Final Score in Anaheim: Angels 12, Rays 3
Dan Haren caught a glimpse today of what could be waiting for him in 2011: an offense that not only backed his fine start, but put the game so far out of reach that a shaky bullpen couldn't turn his "W" into an indecision. For one day, the Halos' offense broke through the cloud of mediocrity that has hung heavy as gasified inland scrub over Angels Stadium all season.
Mike Napoli went two for four with a grand slam and six total RBI's. Howie Kendrick racked up five hits, including his thirty-third double of the year. Even Jeff Mathis capitalized on flaccid Tampa Bay pitching, going two for five with a two run double in the fourth inning.
Haren went six solid innings, racking up eight strikeouts and limiting the Rays to just three hits and one run. He struggled to find the strikezone at times, yielding four walks, but kept the Rays at bay with his solid fastball/splitter combo.
The bullpen was a source of heartburn for Mike Scioscia - watching him throw up his hands when Jepsen went to three balls and one strike with John Jaso was a telling moment - but sloppiness did not descend to collapse.
0 recs | 42 comments
Over 13 Million points won today!
scottnak - August 25, 2010
Tough choice on PotG... Naps or HK47?
Gonna go with Naps. Even though we were up 4-1, it was in doubt until the Salami.
red floyd - August 25, 2010
Naps!
how did they disguise the runners on base so he thought no one was on???
aces666high - August 25, 2010
I read this as...
I can’t make this shit up.
K3YEROUT - August 25, 2010
Sweet Victory
red floyd - August 25, 2010
um....yay.
norcaliangelsfan - August 25, 2010
good way for naps to say "stop keeping me out of the starting lineup"
daze - August 25, 2010
He could hit a grand slam every other game
and Mathis would still get equal time.
Robviously - August 25, 2010
My all friends rejoice career homerun day of Mike Napoli big player with most luminous
resistance power of all Angels player this match.
44FAN - August 25, 2010
Exactly!
aces666high - August 25, 2010
Luminous!
b0rd3rline - August 25, 2010
ROR
Raff Out Roud
K3YEROUT - August 25, 2010
Sweet!
This has to up Naps trade value for scouts who only look at 1 game.
clover_black - August 25, 2010
he also probably has a pretty high value for scouts that look at his
career slg % and see it as one of the highest of all-time for a catcher.
MH252525 - August 25, 2010
or scouts that just look at just his 2008 line
and not his true potential for mediocrity.
clover_black - August 25, 2010
You really trust Reagins
to get fair value for Napoli?
Robviously - August 25, 2010
maybe we can get another MI for him
along with a 30 something year old reliever with a high save %.
MH252525 - August 25, 2010
I wish this wasn't a joke...
101halo - August 25, 2010
Sooo...
This means Angels get shutout on Friday right? As has been the case this season when the team “erupts” one game then doesn’t produce the next.
blast21dave - August 25, 2010
Hitting is contagious.
The bats are quarantined.
sothball - August 25, 2010
I bet Hatcher
Thinks this is a good thing
blast21dave - August 25, 2010
That's exactly what this means
Did they have another players only meeting? Or have they used up their quota?
aces666high - August 25, 2010
its nice
but its also only one win
NA1NSXR - August 25, 2010
Napoli
Is there still anyone that thinks its acceptable that Napoli split time with Mathis at catcher last year? Napoli is an asset. Hitting with RISP is something that comes and goes, month to month, year to year…. it’s not a skill. The players that are consistently a lot better such situations (in general, production goes up a bit) are rare. See Bengie Molina when he was here.
angelsfan15 - August 25, 2010
Naps
the problem I have w/Naps is he doesn’t hit w/anybody at any base. I like his pop, u actually believe he can hit one, like when we had Lance Parrish but when u strike out 30% of ur AB’s and u bat below .200 w/risp or low .200’s w/anybody on base, throw in an average arm u have an average player. Yes he’ll hit u 20-25 a year and his ability to play a decent 1B is an asset but last season he hit poorly w/risp and K’d a ton. While I agree his is much better than Mathis as an everyday player in every facet except facial hair(gotta shave naps ) he isn’t an untouchable. Guess. I’m old school growing up w/bob Boone. Give me a .250 hitting catcher who plays lights out D any day.
aces666high - August 25, 2010
Runners On Base
Actually, Napoli’s OPS is .786 with Runners On and .788 with Nobody On Base. His numbers with RISP stink this year, but players get so few at-bats in these situations, and it’s so sporadic, the volatility is high.
Mathis is historically bad. He’s not even good behind the dish, as Scioscia has liked to claim. Fabregas was better.
angelsfan15 - August 25, 2010
Risp
I didn’t bring up his ops but ok. What I care about is bread and butter stats. Risp has been horrible for the last two years. Not what you’d call Mr Clutch. I dont expect him to hit .330 in those situations but is above the Mendoza line asking too much??? He has good power but like I said average everywhere else. But agreed that Mathis is just plain bad! Never have their been so many rainbows tossed to second!
aces666high - August 25, 2010
"clutch"
I’ll bet a bunch that he is much closer to his normal AVG/OBP/SLG next year than he has been this year. It’s not a skill.
angelsfan15 - August 25, 2010
Well I'll bet a whole lotsa bunch!
We don’t know what his true average #‘s are. This is his first real season being an everyday(almost)player. I disagree, clutch can be a skill. It’s something u can work on by knowing the situation ur in. Knowing that u don’t have to corkscrew yourself into the ground gunning for the fences when a single or a sac fly will do he job. Sure some players just have it in them to come thru when the chips r down but that doesn’t mean your average player can’t become a competent .280 RISP hitter with a little film and coaching…uh oh, enter Mickey Hatcher!
aces666high - August 25, 2010
Clutch
People have spent time and money trying to determine if clutch hitting is a genuine skill. Pretty much everyone says no. Good hitters tend to be good hitters regardless of the situation.
Suboptimal - August 25, 2010
did not start Nap on my fantasy team today
Fuck
But we won and that is what counts most
DAD OF VLAD - August 25, 2010
[BEAVIS]
Hunh hunh hunh… He said “erupts”… hunh hunh hunh\
[/BEAVIS]
red floyd - August 25, 2010
worse that
you actually typed this, or that I heard his voice mouthing it?
feNOMINAL - August 25, 2010
This was a great series. If we lose 2 out of 3 from here on . . . .
. . . we might even get a top 10 pick next year! We’re ralking high quality here.
Here are some recent #8-12 picks. 2009: Mike Leake and Drew Storen. Both already impact players,
2008: Gordon Beckham, Justin Smoak
2007: Madison Bumgardner
2006: Drew Stubbs, Tim lincecum, Max Scherzer
2005: Andrew McCutchen
2004: JERED WEAVER
Wally's World - August 25, 2010
That's quite a little list there
RexTookMyStash - August 25, 2010
The sarcasm alarm just sounded.
Coincidence? I think not.
sothball - August 25, 2010
Totally, Heck it only includes the Ace of our staff, a 2 time Cy Young winner, . . .
2 starting pitchers who would be on our staff, a future star who is better than 4/5 of our outfielders (McCutchen), another outfielder who has 20/20 tools, a 1B who many people have projected to be a middle of the order bat ( the centerpiece of the Cliff Lee deal, ) and Beckham who has more potential than Callaspo.
Wally's World - August 25, 2010
Can't we just get Madison Bumgardner???
That dude sounds awesome!
aces666high - August 25, 2010
I saw him at Giants stadium pitch an epic game.
I think he got shelled his last game but the kid has potential.
RexTookMyStash - August 26, 2010
From the boxscore
It says a lot about Angels fans that a day game against Tampa Bay with the Angels out of the division race drew 7,000 more fans that a night game in Texas with them about to win their first division title since 1977 when they were the Seattle SuperSenators.
MH252525 - August 25, 2010
this is my impersonation of a Mark Whicker column
please rec. if I hit one out of the park for my true stats and also glaring inaccuracies.
MH252525 - August 25, 2010
"How can i erase my name from google searches?"
-Mark Whicker
Rev Halofan - August 25, 2010
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