going to the mustachioed failuentes
for not fucking up for once in his life, and throwing the high HEAT of 91 MPH to get some fly outs.
S O L I D.
Anyone one of those dopey pitches could have tied up the game Redirect all votes to Santana and his weird beard.
clover_black - May 20, 2010
Panther goes to Carlos Quentin
for ending the game on a flyout to center.
Slyintine - May 21, 2010
+1
red floyd - May 21, 2010
I don't care what anyone says
I can’t believe that the Mariners are already 8.5 games back.
(And Texas is under .600. )
But I forgot—Milton is back!!!
NOW they’re going to kick some butt.
Raaddad - May 21, 2010
Fun Facts
Mariners’ record after 41 games:
2008: 15-26
2010: 15-26
source
Fan Since 1981 - May 21, 2010
POTG = Santana
I’m kinda starting to get justa little thrilled, sorta, about our starting pitching. Hopefully, I will be totally stoked within a couple of weeks.
vladtheimpaler - May 21, 2010
Good use of Brandon Wood, until -
they put him in…
Halopauly - May 21, 2010
Actually got to watch
It was nice actually being able to watch the Angels on TV on CSN. They are finally using a real logo, and not some weird old stretched logo. Granted, it’s the old navy blue background behind the red A, but it’s still progress.
Good game, staye dup to make sure we snuck out of Chicago with two wins. Voodoo was great, and it was nice to see the Angels acutally HIT the ball. Frandsen was hosed, but that tag on the stretched single should have been safe, so I figure it’s more or less even.
Really noticed The Umpire’s Bias last night on 3-0 counts. Some low and outside pitches managed to make it 3-1, for both teams.
Kernel - May 21, 2010
Juan Rivera has mastered the wind and still his name won't auto-link
What a travesty this is!
Commander_Nate - May 21, 2010
Here we come AL west leader
A 15 game winning streak begin tonight
DAD OF VLAD - May 21, 2010
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