Well, at least that's how I felt after last night's game. There were so many things wrong with last night. Here's my story.
I wasn't actually home to watch the game. I got invited by some friends to a bonfire, and since I'm normally a total recluse, I decided it would behoove me for just one day to get out of my house and actually socialize with the rest of the world.
I'm such a hermit.
ANYWAY... as I was saying, I didn't get to actually see the game. But don't even think for a second that just because I wasn't in front of a TV that I missed the game. Oh no my friends! I took a little four-dollar handheld radio that I bought from Walmart last season (to use during my rehearsal... I've told you this story!) and listened to the game while standing there in the freezing wind in front of a fire that was either too hot (thanks to Eddie's crazy eight-bottles-of-freaking-lighter-fluid pyrotechnics) or too cold (ran out of wood a couple times...)
I digress.
I SHOULD have been having fun. Well, I did have fun. But it could've been better had I not had to endure the pain of listening to the Texas Rangers obliterate Moseley's first starting pitching gig of the new season. Every minor detail spelled out.... each wild pitch... each grand slam... *sigh* it was atrocious.
But that wasn't all the problems I noticed within this particular game. So here's a list of the problems last night, the things that had me in a somber mood while out on the beach:
1. wild pitches
2. loading of bases
3. inability to keep the ball in the zone
4. getting behind in the count (for pitchers)
5. fielding errors
6. inability to get runners across
7. loading bases and not making an impact
8. grounding into way too many double plays
9. getting behind in the count (for batters)
10. lack of power
... just to name a few...
Anyway, so to continue with the story... Here I am sitting on the beach in Bolsa Chica, basically bawling my eyes out, and our fire dies. And since the beach closes at ten anyway, we all decided to head out around 9 ish. Granted, it's about the 7th inning at this point. We get in the car, the game continues via radio, nothing new. So I get home, 8th innings passed, the bottom of the 9th has just begun. I walk in the door. All of a sudden it's 11-3.
I WALKED. in the DOOR. What happened within the two seconds it takes to get from car to house I don't freaking know. So I sat and watched the bottom of the 9th. The only inning I see visually, and they score 6 runs. I was totally confused. But somehow, even if they didn't win the game, that 9th inning rally was so RIDICULOUS that you couldn't help but be happy at the end of the game. That's the happiest I've ever been for a lost game. No joke.
I was so glad they brought in my Reggie. Name still chanted. And his hit was awesome. Currently, he has two RBIs and an average of 1.00. Shut up, I know it's only one at-bat. I don't care. I love him. And Hunter finally got his Angels debut welcome from fans in the ninth, before he got himself on base. He had a big smile on his face, having heard the fans chanting his name after Reggie's. It was good. And now, he definitely knows for sure the power of the Rally Monkey. That was some rally, for sure.
Jump to today's game:
Very good outing for Jered Weaver. I mean, really, game 1 wasn't a bad outing for Weaver; 3 earned runs wasn't all that bad. But today he looked solid. He was having a bit of a issue keeping his fastballs down, some of them were getting away from him, but his off-speed stuff was really good, and he rarely threw anything other than a strike to batters on the first pitch. His rhythm was good, and so was his form. "A" for Weaver on the day.
Frankie's stuff has been looking a lot better as of late as well. Most of the time, especially in close situation like today's one-run differential, I fear bringing K-Rod in. His stuff grew really wild in the second half of last season, and so I always flinch to think about him coming in, even if he gets 40+ saves a season. From what the paper says, a left-foot injury has forced him to change his delivery. But really, I think he ought to keep the change, as it's really helped his command. He's lost velocity off of his fastball, but he's still throwing 90+. I don't see how it could hurt him to have better command. His body-movement in the delivery has changed a bit; he doesn't swing his leg around quite as violently, and his balance in the follow through seems to be more consistent. Change for the better? I think so. Just hope he continues it.
As an aside, we may see Shields coming around pretty soon. That's a good thing.
An aside to the aside: Though really, we could use another starter. Moseley's injury in the offseason may have contributed to his rustiness last night. Maybe starting Adenhart may not have been too bad of an option...
The only real issue with tonight's game was, again, the grounding into double plays, and leaving runners on base. There were more than enough hits tonight, the problem was the amount of runs that "could have been" but were not. And speaking of double plays... I'll give Kendrick some credit. He's hitting really well right now. He's seeing the ball, and getting on it in a hurry. He even got an RBI today, which surprised me, since he usually has a problem hitting when there are other people on base (he's great when it's empty out there). So maybe he'll start to change my mind, which I would really like nothing more. But for now, someone needs to get him to stop grounding into double plays - he does it more than anyone other player.
Around the Majors:
Detroit is now 0-5. Wow. That's all I have to say.
So much for all those stupid predictions the All-Wonderful and All-Knowing Sports Commentators made, huh? What a joke...
Cubs and Indians, again... HA!
OH! BTW! I'm writing for a new site. This one seems really really legit, and so I'm excited to be the designated Angels analyst. I'm currently working on my first article (aside from my opening day article) but please! bookmark and check it out!
check me out at the Hometown9!
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