Click
HERE to vote for your favorite Angels players for
the 2006 All-Star Game!!!
mlb.com
May 30,
2006
After almost two years, thousands of words typed and
hours of time researching and writing, we have run out of the
time and money to keep the site going. I would
really like to thank all of the visitors who stopped by to
check us out over the years and kept us going
strong. While I have decided to stop running this page, I
will keep on updating my MySpace page on a regular basis.
I urge you all to check us out at: www.MySpace.com/SiteForAngelsFansDotCom (you
don't even need to sign up!). Thank you all again for your
dedication and support. I will see you all at the
ballpark. LIGHT UP THAT HALO!!
SFAF
P.S. I would also like to thank all of the wonderful
sportswriters at the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register,
the Daily News and at the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
THANKS!!
associated
press
May 17, 2006
The 2002 season was all in our minds yesterday as Troy Glaus and
Bengie Molina returned to Anaheim for the first time since
leaving the Angels through free-agency. In typical 2002 form,
the Angels strung up a bunch of timely hits together, stole three
bases and had a great pitching performance to beat
the Blue Jays, 8-3. With the Angels up 1-0 after two
innings, Vladimir Guerrero smacked a Ted Lilly (L, 4-3) offering
over the left field wall for his 10th homer of the season, giving
the Angels a 3-0 lead. Toronto bounced back and scored two
runs in the sixth off Ervin Santana (W, 4-1), but a four run
outburst by the Angels with two outs in the bottom of the inning
sealed the win for the Halos. Orlando Cabrera finished
the night 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. To read
more on the win, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Younger
Molina Steals Show in Angels' 8-3 Win", the Orange County
Register -"Angels
Discover Blue Jays' Weakness", the Daily News -"Santana Baffles
Blue Jays" and from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Jose
Molina's Turn".
Notes From the
Game
- For the first time in the history of the
world (probably), both Molina brothers recorded a stolen base in the
same game.
- Vladimir Guerrero is batting .345 with
four homers and 14 RBIs through 14 games this month.
- Garret Anderson was scratched from the
game with hamstring and foot problems.
- Edgardo Alfonzo was the only starter for
the Angels without a hit.
- Bengie Molina went 2-for-4 in the game
against his former team.
- Troy Glaus was hit by a pitch in the
second and had to leave the game with a bruised elbow.
- Rob and Scott Niedermayer of the Mighty
Ducks both threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the
game.
The
Angels look to make it two in a row tonight when they take on the
Toronto Blue Jays at 7:05pm. Starting for the Angels will be
Kelvim Escobar (5-2, 3.46), who will look to stay unbeaten this
month (3-0) while facing Toronto's Casey Janssen (1-3, 4.07).
Escobar is 4-1 with a 3.16 ERA in his last five starts and is 1-0
with a 0.00 ERA against the Blue Jays this season in 6 2/3
innings. Janssen, an OC native, will be making just his fifth
career start. Janssen beat the Angels for his first career win
10 days ago when he one-hit the Angels through 7 1/3 scoreless
innings. To read a preview of tonight's game, click HERE.
Mike Scioscia, Bud
Black, Jose Molina and Mike Napoli held a closed-door meeting with
Jeff Weaver after his last start to help figure out why he is
pitching so poorly this season. After going through tapes, it
was determined that Weaver (1-6, 7.40) was trying too hard to
impress his new team by overthrowing, which has left too many
pitches up in the strike zone. Overthrowing is nothing new to
Weaver as it was also the source of his problems in 2002 when he was
traded to the Yankees and went 1-1 with an 8.00 ERA in his first
four starts for New York. Weaver will get the chance to see if
he can turnaround his season on Friday when he pitches against the
Dodgers. To read more on the closed-door meeting, here are
articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Weaver
Finds Source of Woes", the Orange County Register -"Closed-Door
Meeting Held to Address Weaver's Troubles" and from the
Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Weaver
Set Straight".
Misc. Angels News
- Injury reports on Garret Anderson, Darin Erstad, Bartolo
Colon and Maicer Izturis can be found by clicking HERE
(scroll down).
- Baseball.com has an article out today on how the Angels
are not playing up to their expectations. To read the article,
click HERE.
- Juan Rivera has been named as the "Pickup
of the Week" according to the Sporting News' Fantasy Baseball
experts.
Minor League News
Jered
Weaver had another stellar outing for the Salt Lake Bees
yesterday, tossing six shutout innings, allowing just four hits and
striking out eight, but the bullpen for the Bees could not hold the
lead as the Bees fell to the Iowa Cubs, 4-1. Weaver (ND)
lowered his ERA in the game to 2.40 while receiving his fourth
no-decision of the year. Kendry Morales tried to get Weaver a
win by homering (5) in the second, but the Cubs kept the Bees of the
board the remainder of the game. Jeff Mathis extended his
hitting streak to 12-games with two hits in the contest. To
read more on yesterday's game, click HERE.
May 16, 2006
While many people seem to be disappointed that players like Casey
Kotchman, Dallas McPherson, Jeff Mathis and Howie Kendrick did not
immediately make an impact in the major leagues, they have to
remember that most prospects do not immediately make an impact when
they are first called up. Darin Erstad, Tim Salmon
and even Troy Glaus did not turn many heads during their first
call up. The one thing different about this year's crop of
youngsters that is different from the group that came
through in the 90's (Tim Salmon, Troy Percival, Garret
Anderson, Troy Glaus, Jim Edmonds, Bengie Molina, Darin Erstad
and Jarrod Washburn) is that they had to play under
pressure. The Angels in the 90's were never supposed to
contend and the rookies were allowed to fail. So, before you
get down on Kotchman, Mathis, McPherson or Kendrick, just remember
that that they have not been given a fair chance to succeed at the
big league level yet. With more on the the struggles of the
recent crop of prospects, here are articles from the Los Angeles
Times -"Angels
Go Through Growing Pains", the Orange County Register -"Rookie
Angels Can No Longer Wing It" and from the Riverside
Press-Enterprise -"Undue
Pressure".
The
Angels (16-22) begin a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays
(21-16) tonight, with the first pitch scheduled for
7:05pm. Tonight's game with the Blue Jays will mark the return
to Anaheim for Troy Glaus and Bengie Molina since the Angels let
them go. Ervin Santana (3-1, 4.79) gets the start for the
Angels and will face Ted Lilly (4-2, 3.24). Santana is 2-1
with a 5.34 in his last five starts and is 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA
against the Blue Jays this season. Lilly is 3-2 with a 3.06
ERA in his last five starts and is 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA against the
Angels this year. For a preview of tonight's pitching match up
click HERE, and for more on the return of
Glaus and Molina, here is an article from the Daily News -"Expect No Boos for These Birds".
Misc. Angels News
- The Daily News has an article out today on Mike
Scioscia's 17-year-old son Matt, who is making a name for himself
playing baseball at Crespi High in Encino. To read more on
Matt Scioscia, here is an article from the Daily News -"In the Name of His
Father".
- "His curveball was
outstanding", is what Blue Jay Frank Catalanotto wrote about John
Lackey in his journal. Catalanotto keeps tabs on every major
league pitcher he faces and how he fares during each at-bat.
To read more about his journal and what he wrote about other Angel
pitchers, click HERE.
Minor League News
Jordan Renz of the Cedar Rapid Kernels (Class-A affiliate of
the Angels) went 4-for-5, belted three homers, scored four
times and drove in 10 runs, but his Kernels still lost
18-14 to the Clinton Lumberkings. For Renz, his three
homers and 10 RBIs tied Midwest League records (the RBI mark had not
being reached since 1978). The Kernels were undone by bad
pitching and a season-high five errors during yesterday's rain
soaked contest. To read more on yesterday's slugfest, click
HERE.
ocregister.com
May 15, 2006
Jeff Weaver came into yesterday's game with not only the series
on the line, but his job as well. 3 2/3 innings into the game,
the Angels found themselves down and Jeff Weaver (L, 1-6) out of the
game after he surrendered seven runs and four homers to the M's in
an eventual
9-4 loss. Yesterday's performance not only gave
Weaver his sixth loss of the season, but it also increased his ERA
to 7.40. The Angels scored all four of their runs in the third
off starter Gil Meche (W, 3-2) thanks to a two-run homer
by Adam Kennedy (2), an RBI single by Vladimir Guerrero and an RBI
groundout by Garret Anderson. The loss dropped the Angels back
into last place in the AL West. With more on yesterday's loss,
here are articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Mariners
Rip Weaver and Beat Angels, 9-4", the Orange County Register
-"Home
Runs Rock Weaver" and "Scioscia
Isn't Ready to Give Up on Weaver", the Daily News -"Weaver Loses Game,
Maybe Starting Job" and from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Weaver
Bombs for Mom".
Notes From the
Game
- After allowing four homers yesterday,
Weaver is now tied for the AL lead with 12.
- The Angels gave up nine homers to the
Mariners in the three-game series.
- The Angels are 1-7 in their last eight
home games and have lost 12 of their last 16 games total.
- Jeff Weaver has just two quality starts
in his first eight outings with the Angels.
Today the Angels (16-22) are off. They will begin a
three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays (21-16) tomorrow
night at Angel Stadium. Ervin Santana (3-1, 4.79) will
face Ted Lilly (4-2, 3.24) in the first game of the series, Kelvim
Escobar (5-2, 3.46) will face Casey Janssen (1-3, 4.07) in
game two and John Lackey (3-3, 3.61) will face Roy Halladay
(5-1, 2.74) in the finale. The series will mark the return of
former Angels Troy Glaus and Bengie Molina to Anaheim, so get ready
to remember the good ol' days of 2002.
Edgardo
Alfonzo is putting the heat on the Angels. While not
officially requesting to be traded, he had his agent speak with Bill
Stoneman about being traded because he is unhappy with his playing
time. I'm sure the Angels would love to part ways with his $7
million contract, but no team is going to trade for him, his salary
and his .114 batting average. There is currently a trade rumor
floating around with the New York Mets which would send Edgardo
Alfonzo to New York for second baseman Kaz Matsui (.265-1-5).
To read more on Alfonzo's desire to play elsewhere, here is an
article from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Alfonzo Wants Out".
Misc. Angels News
- Howie Kendrick was optioned to Triple-A after yesterday's
game and infielder Erick Aybar (.292-4-23) was called up to take his
place. Kendrick was batting just .115 in the big leagues, but
the reason for the move was to bring in someone who could play more
than one position. To read more on the switch, click HERE
(scroll down).
- Garret Anderson left the game in the sixth after
straining his left hamstring. He will be reevaluated
today.
- Bartolo Colon threw his second bullpen session
yesterday and looks to be ready to pitch a simulated game this
week. If all goes as planned, he could return to the rotation
next week after he goes through a minor-league rehab stint. To
read more on Colon's progress, click HERE.
- Jeff Mathis has been on a hot streak since returning to
the minors. Mathis is currently batting .317 and has hit in
all ten games since returning to Salt Lake. His resurgence is
giving the Angels the option of having three catchers on the roster
again. To read more on Mathis, click HERE
(scroll down).
- J.C. Romero has been pitching so badly lately that giving
up no earned runs in his last two starts is news. Want
proof? Here goes, from the Los Angeles Times -"Romero's
Tough Luck is Unearned".
Minor League News
The
Angels might be stuck in last place right now, but at least we
can smile for the fact that the Salt Lake Bees (23-13) are holding a
2 1/2 game lead in the Pacific North Division. While the big
club struggled on Mother's Day, giving up nine runs to the Mariners,
the Bees shut out the Iowa Cubs 6-0. Starter Kasey
Olenberger (W, 3-0) shut out the Cubs for seven innings, running his
scoreless streak to 13 innings and lowering his ERA to 2.20.
Offensively, the Bees combined for 18 hits, with Kendry Morales and
Nick Gorneault each contributing four of them. Morales also
added three RBIs in the game while Gorneault scored three
times. So, while the Angels are struggling to score runs and
keep leads, at least we can still hold our heads high as our future
is looking bright. To read more on yesterday's game, click
HERE.
associated
press
May 13, 2006
Are we seeing an offensive revival for the Halos, or are these
last two games a fluke? That's what all of us Angels fans are
wondering today as the Angels posted a dozen runs for the second
straight game in yesterday's
12-7 victory over the Seattle Mariners. The Angels busted
out their Wonderboys against the M's pitching staff last night,
combining for ten hits, nine walks and tying their season-high
with 12 runs. All of the offense for the Angels came
during a three inning span as they had a five run second
inning which saw nine Angels come to the plate, a Tim Salmon's solo
homer (5) in the third and a six run fourth inning which was
highlighted by Juan Rivera's grand slam (3). The recipient of
all the offense was Kelvim Escobar (W, 5-2). Escobar did
not particularly pitch well, but he still got the win even
though he gave up six runs and eleven hits over six
innings. AL Pitcher of the Week, Joel Pineiro (L, 4-3), took
the loss as he was pulled in the third after allowing six
runs. His replacement, Bobby Livingston, also gave up six
runs, but in only 1/3 of an inning. To read more on the
Angels' victory, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Angels'
Patience Pays Off", the Orange County Register -"Victory
Almost Like Walk in Park", the Daily News -"Offense Livens Up
Again" and from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Awakening
Angels Get Another Dozen".
Notes From the
Game
- Last night's game marked the first time
the Angels scored more than five runs in a home game this
season.
- Juan Rivera's grand slam was the third
of his career.
- Chone Figgins was the only starter for
the Angels without a hit.
- Tim Salmon drove in two runs and is now
just one shy of 1,000 for his career.
- The Angels walked nine times in the
game, giving them a total of 16 walks in the past two
games.
- The Angels won back-to-back games for
the first time since April 22-23.
- The Angels have scored 24 runs in their
past two games compared to scoring just nine runs over their
previous five.
The Angels look to stay hot as they take on the last place
Mariners again tonight at 7:05pm. Starting for the Angels will
be John Lackey (3-3, 3.38), who gets the unfortunate job of facing
off against his good friend Jarrod Washburn (2-5, 3.61).
Washburn will be making his first visit to Anaheim since he signed
with the Mariners in the offseason. Lackey has not fared well
against the Mariners in his career posting a 5-7 record and 4.04
ERA. He did not help his career numbers against the M's in his
last start as he allowed five runs over four innings. In his
lone start against the Angels this season, Washburn picked up the
win as he held the Angels to two runs over seven innings. To
read a preview of tonight's game, click HERE, and to read more about
Washburn's return to Anaheim, here is and article from the
Daily News -"Ex-Angel Prefers M's Park".
Misc. Angels News
- Bartolo Colon and Maicer Izturis are both one step closer
to returning from the disabled list today. Colon threw his
first bullpen session yesterday since being put on the DL almost a
month ago, while Izturis started taking batting practice. Both
players are still weeks away from returning, but the team is
encouraged by their progress. To read more on Colon and
Izturis, click HERE
(scroll down).
- For those of you who are ESPN Insiders, they have a new
article out on the surplus of prospects in the Angels
organization. To read the article, click HERE,
and to make me an Insider, feel free to go ahead and click on one of
those donation buttons <wink wink>.
- Even though Howie Kendrick has not had an at-bat in
almost a week, the rookie is still happy to be in the big
leagues. He said that he would rather be sitting on the bench
in Anaheim than playing full-time in Triple-A. He could get
the start tonight as Adam Kennedy might sit against the lefty,
Washburn. To read more on Kendrick, click HERE
(scroll down).
- For those of you not keeping
track of how former Angels are doing this season, check out or
Now vs.
Then section to keep up to date on how
former Angels are doing compared to their replacements.
(Interesting Stat: Steve Finley is leading the majors
with seven triples).
art.com
May 12, 2006
Once again the Angels were back to their old ways yesterday,
getting shutout, but this time it did not matter as the game was
postponed due to rain. Nevertheless, the rainout forced all of
us to miss the chance to see Kelvim Escobar face the White Sox for
the first time since he beaned A.J. Pierzynski roughly two
weeks ago, which led to a war or words between members of the White
Sox and Escobar himself. Escobar was hoping the rain would
stop so that he could get the chance to beat the White Sox and get
revenge for being called "a chicken-s%*t" and "dumb" by manger Ozzie
Guillen. To read more on the postponement of yesterday's game,
here are articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Rainout
Forces Escobar to Wait", the Orange County Register -"Escobar
Upset he Can't Face Chicago", the Daily News -"Escobar Loses to
Rain" and from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Rain
Ruins Confrontation". To read more from yesterday's papers
about Escobar's feud with Ozzie Guillen, here are articles from the
Los Angeles Times -"Escobar
Won't Speak to Guillen", the Orange County Register -"Alert:
Escobar Again Faces White Sox", the Daily News -"Escobar Speaks
Up", the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Guillen,
Escobar in War of Words" and from the Chicago Sun Times -"Escobar
Sticks to His Story, Doesn't Appreciate Comments".
Today
the Angels (15-20) are home to start a three-game set with the
Seattle Mariners (15-21) with the first pitch set for 7:05pm.
Since he did not get to start yesterday, Kelvim Escobar (4-2, 2.78
ERA) will take the mound for the Angels while facing off against
Joel Pineiro (4-2, 3.72 ERA). Escobar is 2-1 in his last seven
appearances against the Mariners while Pineiro is 3-0 in his last
three against the Angels. The Mariners won six of
nine meetings against the Angels at the Big-A last
season. For a preview of tonight's game, click HERE.
A man,
not a real one mind you, is suing the Angels for discrimination as
he did not receive a free Mother's Day tote bag at Angel Stadium
last year when entering the park. In his suit, Michael Cohn
(who is a psychologist) says that males and fans younger than 18
were treated unequally when they were denied the tote bag.
Similar lawsuits have popped up elsewhere in California, as by last
count, there were 30 such cases filed. After receiving his
letter of complaint, the Angels sent Cohn four tote bags and a
letter of apology, but Cohn wants every man that attended the game
to receive $4,000 as entitled by California's Unruh Civil Right's
Act. Cohn's lawsuit might have already made a difference as
this year all fans in attendance will receive the free tote bag on
Mother's Day. Maybe these people should focus their time on
finding out why there is no giveaways on Father's Day instead.
Anyway, to read more on the suit, here is an article from the Los
Angles Times -"L.A. Psychologist Who Didn't Get Tote Bag at Mother's Day
Angel Game Files Lawsuit".
Misc. Angels News
- Bartolo Colon is scheduled to throw off a
mound today for the first time since going on the DL on April
19th. Colon says that his arm feels good now, but the real
test will come today after he throws to see how his arm
responds. To read more on Colon's progress, click HERE.
- He already angered fans and the city over the name
change, but will Arte Moreno anger more fans by signing
Barry Bonds in the offseason to become the Angels' DH? Click
HERE
to find out.
Minor League News
Jered
Weaver continues to make a case for being the Angels' fifth starter
as he tossed another seven scoreless innings in yesterday's 13-1
victory over Omaha. Weaver (W, 3-1) struck out three and did
not walk a batter while lowering his ERA to 2.79. On
the season, Weaver now has 50 strikeouts and 6 walks in
42.0 innings pitched. Curtis Pride had four hits, Kendry
Morales had three and Nick Gorneault hit his fifth homer of the
season in the victory. To read more on the game, click
HERE.
associated
press
May 10, 2006
For the third straight game, the Angels scored just one run and
lost, this time they fell
to the White Sox, 9-1. The Angels got on the board in the
first inning after Orlando Cabrera tripled and was able to score on
a ground out by Vladimir Guerrero, but that was all she wrote as the
Angels stayed off the board the rest of the night. Kevin Gregg
(L, 2-1) finally looked human as he was beaten up by the White Sox,
allowing seven runs and nine hits in just 2 2/3 innings.
Jim Thome belted a three-run homer (14) and Jermaine Dye hit a solo
shot (7) in the third to highlight their six-run inning.
Freddy Garcia (W, 5-1) got the win for the White Sox, who have now
won 18 of their last 22 games. With the loss, the Angels
are now in last place in the AL West. With more on yesterday's
defeat, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Angels
Socked in Chicago", the Orange County Register -"Angels'
Agony Continues", the Daily News -"New City, Same
Lack of Offensive Production" and from the Riverside
Press-Enterprise -"Scoring
Woes Persist, and Angels Hit Bottom".
Notes From the
Game
- The Angels have scored three runs, have
recorded 11 hits, struck out 18 times and walked just twice in
their last three games.
- The Angels had five hits (four for extra
bases) in their first three innings and none after.
- Dallas McPherson became the fifth player
to play first base this season for the Angels.
- Chone Figgins went 0-for-4 in the game
and is now 1-for-12 against the White Sox this season.
- The Angels have scored three runs
or more just four times in their last fifteen games.
Today
the Angels hope to record their first win of the season against the
White Sox. Ervin Santana (2-1 with a 4.84 ERA) will start for
the Angels and will oppose knuckleballer Charlie Haeger, who will be
making his major league debut in place of the injured Jose
Contreras. Santana gave up five runs over seven innings the
last time he faced the White Sox and will look to improve those
numbers today. Haeger was 3-0 with a 0.68 ERA at Triple-A
Charlotte at the time of his promotion. For a preview of
tonight's game, click HERE.
In
looking to boost their sagging offense, the Angels called-up Dallas
McPherson from Triple-A yesterday. At the time of the
promotion, McPherson was batting just .235 and had struck out 48
times in 99 at-bats. The Angels, desperate for offense, gave
McPherson the call because he had been on a tear in the minors
lately homering five times in his last five games. To make
room on the roster, the Angels placed Casey Kotchman on the disabled
list to give him time to see a doctor and get treatment for the
viral infection (mononucleosis) that has caused him to be fatigued
all season long. In his first game back, McPherson went
0-for-3 with three strikeouts. To read more on
McPherson's return, here are articles from the Orange County
Register -"Angels Recall McPherson Despite .235 Triple-A
Average", the Daily News -"Health Forces Change" and from
the Los Angeles Times -"Kotchman is Forced to the DL by
Illness".
Misc. Angels News
- After spending three hours in a Toronto hospital Monday
night complaining of chest pains, Scot Shields flew to Chicago to
have tests done to see what was causing him chest pains the last
four days. The tests showed no abnormalities to his heart, but
they did give him some acid reflux medication. To read more on
Shields and his hospital scare, click HERE.
- Darin Erstad received some encouraging news yesterday
when he learned that the pain in his right ankle was caused by a
bone bruise and he will not have to have surgery. For more on
Erstad's diagnosis, click HERE
(scroll down).
- How did the Angels' offense get to be so bad? Steve
Bisheff of the Orange County Register tries to break it down in his
newest article, "Angels
Have Lineup for Hitting Bottom".
- Jason Kendall is still upset with John Lackey for the
words he said which resulted in the brawl last week. Kendall
defended his actions saying that he "got disrespected" and "if he'd
(Lackey) kept his mouth shut, it wouldn't had happened". We
are not sure whether he is just jealous that Lackey was let off with
a $2,500 fine, or because Lackey embarrassed him by beating the snot
out of him. To read more on Kendall looking like an ass, click
HERE
(scroll down).
- The Canadian Press has a great article out on Tim
Salmon's return to the game, to read the article click HERE.
- For those of you in the Palm Springs area that are upset
that you can't watch Angels games this season, click HERE
to read about what you can do to help fix the problem.
Minor League News
- The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are honoring teachers on May
10th with special ticket prices and a special on-field opportunity
for photos and autographs before the game. For more info on
the event, send an email to lrathfon@rcquakes.com.
- Tickets for the Texas League All-Star Game, which will be
held at Ray Winder Field in Little Rock, are on sale now.
For ticket info, click HERE.
- Also in Little Rock, you can register your child to be an
honorary bat boy for a night as part of the Cingular Bat Boy
Contest. For details, click HERE.
associated
press
May 09, 2006
The freefall continues for the Halos as they dropped their
ninth game in their last eleven tries with
a 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays
yesterday. Jeff Weaver (L, 1-5) dominated the Blue Jays
through four innings, but the Jays exploded for five runs in the
fifth off him. Bengie Molina (4) and Alex Rios (7) both
homered in the frame to give the Jays a 5-0 lead. The Angels'
offense was once again nonexistent as they could only scrounge up
four hits and one run against Roy Halladay (W, 4-1), who went all
nine for the Jays. To read more on the loss, here are articles
from the Los Angeles Times -"Angel Options Dwindle", the Orange County
Register -"Offense Again Absent", the Daily News -"A Halladay in Toronto: Angels Lose" and
from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"No Plate Patience".
Notes From the Game
- With just one run in last night's game,
the Angels have scored just 30 in their last 12 games.
- Juan Rivera went 0-for-4 in his return
from the DL.
- The game lasted just 1 hour, 59
minutes.
- The Angels have now last 12 of their
last 16 games at Skydome.
- With yesterday's four hit performance,
the Angels are now batting just .247 as a team.
Things
will not get any easier for the Angels (14-19) as tonight they
begin a three-game series with the World Champion Chicago White
Sox (22-9). Kevin Gregg (2-0 with a 1.02 ERA) will get the
start for the Angels as he takes on Freddy Garcia (4-1 with a 5.45
ERA). Gregg is 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA in his career against the
White Sox, while Garcia is 12-3 with a 2.74 ERA against the
Angels. The White Sox lead the season series 3-0 and have won
17 of their last 21 games this season. The last time these two
teams faced each other, tensions ran high after A.J. Pierzynski was
plunked by Kelvim Escobar. Escobar is set to start Thursday's
game against the White Sox. To read a preview of the game,
click HERE, and for a preview of the series, here
are articles from the Daily Southtown -"Sox Not
Looking for Trouble",
the Daily Herald -"Sox Staying
Focused" and from the
Daily News -"White Sox May
Not be Happy to See Angels
".
Misc. Angels News
- Scot Shields was examined by
paramedics in the Angels' clubhouse after complaining of chest pains
during yesterday's game. Although I could make a joke about
him having a heart attack watching the Angels play, I will take the
higher ground this time. Shields refused to speak with
reporters about what happened. To read more on Shields, click
HERE.
- With the Angels struggling to find
some power in their lineup, the team is currently looking at the
option of bringing up Dallas McPherson from Triple-A.
McPherson has hit eighth homers in Triple-A this season in 99
at-bats, but he has struck out 48 times and has a .242
average. To read more on D-Mac's possible return, click HERE. For more on what the Angels
might do next to get some punch into the lineup, here is an article
from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Rookies Won't Get it Done".
- Bartolo Colon played long toss
before yesterday's game for about 10 minutes and said that he felt
good afterwards. While he may have made a little progress
yesterday, there is still no timetable set for his return. To
read more on Colon's progress, click HERE.
- Would free-agent to be Kelvim
Escobar be willing to play for the Blue Jays again? With the
Jays' new reputation of being free spenders, they might take the chance and sign him
again in the offseason.
May 05, 2006
- Check out our MySpace blog entries titled,
"Taking Look
Back", which can now be found below the "15 Things You (Probably)
Didn't Know About..." table!!
associated
press
May 03, 2006
The Angels lost their fifth straight game 10-3
yesterday, but they did not go down without a fight as a bench
clearing brawl in the sixth became the highlight of yesterday's
game. The A's got on the board first as Eric Chavez took John
Lackey (L, 3-2) deep for a three-run homer (10) before the first out
was recorded. The Angels pushed a run across the board on a
sacrifice fly off Brad Halsey (W, 1-0) in the third inning and
Vladimir Guerrero took him deep in the sixth inning for a two-run
homer (7), but that was all the offense the Angels could muster off
Halsey. Speaking of the sixth inning, in the top of the inning
the A's loaded the bases off John Lackey and Jason Kendall came up
to bat. The first pitch Lackey threw was an inside breaking
ball to Kendall. Kendall tried to lean into the pitch to get
hit on purpose to bring in a run and Lackey called him on it.
Kendall was furious that Lackey said something to him and charged
the mound. Jeff Mathis grabbed Kendall's legs while Lackey got
Kendall in a headlock and started throwing punches while the benches
poured out onto the pitcher's mound (to view the video of the fight,
click HERE). Order was eventually restored
and Lackey and Kendall were both ejected. The A's ended up
scoring the go-ahead run in the inning when the Angels could not
turn a double play fast enough to get out of the jam. The
score remained close at 4-3 until the ninth inning when the A's
erupted for six runs off J.C. Romero and Chris Bootcheck, putting
the game out of reach. Oakland's Chad Gaudin beaned Robb
Quinlan intentionally with two outs in the ninth, but was not
ejected since home plate umpire Dale Scott just wanted the game to
end. Mike Scioscia argued that he should have been ejected,
but Scott ejected Scioscia instead. To read more about
yesterday's game, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Lackey is Charged with Loss", the Orange
County Register -"Angels Lose to A's, 10-3", the Daily News
-"A's Give Angels a Beating" and from the
Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Brawl Leaves Scioscia Fuming".
Notes From the
Game
- In his last six outings, J.C. Romero is
0-2 with nine walks and eight earned runs in just 5 2/3
innings.
- Garret Anderson broke out of an
0-for-12 slump by going 2-for-3.
- For the first time in three years the
Angels find themselves three-games under .500.
- Eric Chavez' homer in the first was the
200th of his career.
Today the Angels (12-15) begin a two-game set
with the Detroit Tigers (18-9) in Detroit, with the first pitch
scheduled for 4:05pm. Jeff Weaver (1-3 with a 7.48 ERA) looks
to rebound from his disastrous last start and end the Angels'
five-game skid by outpitching Detroit's Nate Robertson (3-2 with a
3.77 ERA). Weaver is 1-1 with a 2.57 in his career
against his former team while Robertson is 0-3 with a
10.62 ERA in his career against the Halos. The Angels will
come into the series with a five-game losing streak while the Tigers
are in the midst of a five-game winning streak. For a preview
of tonight's game, click HERE.
Because of yesterdays
altercation, John Lackey could be suspended by MLB and be forced to
miss his next start. Even though Jason Kendall was the one who
charged the mound, expect John Lackey to be suspended as well since
they will rule that he instigated the fight. With the Angels
already strapped for starting pitchers with Bartolo Colon and Kelvim
Escobar both injured, the Angels are in the process of looking for a
spot starter. The logical choice would be Chris Bootcheck, who
made his season debut yesterday and was rocked for two runs in
just 1/3 of an inning, but the Angels could also reach into the
minors and bring up Jered Weaver to start. To read more on the
Angels' options for starters, here are articles from the Los Angeles
Times -"Jered Weaver Might Get Next Try in Colon's
Spot" and from the Daily News -"Lackey Might be Out".
Misc. Angels News
- Lost within the fighting yesterday
was another poor outing by the Angels' offense (heck, John Lackey
got more hits in than the Angels as a team did). Vladimir
Guerrero's homer aside, the Angels could not get a timely hit or
even run the bases well as the team combined for just three runs and
seven hits while stranding six runners. To read more on the
struggling offense, click HERE.
- Darin Erstad sat out his second consecutive game because
of a sore left ankle. While nobody is sure how long he will be
out for, the team expects him not to be out long term.
- Trying to get his bat into the
lineup, the Angels have been working with Howie Kendrick to teach
him how to play third base and first base. Kendrick, who was
hitting .386 before his call-up, is open to playing any
position to get playing time. With more on Kendrick
playing first and third, click HERE.
- Angels fans, don't forget to pick up
your copy of Robert Goldman's new book that tells the story of the
Angels franchise through the eyes of the players. To pick up a
copy of his book for only $15, click on the link -"Once They Were Angels" (it makes a great
mother's day gift!).
associated
press
May 02, 2006
With Bartolo Colon out indefinitely, the
Angels were hoping that Hector Carrasco could be a decent
replacement for him until their ace gets back from the disabled
list. After two rough starts, Carrasco finally gave the Angels
a great start last night, unfortunately for him and the rest of the
team, the offense failed to show up as the Angels dropped their fourth straight game,
1-0. Carrasco (L, 0-2), making a better start than Colon
has had all year, shut down the A's for six innings, allowing just
one run and three hits. Barry Zito (W, 2-2) pitched even
better than Carrasco as he kept the Angels off the board in his 7
2/3 innings of work, limiting the Halos to just five hits. The
Angels came within inches of winning the game, but Garret Anderson's
drive to right, which would have been a three-run homer, was
caught up against the short porch in right in the eighth inning
and Tim Salmon's drive in the ninth was caught against the wall in
center. To read more on the loss, here are articles from the
Los Angeles Times -"Zito Holds Down the Angels", the Orange
County Register -"Angels Chances Come Up a Little Short" and
from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"To the Angels, Air Very Heavy and Zito Very
Barry".
Notes From the
Game
- Howie Kendrick singled in
the fifth inning off Barry Zito for his first major league
hit.
- In the last seven games, the Angels are
batting just .189 (41-for-217).
- Chone Figgins' streak of scoring a run
in nine straight games came to an end last night.
- Vladimir Guerrero walked for just the
fourth time last night.
The Angels look to close out their two-game
series against the Oakland A's today with a win. Looking to
break the Angels out of their season-high four-game losing streak is
John Lackey (3-1 with a 3.09 ERA), who will oppose Brad Halsey
(0-0 with a 1.42 ERA), who is starting in place of the injured Rich
Harden. Lackey is 0-0 with a 3.60 ERA against the A's this
season (6-1 lifetime) while Halsey will be making his second
career appearance against the Angels (pitched 1 2/3 scoreless
innings against them last August) and first start this season (has
appeared in nine games out of the bullpen). For a preview of
today's game, click HERE.
Darin Erstad was not
exactly tearing up the ball the first month of the season.
Erstad, a career .308 hitter in April, only batted .238 with no
homers and four RBIs during the month. Erstad attributed his
slow start to not being comfortable in the batters box, which has
resulted in him not putting good swings on hitable pitches.
Erstad has made up for his slow start at the plate by impressing
many with his defense early on in the season as he has turned many
would be hits into outs by getting a good read of the ball coming
off the bat. To read more on Erstad's slow start, here is an
article from the Orange County Register -"April Drove Erstad Batty".
Misc. Angels News
- Kelvim Escobar, who is currently
scheduled to miss his next start because of a blister on his
pitching hand, is expected to make his return to the rotation on May
9th against, who else, the White Sox. To read more on his
return, click HERE (scroll down).
- Chone Figgins was originally not supposed to be in
last night's lineup because Mike Scioscia wanted to give him a
day off. After Scioscia got word that Darin Erstad
reaggravated the ankle injury that forced him to miss two weeks
during spring, Erstad was given the night off and Figgins was
inserted into centerfield. Figgins went 2-for-4 in the
game.
- To inject some pop into the lineup,
the Angels are expected to take Juan Rivera off the disabled list
this week after he embarks on a brief minor-league rehab
stint. To read more on Rivera's imminent return, click HERE (scroll down).
- Jeff Weaver does not want to think about his last
outing where he gave up a season high eight runs in just 2 1/3
innings to the White Sox. Instead of watching the tapes of the
game and reliving the outing, he plans on just talking to Bud Black
about what he can do differently.
- George Biron, a scout for the
Angels, was seen watching Manchester West's Nick Cenatiempo
pitch for the second time this season. Cenatiempo struck
out 10 batters in the game, but got the loss as his team fell,
5-1. Cenatiempo has already committed to play with St. John's
University next season, but that has not stopped scouts from coming
to his games.
- Angels fans, don't forget to pick up
your copy of Robert Goldman's new book that tells the story of the
Angels franchise through the eyes of the players. To pick up a
copy of his book for only $15, click on the link -"Once They Were Angels" (it makes a great
mother's day gift!).
Minor League News
Kendry Morales was at the starting end of a
rare triple play which helped the Salt Lake Bees beat the Las Vegas
51s, 7-4. With a runner on first and second with no outs,
Chris Truby hit a liner that was caught by Morales, who stepped on
first for out number two and then quickly threw the ball to second
for the third out. The triple play was just the second for the
Bees in the last 12 seasons. Mike Napoli gave the Bees a lift
with a two-run homer (3) in the second and the Bees combined for six
stolen bases in the win. To read more on the game, click
HERE.
associated
press
May 01, 2006
If the Angels hoped to make any statement
this past weekend while playing against the White Sox, the only one
they made was that they are not as good as the defending World
Champions as the Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Angels with
a 6-5 victory. The Angels had their
chances in the game to walk away with a win, but Ervin Santana (ND)
let each lead his offense gave slip away. The Angels had leads
of 2-0 and 5-3, but Santana could not keep the White Sox off the
bases in his seven innings, as he allowing five runs and eight
hits. Orlando Cabrera kept the Angels in the game with his bat
as he went 3-for-4 with a home run (4), a double and four RBIs in
the loss. The White Sox scored the go-ahead run in the ninth
off a wild pitch from Scot Shields (L, 1-2) to complete the
sweep. With more on yesterday's loss, here are articles from
the Los Angeles Times -"Scioscia is Not Wild Abo
