Though today marks a day off for the Angels line-up – and a much-needed day off for Hunter’s toe – they really cannot afford to take their mind too far out of the game. The next series will be their greatest challenge so far, and will most likely be telling of how the rest of the season matchups between these teams will go, as well as what the post-season could reveal.
I won’t lie – I’m worried.
Okay, fine. I’m scared.
Tomorrow at 4:05 pm PST, 7:05 EST, Weaver will square up against Josh Beckett. This used to sound like a pretty fair match-up. But after some experience, and some research – eh, not so much. Weaver has been good. He may be 1-2 right now, but these numbers are deceiving. He has not yielded more than four runs in an outing, and has had some close one-run games in there that could have easily given him the win if he’d had more sufficient run support from his teammates. However, Boston is just about Weaver’s worst enemy. He’s only started twice at Fenway, and is 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA there, and is 0-2 against Boston in his career. Boston + Weaver = not friends.
On the flip-side of that, Beckett has done well coming off an injury that delayed his first start, and has been a thorn in the Angels side for a while. No matter how much I try, I just cannot forget that complete game in the post-season.
Day two of this series may come down to a hitter’s game rather than a pitcher’s game like game one may turn out to be. Jon Garland has been both shaky in starts and decent in starts, but there’s no telling which he’ll bring the day of the game. On the other hand, the Angels haven’t been to sorely unsuccessful against Dice-K, who has been struggling with his command in recent starts. This game may come down not to how many guys can get the bat on the ball, but to how many of them can get the bat on the ball AND get it somewhere that someone with a glove is basically NO WHERE to be seen.
Game three with the Red Sox may be the most promising for the Angels of the three. Saunders has been pitching phenomenally, and despite giving up two home runs to a very on-fire Richie Sexson in his last start, he still has a 2.15 ERA and is currently 3-0. His first and only start at Fenway was also promising – giving up only one earned run and getting himself a one in the win column. Boston’s Jon Lester, on the other hand, has a current ERA of over five and has had problems holding on to pitch counts, being saved only by Manny Ramirez’s blazing home run.
These three games will be the most important for the Angels of this early season. Yes, it is only the end of April, month one of several more to come. But this series may just be an early indication of the success of the Angels’ winter movements. We’ll find out just how good the trade for Garland paid off, how much Torii Hunter’s power will help against one of the most powerful teams in baseball, and whether team chemistry can be better at getting runners around the bases instead of onto them alone.
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