.jpg&w=244&h=193&zc=1 "Mike Trout and the sophomore slump that wasn't")
.jpg&w=244&h=193&zc=1 "Why the Pujols contract isn't as bad as you think")
Game Recap 6/19/12: League Leading - Angels 12 Giants 5
Totally called it.
Barry Zito and the Giants faced the ugly end of the hammer tonight, taking an especially strong pounding from the lineup. Trout was on base all 5 times, 4 hits and a walk; Trumbo knocked in 5 off of 3 hits with one being a triple; and Pujols went yard once again to pull in 5 more RBI's. Pujols just might crack the 30 HR 100 RBI mark by the end of the season if he continues to hit the way he is.
Oh, and Mike Trout has finally qualified as a league leader with his game today, and he just happens to come 2nd in batting average with his .337 average (only 2nd behind Josh Hamilton).
Life is good in Angelsland tonight.
Angels 12 Giants 1
You know I actually wanted to keep this game recap short tonight, but luck would have it that the Angels give us so much to talk about with their performance tonight. C.J Wilson snuck away with a win after having a shaky start tonight, though he still wasn't as bad as the players poll would have you think. "Mr. Overrated" still has a sub 3 ERA after giving up 5 runs tonight, only 3 of them earned. His pitches were not as nearly as sharp as one would like to see, though he did only walk one batter through 6 innings he allowed 10 hits while striking out 3.
Did anyone else notice that the big 3 pitchers in the pen; Hawkins, Downs and Frieri; each have ERA's below 1? Pretty stellar for a bullpen that seemed to crash and burn right out of the gate.
The offensive woes were on hold tonight as the Angels went 6-11 with RISP, most of which can be contributed to a typical night for Trumbo and what one would expect from Albert Pujols. It's fun watching these two locked in a tight race to lead the team in HR's and RBI's, and while Trumbo is running away in the HR's category Pujols is sneaking up on him 43 for Pujols to Trumbo's 47. As long as this race keeps up for the rest of the season the Angels offense should be in great shape.
Halo Hero
This one goes out to Dipoto for being so awesome and not only signing Pujols, Wilson and Hawkins, but for not trading Trumbo even though most of the baseball world would have had you think it would be the best move for the Angels to make. One can't help but be incredibly thankful for this mean to be leading the helm and being so damn good at it.
But will last night be an outlier in the Offensive Woes category or will it become more the norm. The box score looks almost exactly like I pictured in January, a bunch of hits in the upper 5/9's of the order and a bunch of one-fers in the bottom 4/9's (actually, I was thinking 2/3, 1/3 split but I pictured a .285 Maicer Izturis playing most of the time at third; HA!). I can live with that and it should be a general recipe for success. Instead, the season track record makes me worry they used up most of tonight's hits. What makes a guy a "glass half-empty" type? A lifetime of watching the Angels, that's what.
Let's not even start on the depressing fielding.
What kind of prediction will Ryan make for tonight? Vogelsong v. Weaver should be a pitching duel but how will Weaver be? Will the Angels' bats be afraid, be cold, be wearing hats, what?
