Aston’s Angels Report [Game 66 vs KC- Win]

         AAR: Aston’s Angels Report                                June 11, 2011
          Game 66: Finally Victorious                                  Vol. 1, Issue 68
                                               Win 7-5 Record: 31-35

The Angels are lucky to only be 6 games behind the AL West leading Rangers considering their recent 6-game losing streak, and poor offensive output for basically the entire home-stand so far. Starter Joel Pineiro hoped to finally earn his 100^th career win in the process, which he again failed to attain, but he won’t be as unhappy with the result this time. He came in with four straight starts, where he allowed exactly four runs and pitched between about 6 innings each time (never less than 6, never more than 7) and he actually pitched worse than that in this one. Felipe Paulino, who pitched for the Rockies in the NL earlier in the season, was the starter for the Royals, and the Angels finally managed to score more than 3 runs for the first time in 10 games, and still nearly found a way to lose despite an early 4-0 lead.
　
The Royals don’t change their lineup much, and they sent the same squad out there to face the Halos again. Alberto Callaspo was back in as the 3^rd baseman, for the Angels, but Mark Trumbo was given the day off and Howie Kendrick played 1B, allowing Maicer Izturis to take over 2B. RF Torii Hunter remained in the #2 spot, Vernon Wells moved up to the 4^th spot in the order, and played CF (Bourjos not playing). Bobby Abreu hit 3^rd and played LF because Russell Branyan was the DH, hitting 8^th.
　
Both sides went down in order in their first at bats, and Pineiro seemed to get off to a good start, inducing two groundball outs early (which is the key for him usually.) After RF Jeff Francoeur hit into another groundout to lead off the 2^nd, 1B Billy Butler singled up the middle. Pineiro retired the next two on a pop out and a line drive to the 3B to end the inning. The Angels had a much more eventful inning in the top of the 2^nd, helped out by a defensive mistake by the Royals. Wells led off with a short stroke single up the middle, and then Callaspo hit a grounder to 2B Chris Getz, but he bobbled the ball and couldn’t get any outs, on a ball that could have been a double play potentially. The Angels took advantage of the error and the extra base runners, as Kendrick took an inside-out swing to a good inside fastball, and hit a grounder between the two infielders on the right side, and the runners cautiously moved up one base each load the bases, with no outs. Erick Aybar whacked an inside fastball down the 1^st base line, past 1B Eric Hosmer’s dive attempt, and into the right field corner for a bases-clearing triple, and a 3-0 lead for the Angels. Russell Branyan patiently earned a walk, then Mathis made the first out, striking out on an 0-2 slider way out of the zone. Maicer Izturis knocked in Aybar from 3^rd with a sacrifice fly to center, to make it 4-0. Hunter struck out to end the inning, but the Angels had more than 3 runs for the first time in 10 games, and now just had to hand on.
　
Pineiro didn’t do the best job of solidifying the lead, as he allowed the first two hitters to get on leading off the top of the 3^rd. Chris Getz tried to make up for his error, by hitting an 0-2 curveball up the middle for a leadoff single, then SS Alcides Escobar worked the count to 3-1 and hit the predictable fastball into the left field corner for a double, to put runners at 2^nd and 3^rd with no outs, with the top of the order coming up. The 1-2 pitch to Alex Gordon was in the dirt and got away from Mathis, allowing Getz to score (now 4-1) and Escobar moved up to 3^rd. Gordon then hit the next pitch on the ground to Izturis at 2^nd, to score another run, making it 4-2 Angels. CF Melky Cabrera drew a walk, but Pineiro finally got out of the inning by inducing a double play grounder from Eric Hosmer to end the inning.
　
The Angels managed to manufacture another run, to increase their lead a little in the bottom of the 3^rd. After Abreu struck out to lead off, Vernon Wells hit another groundball up the middle for his 2^nd hit of the game. Paulino tried to pick off Wells at 1^st, but the throw hit him and bounded into the crowd, allowing Wells to move up to 2^nd, and then he tagged up and moved to 3^rd on a fly out to right by Callaspo. Howie Kendrick hit a grounder up the middle, that Getz dove to stop, but because Wells made his way to 3^rd, he was able to score on the infield hit, making the score 5-2. Kendrick stole 2^nd, but Aybar ended the inning by popping out to the SS.
　
The Royals weren’t going down without a fight, and they started their comeback, with one more run in the top of the 4^th. The inning started out harmless enough, as Francoeur hit a deep fly out to center and Butler grounded out to 1^st for two quick outs. Rookie phenom Mike Moustakas swung at another first pitch, and clobbered the fastball right down the middle into deep right field, over the tall fence for his first major league homerun (on his second hit in his second game), to bring them one run closer at 5-3. Catcher Matt Treanor made the last out, but they weren’t done against Pineiro yet.
　
The Angels did little in the bottom of the 4^th, as Branyan, Mathis and Izturis went down in order, as the momentum slowly shifted to the Royals side. In the top of the 5^th, Escobar got an infield hit up the middle with two outs, as Aybar got to it but couldn’t set himself to make a good throw to 1^st. Alex Gordon walked to put two on with one out, then Cabrera hit a had line drive single into right field on 2-0 fastball, to make the score 5-4. Eric Hosmer came up with two on, and hit a grounder to Kendrick at 1^st, who turned it into a double play, throwing on to Aybar covering 2^nd and receiving the return throw at 1^st, to preserve the slim lead.
　
The Angels got their chance to increase the lead again in the bottom of the 5^th, when Abreu and Wells hit back to back singles into left field with one out (Wells’ 3^rd hit of the game already). Callaspo hit a fly out to right and Kendrick ended the threat with a slow grounder to 1^st to end the inning… Pineiro came back out to pitch the 6^th, clinging to the one-run lead but with a short leash as pitchers were warming up in the bullpen. Francoeur grounded out to lead off, but Butler hit a 3-2 high sinker into left field for a one-out single, and then Pineiro couldn’t throw a strike to the rookie Moustakas, walking him on four pitches. Mike Scioscia seemed to be on his way out to the mound as that last pitch was on the way, and he pulled Pineiro out, trying to give him a chance for a win. Those two runners were his responsibility so he could also earn the loss in this scenario, depending on what the next pitcher did. Rich Thompson came in, but he couldn’t retire Matt Treanor, who hit a 2-2 slider down the middle, into left center field for an RBI double to tie the score. Now Pineiro was in danger of losing, and could not win the game, having given up 5 runs (4 earned- the pitch that scored the 1^st run was ruled a passed ball which is an error) in less than 6 innings. Getz bunted the ball to Kendrick charging in from 1^st, and he barehanded it and threw home to get Moustakas out at home, as Mathis short hopped the throw and tagged him out as he blocked the plate. Thompson added to the drama, walking Escobar to load the bases, but struck out Gordon on a 1-2 slider over the outside corner, to preserve the tie, and save Pineiro from a potential loss.
　
The offense didn’t do much again in the bottom of the 6^th, after the Royals went to their bullpen and brought in left hander Tim Collins. He retired Aybar on a groundout, struck out Branyan on three straight strikes, and finished the easy inning with another groundout by Mathis. Kevin Jepsen came in to pitch the 7^th for the Angels, and nearly blew the game. He gave up a hard groundball single up the middle by Cabrera, then Hosmer hit a grounder to Aybar with the runner going on the pitch, and he made a good play to retrace his steps backward after running to cover the base on the steal attempt and made an off-balance throw to get the out at 1^st. With the runner at 2^nd, Francoeur hit a line drive single to right field, but Torii Hunter saved the day as he charged in and fired a perfect one-hop throw to the catcher to get Cabrera out at home, and keep the game tied. Torii has a few outfield assists over the last couple of weeks, and this one was probably the biggest, as it helped them pull out a victory. After Jepsen intentionally walked Butler, Scioscia brought in their best lefty out of the bullpen, Scott Downs, to face the left handed hitting rookie Moustakas. He threw a sweeping curve for strike one, then an inside fastball for a fouled strike two. He fouled off another curveball, but Downs struck him out with another inside fastball for a big swing-and-miss.
　
Collins struck out Izturis swinging easily, with a slow curveball on the 0-2 count, but he showed why he has allowed nearly as many walks as innings pitched, walking Hunter and Abreu to put two on with one out. Royals manager Ned Yost took him out and brought in right hander Aaron Crow to face Wells. After a wild pitch on a 1-2 slider allowed both runners to move up, Wells hit a grounder to 3^rd and Moustakas threw home to get Hunter out in a rundown for the 2^nd out. With runners at 1^st and 3^rd and two outs, the first pitch to Callaspo was a low curveball, and Treanor made a terrible backhanded attempt instead of turning his glove around to block the ball, and it went through his legs, and allowed Abreu to score. That should have been a passed ball, and it was a terrible play by a veteran catcher especially since it didn’t even bounce until it was past him, and it gave the Angels a 6-5 lead. After it went to 3-0 to Callaspo, they intentionally walked him to put two on for Kendrick, with two outs still. Both runners stole the next base on the first pitch, but Callaspo hurt himself and had to be pulled from the game with an apparent leg injury. Mark Trumbo came in to pinch run for him, and Kendrick hit a sharp grounder up the middle that hit off the pitcher’s leg for an RBI infield single. The score was 7-5, but that hit would have scored two runs if it hadn’t hit the pitcher because it was heading for center field. Aybar struck out to end the inning, and the bullpen now had to preserve this lead for two innings.
　
Downs set down the Royals in order, with another strong performance, proving that his sub- 1.50 ERA is no fluke. The Angels made a few changes to improve their defense and make room for Trumbo in the field, with Callaspo out with the injury. Peter Bourjos went into CF, shifting Wells into LF, to better their outfield defense, and Izturis moved to 3^rd, Kendrick to 2^nd to make room for Trumbo at 1^st. Treanor, Getz and Escobar all grounded out for three easy outs. The Angels got a leadoff single by Branyan in the bottom of the 8^th, against new Royals reliever Everett Teaford, then he stole 2^nd base to surprise everyone after Mathis failed to bunt him over, flying out instead. That stolen base actually helped end the inning faster, as Izturis hit a line drive to 2^nd and Branyan was doubled off of 2^nd base just like that.
　
Jordan Walden came in to pitch the top of the 9^th and try to seal the deal for the Halos, but it didn’t start out well. He threw a 0-1 slider to Gordon and he whacked a line drive up the middle for a leadoff single- a closer’s worst enemy. Then he made matters worse, throwing an 0-2 slider to Melky Cabrera who hit a grounder down the 1^st base line, that Trumbo probably should have stopped as he bent over to catch it, but it hit off his glove and went into right field for a double. Now with two runners in scoring position and no outs, in a two-run game, the pressure was on. Thankfully Walden figured out that he didn’t need to throw that slider very much since he has a fastball that typically registers at 98-99 MPH. First he faced Eric Hosmer, and struck him out with three fastballs, including a high riser that he swung at for strike three. Then he three all fastballs to Francoeur, striking him out swinging at a 2-2 inside fastballs after a couple of foul balls. He had one hitter between him and a save or a blown save and potential devastating loss, Billy Butler. He threw a 98 MPH fastball for strike one, then another that was fouled back for strike two. He threw three straight out of the zone to make the count 3-2, and Butler finally made contact on the 3-2 fastball but hit a weak fly ball to Hunter for the final out, and Walden‘s 14^th save on the season.


It seemed fitting that Hunter made the final out, because it was his defensive play that seemed to save the day, on the great throw to get Cabrera out at home and prevent the Royals from taking the lead in the 7^th. The game could have gone in a completely different direction if that play went the other way, and this losing streak could still be going. As it turned out, the losing streak finally ended at 6, and they now have a chance to win the series on Sunday, to at least end their home-stand on a good note. The Rangers also lost today, so they gained a game in the standings as well, with this long-awaited win.