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 About Sweep", the
Orange County Register -"Angels Aren't Wild About Loss, Their
Start", the Daily News -"Angels Throw One Away" and from the
Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Sloppy Play Sinks Angels Again".
Notes From the
Game
- Orlando Cabrera was responsible for
three of the team's five hits and three of the team's five
runs.
- The Angels went down in order in the
ninth on just nine pitches.
- Jeff Mathis was 0-for-3 at the plate
and has just one hit in his last twenty at-bats.
- For the first time since 2003, the
Angels will enter May with a losing record.
- The White Sox completed their first
sweep of the Angels at the Big-A since the 1992 season.
Today the Angels (12-13) turn the page and open
a two-game series against the Oakland A's (12-12), with first pitch
scheduled for 7:05pm. Hector Carrasco (0-1 with a 5.71 ERA)
will start tonight for the Angels, and try to prove to the
organization that he can start, while he opposes Barry Zito (1-2
with a 5.93 ERA). Carrasco is 3-5 with a 6.46 ERA against the
A's in his career while Barry Zito is 11-7 with a 3.82 ERA against
the Angels in his career. The Angels have won seven out of the
last nine meetings with the A's. For a preview of tonight's
game, click HERE.
Even though the White Sox have left town,
controversy has not. Accusations were still flying after
Sunday's game about whether or not A.J. Pierzynski was intentionally
beaned by Kelvim Escobar the night before. Everyone from
Chicago says it was intentional, while everyone from Los Anaheim
says it was not. Ozzie Guillen and Mike Scioscia talked on the
phone before yesterday's game to smooth things out, but Guillen says
that all his anger is focused on Escobar, not him. The two
teams will meet up again in Chicago on May 9th and Kelvim Escobar
could very well pitch in the series. With more on the
controversy, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times
-"Questions
Surround Umpire's Statement", the Orange County Register -"Managers Deny
There's Problem", the
Daily Herald -"Guillen
Clears Air with Scioscia" and from the Chicago Sun-Times -"Escobar Found
Guilty by Sox".
Misc. Angels News
- Don't expect to see any Angel
sitting out today's game against the Oakland A's to honor the Day
Without an Immigrant Protest. While some players may support
the plight, none will sit out today's game. To read more on
the non-protest of the players, click HERE (scroll down).
- Kevin Gregg has been told that he
will start in place of the injured Kelvim Escobar on Thursday, who
is out nursing a blister on the middle finger of his throwing
hand. To take Gregg's spot in the bullpen, the Angels
optioned Reggie Willits back to Triple-A and have recalled Chris
Bootcheck. With more on the moves, click HERE.
Minor League News
The Salt Lake Bees split their doubleheader
yesterday against the Tacoma Rainiers, closing out their series
together. Dallas McPherson was the hero in the win as he
smacked a home run (4) in extra innings to give the Bees a 4-3
victory, Jason Bulger (W, 1-1) got the win. The Bees lost the
second game of the doubleheader as the Rainiers scored four runs in
the eighth to take the game 4-2. To read more on the
doubleheader, click HERE.
associated
press
April 30, 2006
In what looked like a game reminiscent of
last year's ALCS -featuring a great start by a White Sox hurler, as
well as controversy involving A.J. Pierzynski- the Angels
found themselves on the short end of a close game to the White
Sox as they fall 2-1. Jose Contreras (W,
4-0) pitched fantastically over 8 1/3 innings, holding the
Angels to just one run and five hits. The only run he allowed
was on an RBI double by Orlando Cabrera in the sixth inning that
drove in Chone Figgins from second base. Kelvim Escobar
(L, 3-2) was the undeserving loser of last night's game as he held
the White Sox to just one run and three hits over five innings
before leaving the game with a blister on the middle finger of his
pitching hand. Brendan Donnelly took over for Escobar with the
Angels down 1-0 and was taken deep by Jim Thome, putting the
Angels in a 2-0 hole. Tensions ran high in the
second inning of the game when A.J. Pierzynski was hit in the leg
with a fastball by Kelvim Escobar, prompting a warning by the home
plate umpire and arguments by both managers. Escobar says it
was an accident while Pierzynski thinks he did it on purpose because
of what happened in last year's playoffs. With more on last
night's defeat, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Angry White Sox Beat Angels", the Orange
County Register -"Angels Can't 'Match Up'", the Californian
-"Angels Still Can't Solve Contreras" and
from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Escobar Has Two Worries".
Notes From the Game
- Orlando Cabrera was the first batter in
17 tries to get a hit off Jose Contreras this season with a runner
in scoring position.
- Casey Kotchman snapped an 0-for-17 skid
with an infield single in the fifth inning.
- Kelvim Escobar is now 0-7 with a 5.64
ERA in nine career regular season starts against the White
Sox.
- Escobar's beaning of Pierzynski
was the first time he hit a batter in 29 innings
this season.
- Jose Contreras has now won 12 straight
games during the regular-season.
The Angels will look to avoid getting swept
today when the Angels and White Sox finish out their three-game set
at 12:35pm. Looking for a good start, the Angels will give
Ervin Santana (2-0 with a 2.96 ERA) the ball as he looks to outduel
Chicago's Jon Garland (2-1 with a 7.30 ERA). Santana is 1-0
with a 0.00 ERA against the White Sox in his career, earning his
first major league shutout against them in his second career start
last season. Garland is 2-6 with a 4.91 ERA in his career
against the Angels. For a preview of today's game, click
HERE.
Misc. Angels News
- With eight saves already through the
first month of the year, Francisco Rodriguez is on pace to break the
major league record of 57 saves set by Bobby Thigpen in
1990. While that record might be realistically out of reach,
Rodriguez does hope to break the franchise record of 46 set by Brian
Harvey (Rodriguez had 45 last season). To read more on
Rodriguez' quest to break Harvey's record, here is an article from
the North County Times -"Rodriguez Has Eyes on Prize".
- The Anaheim City Council
is strongly considering an appeal of the verdict of the
Orange County Superior Court jury which ruled in favor of the
Angels in the now infamous Name Change Trial. The City Council
has also stated that they are willing to drop an appeal if Arte
Moreno decides not to ask the city to recoup his legal costs.
Isn't that some form of extortion? Anyway, to read more on the
possible appeal, click HERE.
- Kevin Gregg would like to be a starter again in
the big leagues rather than being a long reliever. He may just
get his wish soon as he may get the chance to replace Hector
Carrasco who has struggled in his two starts filling in for Bartolo
Colon. Gregg has allowed just one run in 10 2/3 innings since
being called up.
- Today we debut our newest addition
to the 15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About...Series!!!
This time around, Kelvim Escobar gets the honor. To read about
Kelvim Escobar's up-and-down career, click HERE.
oc
register
April 29, 2006
During the offseason, the two best teams in
the American League last season tried to get even better.
The Angels ended up signing Jeff Weaver to bolster their pitching
staff while the White Sox traded for Jim Thome to give their offense
a boost. Both were highly ineffective in last night's game,
but luckily for the Sox, they did not need Jim Thome's bat as much
as the Angels needed Jeff Weaver's arm in last night's 8-5 Sox victory. Weaver
(L, 1-3) was roughed up by the World Champions as they knocked him
out of the game after allowing eight runs on eight hits in just 2
1/3 innings, the shortest outing of the season for an Angels
starter. Vladimir Guerrero single-handedly kept the Angels in
the game as he got the Angels on the board in the first inning when
he hit a two-run homer (6) off Freddy Garcia (W, 4-1), in the third
he grounded in a run and he then added an RBI single in the seventh
to finish the night with four RBIs. The Angels came close to
tying the game late, but Casey Kotchman's drive to right field was
caught up against the short porch in right field. To read more
on last night's loss, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times
-"Sox Hit Up Angels Again, 8-5", the Orange
County Register -"Weaver Walloped", the Daily News -"Angels Outslugged" and from the Riverside
Press-Enterprise -"White Sox Pound Weaver".
Notes From the
Game
- Chone Figgins walked and scored
three times in the game. In last year's ALCS, he walked just
once.
- The Angels' pitchers held Jim Thome
hitless in five at-bats while striking him out four
times.
- Darin Erstad had a terrible night at
the plate, going 0-for-4 and striking out three times.
- Kevin Gregg threw 3 2/3 scoreless
innings relieving Jeff Weaver and has now allowed just one run over
10 2/3 innings this season.
- Freddy Garcia improved to 12-3 in his
career against the Angels.
- The White Sox are now 10-2 in their
last 12 games.
The Angels look to
even the series tonight when they face the White Sox in the second
game of the three-game series. Kelvim Escobar (3-1 with a
3.75 ERA) will make the start for the Angels while Jose Contreras
(3-0 with a 1.55 ERA) will start for the Sox. Escobar has
struggled against the White Sox in his career posting a 1-8 record
and 6.59 ERA against them. Contreras, who is in the midst of a
12-game winning streak, has never beaten the Angels in his
career as he is 0-2 with an ERA of 6.75 against them. For a
preview of tonight's game, click HERE.
Sunday was the day
that Bartolo Colon was originally supposed to come off the disabled
list, but as of today, Colon has only thrown a light game of catch
once, and that was days ago. The team has put no timetable on
his return from shoulder inflammation, but all indications are that
he is weeks (or perhaps months) away from returning to the
rotation. Hector Carrasco will continue to take Colon's place
in the rotation even though he has been ineffective in his first two
starts. With more on Colon's slow recovery, here are articles
from the Los Angeles Times -"Team Isn't Concerned by Colon's Slow
Recovery" and from the Daily News -"Colon Taking it Slow".
Misc. Angels News
- Voting has begun for the 2006
All-Star Game. To cast your vote, click HERE.
- Mike Scioscia says it is unlikely
that Juan Rivera will come off the disabled list when eligible
Monday. The team is still hoping to have him return sometime
later in the week. To read more on Rivera, click HERE (scroll down).
- ESPN has come out with
their managerial approval ratings for all managers in
MLB. According to the votes, 88% of Angels fans approve of the
job Mike Scioscia is doing so far this season. To see the list
and vote, click HERE.
- Author Robert Goldman, who wrote "Once They Were Angels" (click on the link
to order the book, ONLY $13!!!), will be at the ballpark tonight to
sign copies of his fantastic book on the history of the
franchise.
Minor League News
The Salt Lake Bees
were shutout yesterday by Kevin Appier (?!?!) and the rest of the
Tacoma Rainiers in yesterday's 1-0 loss. The Travs were held
to just one-hit in the game (a bloop single in the second by Curtis
Pride) off three Rainiers pitchers, wasting a solid start by Steven
Shell (ND, 0-0) who struck out eight and allowed just two hits over
eight innings in his Triple-A debut. The Rainiers won the
game in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single off Jason Bulger
(L, 0-1). For Bulger, it was the first run he has allowed all
season in 11 2/3 innings. To read more on the loss, click HERE.
associated
press
April 28,
2006
According to all the dailies,
tonight's series opener against the White Sox will spark
memories about last year's American League Championship
Series. I can't remember too much about the series
except the White Sox beat the Angels in five games thanks to
stellar pitching (heck, they were the first team in 77 years to toss
four straight complete-game victories), terrible umpiring (Doug
Eddings ring a bell?) and thanks to the higher ups who forced the
Angels to play in three time zones (New York, Anaheim and Chicago)
in three consecutive nights and forced the Angels to play Game One
of the ALCS in Chicago less than 24 hours after they beat the
Yankees in Game 5 of the ALDS back in Anaheim (although they did win
that game). So, to make a long story short, the White Sox are
back in town and that is supposed to remind us of last season's ALCS
match up or something. At least some of us have moved
on........<hold me>. With more on the weekend series
against the White Sox, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times
-"No Thought of Past Flailings", the Orange
County Register -"Bad Memories Return to Anaheim", the Daily
News -"Defending Champs Have Upgraded", the
Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Champion White Sox Might Be Even Better"
and from the Chicago Sun-Times -"A Look at Past and Possible Future".
Game One of the
rematch of the Angels (12-10) and White Sox (14-7) begins tonight at
7:05pm at the Big-A. In a match up of starters who have high
ERAs, the Angels will send out Jeff Weaver (1-2 with a
5.33 ERA) while the White Sox will counter with Freddy Garcia (3-1
with a 6.23 ERA). Weaver has fared well against the White Sox
in his career posting a 5-5 record and 3.52 ERA. Garcia has
dominated the Angels throughout his career posting an 11-3 mark and
2.66 ERA. The Angels won the season series 6-4 last
year. For a preview of tonight's game, click HERE.
Misc. Angels News
- For those of you who are Fantasy
Baseball players, SportsMemo.com is saying that Kelvim Escobar and
John Lackey are two pitchers worth buying, but you should sell Jeff
Weaver. To read why you should buy Escobar, click HERE. To read why you should buy
Lackey and sell Weaver, click HERE.
- AL West Update: The Texas
Rangers have demoted closer Francisco Cordero after he blew
five of his first eight save opportunities to start the season (a ML
record). The closer role will now go to Akinori Otsuka, who
has 137 career saves in Japan and was Japan's closer in the
WBC. To read more on Cordero's demotion, click HERE.
Minor League News
Joe Saunders
dominated the Tacoma Rainiers in last night's 3-0 victory as he
and two relievers combined on a two-hit shutout. Saunders
(W, 2-1) worked for seven innings, allowed just a check
swing hit in the sixth, one walk and struck out
a season-high nine batters. The Travs got on the board in the
fifth as a bases loaded wild pitch brought home their first run of
the night. The following inning, Curtis Pride smacked a
two-run home run (1) to give the Travs a three-run cushion.
With the win, the Travs have now won four of five games on their
current road trip. To read more on the win, click HERE.
associated
press
April 27,
2006
Mike Maroth came into the game against the
Angels with a 17-inning scoreless streak, but he only kept the
Angels off the board for two frames and he was out pitched by
John Lackey as the Angels beat Maroth and the Tigers
4-0. John Lackey (W, 3-1) made the headlines as
he allowed just one hit (a single to Craig Monroe) in
his eight shutout innings yesterday, but he did struggle
with his control again as he walked five batters. Vladimir
Guerrero supplied all the offense Lackey would need as he connected
for a two-run home run (5) in the third inning off Mike Maroth (L,
3-1). The shutout was the second for the Angels this season,
with both coming in this series against the Tigers. With more
on the win, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Lackey Rides Out Turbulence", the Orange
County Register -"Lackey Dominates Tigers", the Daily News
-"Angels Are Tiger Tamers" and from the
Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Day of Peak Performances".
Notes From the
Game
- In his last two starts, John Lackey has
walked 12 batters, but he has only given up three hits and two runs
in those starts.
- Vladimir Guerrero's homer was his first
extra-base-hit at home this season.
- Lackey's eight strikeouts ties his
season high.
- Garret Anderson went 2-for-3 and now
has seven multihit efforts in his last 11 games.
- The Angels ended Mike Maroth's
scoreless streak at 19 1/3 innings.
- With the win, Lackey improved to 5-0
with a 3.47 ERA against the Tigers in his career.
Today the Angels are
off. They will begin a three-game series against the World
Champion Chicago White Sox tomorrow night. Starting in Game
One of the series will be Jeff Weaver (1-2 with a 5.33 ERA), who
will face off against Freddy Garcia (3-1 with a 6.23
ERA). In Game Two, we will see Kelvim Escobar (3-1 with a 3.75
ERA) face Jose Contreras (3-0 with a 1.55 ERA), and in the finale,
Ervin Santana (2-0 with a 2.96 ERA) will start against Jon Garland
(2-1 with a 7.30 ERA). The series will mark the return of A.J.
Pierzynski to Angel Stadium, so make sure you break out your good
BOOs. With a little more on the series and the return of
Pierzynski, here is an article from the Chicago Sun-Times -"Bronx Cheers Await Pierzynski in
Anaheim".
Edgardo Alfonzo is
not happy with his playing time. After making just four starts
through the first 22 games of the season, Alfonzo made it known to
reporters that he feels as though he was lied to by the organization
since they said that he would have a chance to compete to
be the starting third baseman, but the job was already given to
Chone Figgins in spring. He also says that if he would have
known he was not going to play regularly, then he would have not
accepted the trade that sent him here for Steve Finley. In
case you are wondering, Alfonzo is currently batting .158 with three
hits (all singles) and no RBIs. With more on Alfonzo, here is
an article from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Alfonzo Upset at Role".
Misc. Angels News
- Howie Kendrick and Reggie Willits
both made their major league debuts in yesterday's game.
Kendrick got the start at second and played great defensively, but
he was 0-for-4 at the plate. Willits pinch-ran for Edgardo
Alfonzo in the eighth and played in center in the ninth. To
read more on their debuts, click HERE.
- J.C. Romero is ready to pitch again
after being given the last five days off. He will appreciate
the rest after the weekend is over because he will pitch a lot
in the upcoming series against the White Sox, primarily facing
lefty Jim Thome (.333-9-21), who would probably win the AL MVP if
the season ended today. To read more on Romero, click HERE.
- Former Angels closer, Troy Percival,
has decided to try to comeback from his elbow injury one more
time before he officially calls it a career. To read more on
Percy, click HERE (scroll down).
Minor League News
Brandon Wood homered
for the second straight game and Jesse Smith (W, 1-1) threw for
seven scoreless innings as the Arkansas Travelers squeaked out a 2-1
victory over the San Antonio Missions. For Wood, his two-run
homer was his sixth on the season and the two RBIs now gives him 17
in 20 games. The star of the game though was Jesse Smith since
he kept the Missions off the bases and picked up the first win
recorded by a Travs' starter in the last 11 games. To read
more on the game, click HERE.
associated
press
April 26,
2006
The Angels took confidence and a three-game
winning streak into their game against the Tigers last night, but
that confidence quickly faded and their win streak ended after falling to the Tigers 5-2. Detroit's
Jeremy Bonderman (W, 2-2) held the Angels at bay in his six innings
of work, allowing just two runs to the Halos while striking out
six. The Angels hoped for a similar performance by Hector
Carrasco (L, 0-1), but instead the Tigers touched him up for five
runs over five innings, taking the loss. The Angels' two runs
were scored in the sixth inning on an RBI double by Orlando Cabrera
and on a groundout by Garret Anderson. With more on the
loss, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Angels Go Powerless Again", the Orange
County Register -"Power Outage Continues for Angels", the
Daily News -"Carrasco Struggles for Angels, Who Lose to
Detroit" and from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Carrasco is Failing in Shot as a
Starter".
Notes From the
Game
- The Angels managed just three hits in
the game.
- After his 0-for-4 performance last
night, Vladimir Guerrero is now 0-for-7 in the series.
- Filling in for the injured Bartolo
Colon, Hector Carrasco has allowed eight runs over eight innings in
his two starts.
- Jeff Mathis is now 1-for-12 at home
this season after his 0-for-3 night.
- Chone Figgins broke an 0-for-13 mark
against Jeremy Bonderman when he singled in the sixth.
- The win improved the Tigers' record on
the road to 11-3.
The Halos look to put
yesterday's loss behind them when they take on the Tigers again
today at 12:35pm. The Angels will try for the series victory
as they send out John Lackey (2-1 with a 4.13 ERA) to face the
leagues best pitcher this year, Mike Maroth (3-0 with a 0.49
ERA). Lackey, who has never lost to Detroit in his career, is
4-0 with a 4.14 ERA against the Tigers. Maroth, who has not
allowed a run in 17 consecutive innings, has a career mark of 4-1
against the Angels with a 5.48 ERA. For a preview of today's
game, click HERE.
What
happened to Casey Kotchman and Jeff Mathis?
After each "cant miss" prospect had torrid
springs, both have come out of the gates flat this year as both
Kotchman (.148) and Mathis (.118) have sub-.200 batting averages
three weeks into the season. Last year Dallas McPherson was
the "cant miss" prospect that struggled coming out of the gates
and he is now in Triple-A trying to earn his way back to the major
leagues. The Angels are hoping that all three of them will
eventually prove that they are major league ready and will
contribute for many years with the club, but right now the team is
nervously awaiting for those days to get here. To read
more on the unpredictability of prospects, here is an article from
the Orange County Register -"Youngsters Don't Come Guaranteed".
Misc. Angels News
- Bartolo Colon took a setback in his
return from the DL. Instead of returning this weekend like the
team had hoped, the team has now said that there is no timetable for
his return. To read more on Colon, click HERE (scroll down).
- Scot Shields pitches so much that
when he does not get into a game it becomes news. Don't
believe me? Here's proof. Here are articles from the
Orange County Register -"Rodriguez, Shields Given Night Off" and
from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Shields Close to Perfect".
- The results of Maicer Izturis' MRI
are now in, and as expected, he was diagnosed with a severe strain
of his hamstring muscle. He is expected to be out at least two
weeks.
- For those of you who were wondering
why "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was shortened to just one verse at
Angels games and why they now play "Stand By Me" (which is soooooo
much better than swaying to "YMCA" without realizing it) during the
seventh inning stretch, your answer can be found HERE.
Minor League News
Brandon Wood had two
hits, including a two-run home run (his fifth home run of the
season), but the Travs fell to the Wichita Wranglers by a score of
12-3. In a good impression of how the Angels played this past
week, the Travs gave up eight walks and committed an ill-timed error
to open the flood gates for the Wranglers' offense. The loss
gave the Travs a 2-8 record on their 10-game homestand. With
more on the loss, click HERE.
Kendry Morales hit a
two-run homer (3), but Tommy Murphy stole the headlines as his seven
RBIs helped lift the Salt Lake Bees to an 11-8 victory over the
Portland Beavers. Murphy finished the night with four hits,
including a three-run double, a three-run homer (2) and an RBI
single to easily take home player of the game honors. With
more on Murphy's incredible night, click HERE.
associated
press
April 25,
2006
The Angels used a combination of youth and
experience to beat the Detroit Tigers 3-0 last
night. Twenty-three year-old Ervin Santana (W,
2-0) overpowered the Tigers during his six innings of work,
allowing just five hits, no runs and striking out a career-high 10
batters. The Angels' offense was fueled by 37-year-old Tim
Salmon who hit a solo homer (3) in the second and later added an RBI
single in the sixth to account for two of the team's three
runs. Orlando Cabrera drove home Chone Figgins with a
sacrifice fly in the eighth for an extra insurance run. Scot
Shields, Brendan Donnelly and Francisco Rodriguez (S, 8) closed out
the game with three scoreless innings of relief. To read more
on last night's win, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times
-"Familiar Formula Works Well", the Orange
County Register -"Victory Comes With Experience", the Daily
News -"Salmon Wins Battle of the Aged" and from
the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Angels Find Winning Formula".
Notes From the
Game
- After his 2-for-4 performance last
night, Garret Anderson has gone 10-for-18 in his last five
games.
- Scot Shields, Brendan Donnelly and
Francisco Rodriguez have not allowed a run in a combined total of 13
1/3 innings.
- Tim Salmon's homer was his first at
home since April of 2004.
- Salmon's homer was just the second by
an Angel at home this season.
- The shutout was the Angels' first of
the season.
- Every Tiger struck out in the game with
the exception of Curtis Granderson, who ironically walked
twice.
The Angels look to
stay unbeaten on this homestand when they face the Tigers again
tonight at 7:05pm. Hector Carrasco (0-0 with a 4.38 ERA),
filling in for the injured Bartolo Colon, looks to improve from
his last outing when he only lasted three innings in a start
against Minnesota. Going for the Tigers will be Jeremy
Bonderman (1-2 with a 5.55 ERA), who has made
just one bad start this season (3.2 IP, 7 ER against the
Indians on 4/15). Carrasco has not fared well against the
Tigers in his career as he is just 2-2 with a 6.32 ERA against
them. Bonderman has pitched good, but has not gotten much luck
against the Angels as he has a career 1-2 mark and 3.66 ERA against
the Angels. For a preview of the game, click HERE.
In a
move surprising to most, the Angels called up Howie Kendrick from
Triple-A Salt Lake to replace the injured Maicer Izturis who was
placed on the disabled list after significantly injuring his
hamstring on Sunday. Most expected Erick Aybar to get the call
since he is a great defender and an above average hitter in the
minors, but the Angels went with Kendrick instead for his offense
since the team plans on using him as a pinch-hitter and DH
primarily. To read more on Kendrick's call up and Adam
Kennedy's reaction to the move, here are articles from the Los
Angeles Times -"Kennedy Welcomes Kendrick's Arrival", the
Orange County Register -"Kendrick Joins Angels, Needs A Place to
Play", the Daily News -"Big-League Day for Kendrick" and from the
Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Kennedy Facing Reality".
Misc. Angels News
- For those of you loyal readers who
would like to catch up with all the news that has happened while we
were gone this past weekend, check out our blog on MySpace called
"Taking A Look Back" where we countdown the top stories of the
week. To read the blog (you DO NOT need to be registered on
MySpace to read it), click HERE.
Minor League News
Dallas McPherson
had three hits, including two doubles and the game winning home
run (3) in the Salt Lake Bees' 7-6 victory over the Portland Beavers
last night. The Bees, who are currently without Reggie Willits
and Howie Kendrick, got help from outfielder Nick Gorneault who also
homered (4) in the game. The win moves the Bees into
first place in the Pacific North Division. To read more on the
win, click HERE.
April 20, 2006
associated
press
April 19,
2006
In a performance that would make any Fantasy
Baseball owner happy, Kelvim Escobar struck out 10 batters in
his 6 2/3 innings to help the Angels to an 8-2 victory over the Twins.
Escobar (W, 2-1) kept the Twins batters guessing all night as he
struck out every batter on the Twins except one (Tony
Batista). Escobar's pitching kept the Angels in the game long
enough for their bats to get going against Carlos Silva (L, 1-2),
who entered the game 4-0 against the Halos. Chone Figgins
delivered the biggest blow of the night for the Angels as he
launched a ball off the upper deck in right for a two-run homer
(2). Figgins finished the night with three of the team's
season-high 13-hits and even drove in three runs. Orlando
Cabrera almost matched Figgins as he too had three hits and drove in
two runs in the contest. For more on the win, here are
articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Inside Job Lifts Angels", the
Orange County Register -"Angels Beat Twins, 8-2", the Daily News
-"Escobar Hangs 10 In Win" and from the
Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Escobar Gives Angels a Boost".
Notes From the
Game
- Chone Figgins went 3-for-5 in last
night's game and is now hitting .352 in his career at the Metrodome
with nine multi-hit games.
- Vladimir Guerrero was the only Angel
without a hit.
- Kelvim Escobar now has eight
10-strikeout games in his career.
- Casey Kotchman broke an 0-for-12 skid
with a single in the fifth.
- Jeff Mathis notched his first career
double in the game.
- While the Twins stuck out 12 times in
the game, the Angels only struck out once (Maicer
Izturis).
- With the win, the Angels improved to
3-5 on the road this season.
- The Angels have hit 14 home runs on the
road this year versus just one at home.
The
Angels will look to continue the success they had yesterday when
they face the Twins again tonight at 5:10pm. Ervin Santana
(1-0 with a 3.55 ERA) will look to stay unbeaten this season as he
opposes Minnesota's Kyle Lohse (1-1 with an 8.44 ERA). Santana
pitched well in his lone start against the Twins last season as
confirmed by his 1-0 record and 1.80 ERA, but that start was at
Angel Stadium. The problem with Santana has always been when
he pitches on the road where he is 3-5 with a 7.13 ERA in his brief
career. Lohse has a career 4-3 mark and 5.14 ERA against the
Angels in his career. With a preview of tonight's game, click
HERE.
J.C.
Romero faced his former team for the first time since he was traded
by the Twins to the Angels in the offseason. Romero entered
the game under a chorus of boos since he did not leave under
good circumstances with the club because of his ongoing
feud with manager Ron Gardenhire the past two seasons.
Romero and Gardenhire have since patched things up between each
other since the trade and they do not feel any ill will towards each
other anymore. With more on Romero's return to the Twin
Cities, here are articles from the Minneapolis Star Tribune -"Romero Moves on Following Rift", the St.
Paul Pioneer Press -"Romero Tries to Make Nice", the Daily News
-"Romero Clarifies Quote" and from the
Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Maturity Brings Romero Peace".
Karl Gelinas, a
pitcher at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, has tested positive for
steroids and has been suspended for 50-games without pay.
Gelinas, proving that taking steroids does not always help your
performance, was 0-2 with a 7.59 ERA this season after two starts
before getting busted for using Stanozolol, the same drug Rafael
Palmeiro tested positive for using last season. To remain in
shape during his suspension, Gelinas will be sent to the Angels'
extended spring training facility in Arizona. With more on the
suspension, here are articles from the Los Angeles Times -"Prospect is Suspended 50 Games for
Steroids", the Orange County Register -"Angels Minor-League Pitcher Draws 50-Game
Suspension" and from the Riverside Press-Enterprise -"50-Game Bans for Cal Leaguers".
Misc. Angels News
- The Minneapolis Star Tribune pays
homage to our very own Vladimir Guerrero in a new article. The
article focuses on his low-key nature and ability to stay out of the
spotlight even though he is one of the best players in
baseball. To read the article, click HERE.
- USA Today has an article out today
on Kelvim Escobar and how he is becoming one of the prized
free-agents this coming winter. To read the article, click HERE.
- Because of the artificial turf at
the Metrodome, Tim Salmon will not DH in the series so that Vladimir
Guerrero and Garret Anderson can each have a day off from playing
the field.
- Baseball Prospectus has ranked all
baseball players in the world for their future player value, and
three Angels have made the list. Brandon Wood made the list at
number 31, Howie Kendrick came in at number 27 and Vladimir Guerrero
cracked the Top 10 at number 10. To see the list of players
26-50 click HERE, and for the Top 25 click HERE.
Minor League News
With a glutton of
fantastic infielders clogging up the Angels' minor-league system,
players like Sean Rodriguez of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes have
nowhere to advance to. A former Pioneer League MVP, Rodriguez
is batting .458 with two home runs in his first six games of the
season and seems to have regained the stroke that produced the .338
batting average of his MVP year. At age 20, Rodriguez still
has a lot to learn and much to improve on before he is major league
ready, he can only hope there is room for him when he gets to that
point. To read more on Rodriguez, here is an article from the
Riverside Press-Enterprise -"Proper
Positioning".
