I'm sure that the mere fact Angel fans are celebrating three wins in a row on the road shoudl be an indicator about the state of affairs in and around this team. But tonight's win over the White Sox carries with it the air of a team righting the ship. The Angels are slowly starting to resemble the sqaud we all thought we were getting at the beginning of the season. The hitting is there, the defense is solid and the pitching is serviceable enough to get wins. I know its not much, but three wins in a row is still the best indicator that maybe this team isn't DOA.
Game Notes
— Mike Trout seems to have settled into the two hole and is starting to pile up hits again. His two run homer in the first set the tone for the game and allowed the pitchers to work from the lead for a change. This is key because we have seen that the starters do not do well when facing adversity so early runs are paramount to success.
— One of the Angels primary weknesses this season has been their atrocious baserunning. The team steals when the should hold, holds when they should go and generally looks like a keystone cops routine when on the diamond. However, every once and awhile they catch a baserunning break. Such was the case with Albert Pujols' attack of home on a passed ball that lead to the eventual winning run. His slide was a thing of beauty and gave the Angels the lead.
— Kuods to the shutdown effort by the bullpen. Downs, Richards and Frieri all came in and got outs that were threaded together by each of them attacking the zone and not allowing baserunners to pile up. The pen has actually been pretty solid of late and looks to get better when those inured return.
Halo Hero
Jerome Williams was surpisingly good tonight. Every time he takes the mound I wonder what we will get and usually he doesn't dissappint. The two runs he allowed should not have really occured since Brendan Harris threw an easy out away, but other than that Williams was solid. If he can pitch this way consistently, then the bullpen is stronger and the team is better. Way to go Jerome!!
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