Final Score in Anaheim: Angels 10, Rockies 3
Ervin Santana struck out 7 National Leaguers, Mike Napoli hit a go ahead 3-Run HR and Brandon Wood hit an insurance Grand Slam in the bottom of the 8th as the Angels broke open an interleague battle of the K-Arms.
Colorado starter Jhoulys Chacin pitched like Julius Caesar, striking out 12 Angels in just 6 innings pitched, but took a hard luck loss like the Carthage Rockies suffered in my sophomore history class. The Colorado Rockies bullpen hemhorraged 5 late runs, something Angels fans can relate to, but Ervin had the Magic and avoided the long ball after surrendering a solo homer in the first. Chacin's mistake pitch to Napoli came after a mistake in the field by Ian Stewart allowed Juan Rivera to extend the inning.
The sunburned crowd got a late celebration when a IBB to Mike Napoli led to a Jeff Mathis strikeout instead of a groundball out. That allowed Wood to unleash on the first pitch with the bases loaded to give some hot chick in the outfield seats a souvenir.
What idiot on earth believes that the Angels would dare trade Mike Napoli besides Mark Suxon on BSPN-LA and Fox's Ken Robothal both trolling for gooogle search hits implying that the Angels would trade Napster for a 1B bat. Right. Enjoy the traffic, fellas, SBN-LA premieres Tuesday to crush you like cockroaches.
0 recs | 47 comments
phurst
yay wood
teopeht - June 27, 2010
wood panther
A very rare species of panther.
clover_black - June 27, 2010
was that the stripedy one?
K3YEROUT - June 27, 2010
Was it a leopard?
mjhsieh - June 27, 2010
the one that hits in late innings breed
44FAN - June 27, 2010
But at least he's hitting!
Before it was hit in no innings breed…
Monkeyspanked - June 27, 2010
Maybe
this will convince Wood to swing more at the 1st pitch fastball down the middle.
phoenix15 - June 27, 2010
THAT...
was a big boy swing
muddybox - June 27, 2010
Big boy *sound*, too
mattwelch - June 27, 2010
Napolicious......
norcaliangelsfan - June 27, 2010
finally decided to swing at the first pitch fastball
maybe we’ll see more of this!
howiestheman - June 27, 2010
"What idiot on earth believes that the Angels would dare trade Mike Napoli"
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised. For some reason he’s on Scioscia’s shit list. Napoli has lost ABs to Jeff Mathis in the last few years, and he was even benched at the start of the year despite an awesome spring training. It took awhile for Scioscia to realize that Michael Ryan and Robb Quinlan wouldn’t be worth it at first base as well. I hope I’m wrong, but I fear the Angels don’t appreciate Mike Napoli as much as some other team might.
Suboptimal - June 27, 2010
Let's hope Oswalt takes care of the Rangers.
SenorChuckles - June 27, 2010
Si Senor
Dono Romantico - June 27, 2010
Wow, Woody...
you showed us.
nicolasville - June 27, 2010
A little tweak to the back-to-back grand slam days stat
Eckstein’s back-to-back grand slams in ’02 were the last time the Angels hit grand slams on back to back DAYS.
However, on August 7th, 2005, Kotchman hit a grand slam, and Vlad followed that up in the next Angels GAME on August 9th.
Caseys Kiss of Death - June 27, 2010
Brandon Wood
That swing today reminded me of why he was the #1 prospect in baseball for a good 2-3 year span.
blochead - June 27, 2010
I was just about to say that, did you see how beauitful that swing was?
He’s moving around much less before the pitch, less swaying. He stayed inside the pitch and put himself into the power position, perfectly coiled, legs bent, generating power. His swing was a fluid, deliberate natural uppercut. He made contact and there was no doubt about it, it left in a hurry.
When he’s struggling he watches a pitch. Takes a tentative swing that looks uncomfortable as he fouls one off and then ends up making weak contact.
Everyone can all hate on me for the “Brandon Wood Transformation Thread” but I’m not lying and it’s not too early. The Man’s got it right now.
Halowood - June 27, 2010
Notice how he kept both hands on the bat through the whole swing?
On the radio, Jose Mota said that before the game, Hatcher had been tutoring BWood to have confidence in what he could do with his swing…….don’t hesitate,……and go for it.
wumbug - June 27, 2010
Nail, meet head.
Halowood - June 27, 2010
The post game article in the LA Times quoted Wood as saying he decided
to go back to the approach at the plate he had during all the success hitting in the minors and to forget what he had been told since coming up and try to have more fun with it. Brandon being Brandon makes a lot of sense.
44FAN - June 28, 2010
I just watched the HR on MLB.tv app
And man oh man who was that guy! Stayed down on the ball, didn’t open up, turned on the inside pitch. And mostly swung hard at a damn strike! Hopefully this continues and his confidence grows.
angelskid2210 - June 27, 2010 via mobile
Bingo!
It was beautiful.
Halowood - June 27, 2010
I go to see Toy Story, and 3Wood hits a grand slam
I should go to the movies more.
TheKingfish - June 27, 2010
You were watching the wrong 'woody'
you see what I did there?
muddybox - June 27, 2010
Reach for the skyyyyyyyyyyy.
halofan4life - June 27, 2010
There's a snake in my boot!
red floyd - June 28, 2010
All I gotta say is...
Wood was more valuable to us before everyone in the majors got to see how bad he is. At least if he was crushing in AAA we could get a decent trade based off is “potential” as opposed to what has turned into his “actual”.
reno-kid - June 27, 2010
wood just mashed a salami and you shit on his parade?
at least save it for when he gets a golden sombrero.
clover_black - June 27, 2010
srsly...
didn’t everyone’s favorite defensive catcher do something like that today?
howiestheman - June 27, 2010
Put it this way
Hitting a grand slam in a game we were already winning doesnt offset the bazillion times he’s struck out, hit into double plays and in general sucked out loud the whole first half of the season. Golf clap for the slam, roars if he can do it consistently.
reno-kid - June 27, 2010
Give the guy at least SOME credit
Wood kept Fuentes from entering the game.
blast21dave - June 27, 2010
That should be enough to earn him Panther
halofan4life - June 27, 2010
I can get on board with that
Go angels!
reno-kid - June 28, 2010
Napo smash
RexTookMyStash - June 27, 2010
That picture never gets old.
halofan4life - June 27, 2010
And
RexTookMyStash - June 27, 2010
Remind me why, again, no Wood for panther?
With all the crap he’s played like over this season and the resulting shit he’s (only somewhat) deseveredly gotten for it, I think this moment should be rightfully encouraged to be repeated, with a firm panther nod.
Clutch - June 27, 2010
Because Santana was very good.
And Napo-smash Came up huge early put us out in front. Wood’s homer was Fan-freakin-tastic for him, the fans, and those of us pulling the “Brandon Wood radio flyer.” But as far as the game went, there were bigger contributions.
halofan4life - June 27, 2010
pitched like julius ceasar...
so he pitched like he turned a monarchy into a democracy or he pitched like he got stabbed to death. Wow, that analogy didn’t really work did it, rev? LOL…
BryanHarvey'sMoustache - June 28, 2010
both
he struck out so many angels that the vote to win was up to his teammates and they stabbed him with little run support.
Rev Halofan - June 28, 2010
let's trade naps and a prospect for adam laroche!
that’s what sportscenter said the other day, and that’s what mark saxon is recommending.
unless you can get a monster reliever, i think the best trade the angels can make this year is NO TRADE. the best chips on the market are starters, and i don’t want money tied up in oswalt or a cliff lee rental that gives the m’s more angels (though if they do as well as figgy has, that’s okay….).
frandsen has been quite solid. aybar is back and howie is solid. naps is not going to win a gold glove anywhere, but he’s about as good as any of the 1B out there right now. you’ve got wood and izzy in reserve, and i’m really quite all right with that.
plus we have an interdimensional, nigh-omnipotent being available at any time.
you may know him as Q.
Kernel - June 28, 2010
i'm all for Adam LaRoche
but not at the expense of Napoli…
howiestheman - June 28, 2010
I agree. I'd hate to lose me some napo smash
RexTookMyStash - June 28, 2010
Besides, if Naps leaves, who decides who's getting laid?
red floyd - June 28, 2010
Jim Beam usually factors into my getting laid decisions
RexTookMyStash - June 28, 2010
Hooters promotion for free wings got downgraded to only 5 wings.
Free nonetheless. I was very thankful for my free wings given to me by the “three-way-tie” in the baseball races during the game. But, given the choice next time I might choose claim jumper. Tickets to yesterday’s game were valid for either claim jumper (10 runs scored) or Hooters (baseball race).
Downing Rules - June 28, 2010
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