VS. 
Counting down to the Angels’ game against the Red Sox in which I am reduced to just begging for a win.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (12-17) @ Boston Red Sox (14-14)
Game Starters: LAA – Scott Kazmir (2-1, 5.57 ERA) BOS – Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-1, 11.57 ERA)
Game Info: 4:10 PM PT TV-Fox Sports West & MLB Network; Radio-ESPN Radio, KLAA 830 AM, KWKW 1330 AM
5. This is getting bad, really bad, for the Angels and already I can’t take much more, especially with the Red Sox involved. I’ve given up on trying to find ways to motivate the team or find some solutions to their problems. The only thing left to do now is reduce myself to begging. I can’t stand the thought of dropping seven games in a row and suffering a four-game sweep at Boston’s hands. Just one measly win, is that really too much to ask for?
4. After last night’s offensive showing (or the lack thereof), I have to believe some sort of line-up shake-up is going to be put into effect tonight. Giving Hideki Matsui a night off might be in order, but I think his patience would be a real asset tonight against the oft-wild Dice-K. If I were calling the shots, I’d opt instead to sit Erick Aybar and have Maicer Izturis take his spot at the top of the order. I’d follow that up by moving Howie Kendrick up to second in the order and bumping everyone else down a spot just to try and give the top and bottom of the order a different feel.
3. The Red Sox might actually be doing the Halos a favor by running out Matsuzaka for tonight’s start. If Dice-K displays his usual strategy of nibbling at the corners while exhibiting questionable command, the Angel bats might finally be able to get recalibrated. The Angel hitters have shown minimal plate discipline of late, but Dice-K’s fear of throwing pitches in the strike zone is going to force them to be wise about which pitches they do decide to offer at. If it sounds like I am grasping at straws right now, you’d be right.
2. One thing that is really hurting the Angels right now is a lack of depth. Maicer Izturis is really their only usable player off the bench right now, giving them precious few options to mix up the team’s chemistry. Just look at what the Red Sox are doing with their collection of talent. They have numerous useful reserves and are mixing and matching them to try and find the right combination to pull them out of their early season struggles and it is starting to work now. Meanwhile the halos just have to hope their regulars magically start playing better.
1. This might be Scott Kazmir’s biggest start of the season thus far. He is coming his best outing of the year, so it is important for him to build on that in this game, but more importantly, he get’s his first real shot at acting like an ace by trying to stop the Angels’ skid and doing so against a team that knocked him around when he last faced them in the post-season. Progress, urgency and redemption. That’s a lot for one guy to handle, but that is the kind of hole the Angels have dug for themselves.
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