Lefty Domination
Once again, the Angels show how poorly they play when facing left handed starters. The team has one of the worst (.224) batting averages against lefties in the major leagues and it just gets worse when you look at the fact they they’ve only won 7 outta 24 games featuring an opposing left handed starter. With that said, things aren’t looking much better for today’s game. Hopefully the team will score more than 2 hits like they did on Wednesday.
Bullpen Does It’s Job
And Once again, Jaime Barria gets the shaft – he only allowed 3 runs, and still he gets stuck with the loss. It seems like every time he pitches well, even when he gives up 3 or less runs, it really doesn’t matter since the Angels score an average of less than 2.5 runs when he starts. It’s such bad luck. He’d be considered a rising young stud if only the team would score for him.
My big question is how can I assign a Player of the Game when only Trout and Simmons got hits, neither scored or did anything. Barria gave up the only 3 runs and took the loss so he’s not really in line either. I suppose I’ll give my Player of the Game to the bullpen again. They threw 4 innings of 1 hit ball and gave up no runs. Cam Bedrosian, Hansel Robles, Deck McGuire, and Oliver Drake pitched well and held the Marriners to the 3 runs Barria gave up. They provided a chance for the offense to stage a comeback but the batters weren’t interested is cooperating. Too bad.
Another bad note for today that relates to pitching is that Garrett Richards has decided to undergo Tommy John surgery. This means that he will miss the rest of the season and most of 2019 as well. Richards is the 6th Angel to suffer an UCL injury this year and it is really frustrating that training and conditioning isn’t in place to prevent these types of injuries. If you can’t keep your pitchers healthy it really doesn’t matter how much you pay them or how good they are.
Today Tyler Skaggs (6-5, 2.64 ERA) is going against James Pxton (8-3, 3.49) as the Angels try to take the rubber match of the series. This’ll be Skaggs’ 1st appearance off the disabled list and with Garrett Richards dropped back on the DL, Skaggs becomes the defacto ace of the Angels’ starters.
Daily Ramble 293.2 | Sports – Angels –