Drawing the World Series favorites and the reigning NL Cy Young winner in the season opener never looked great for the Angels, but it never looked quite as bad as Monday night ultimately went. The Halos allowed nine runs or more in a season opener for the fifth time, were shut out for just the third time, and were held to three hits or fewer for only the second time, culminating in the single worst Opening Day margin of defeat in franchise history. A foreboding start, to say the least.
Bad as it was, though, it is critical to remember that it’s only one game in a very long season. There’s no sense in drawing grand conclusions from a single nine-inning affair, especially not one that comes against a guy who since last June has pitched like 1999 Pedro Martinez reincarnate.
Run Expectancy Rundown
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1dmH41rNgDoh7TyzILMifBukMaNDspgseohlofVVbulQ/pubchart” query=”oid=1976391661&format=interactive” width=”623″ height=”389″ /]The Angels hit the ball hard on several occasions Monday, but it just never fell in. While Arrieta was on the mound a line drive found its way into a fielder’s glove at least four times, one of which resulted in an inning-ending double play. Andrelton Simmons and Johnny Giavotella probably had the worst nights at the dish—neither hit the ball on a line or out of the infield. Despite their equally sad 0-fers, Yunel Escobar, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols can all claim at least one of those things.
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1dmH41rNgDoh7TyzILMifBukMaNDspgseohlofVVbulQ/pubchart” query=”oid=1154832181&format=interactive” width=”620″ height=”341″ /]That Cubs reached base safely 18 times Monday—11 hits and seven walks—only thrice getting set down 1-2-3 in an inning. Dexter Fowler literally led the charge, tallying two singles, a double, and a walk from the leadoff spot. Kyle Schwarber was the only Cubs batter to not reach base at least once, though his late-inning replacement in left, Matt Szczur, made up for that by mashing a bases-clearing double in the ninth.
Starting Pitcher Scores
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1dmH41rNgDoh7TyzILMifBukMaNDspgseohlofVVbulQ/pubchart” query=”oid=161400381&format=interactive” width=”584″ height=”293″ /] Garrett Richards had great stuff Monday night, but completely lost control of it in the fourth. He went to at least a three-ball count with five of the seven batters he faced that inning, ultimately needing 41 pitches to get three outs. The fourseam fastball was the right-hander’s biggest trouble pitch on the night, finding the strike zone just 48 percent of the time (13 of 27). Richards also fell victim to some bad batted-ball luck, with at least two grounders sneaking through shifts, a catchable pop-up dropping behind Yunel Escobar—whatever happened to Andrelton Simmons covering the right side on overshifts?—and no ball traveling more than 300 feet in his five innings of work. The silver lining is his slider and change-up were both sharp, so if he can get his fastball(s) under control then things should start looking up.Jake Arrieta was as unhittable as advertised, holding the Halos to two lousy singles over seven frames and extending his regular-season scoreless streak to 29 innings. He didn’t really miss many bats (9) on the evening, at least compared to Richards (17), but he was much more efficient with his pitches. Arrieta’s only three-ball count of the night was his four-pitch walk to Carlos Perez in the third, and five of his nine whiffs came with two strikes. The Cy Young winner now boasts a 0.53 ERA in his last 101 regular-season innings.
Bullpen Battle
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1dmH41rNgDoh7TyzILMifBukMaNDspgseohlofVVbulQ/pubchart” query=”oid=1141913419&format=interactive” width=”620″ height=”315″ /]Fernando Salas, Cam Bedrosian, and Cory Rasmus did not have great 2016 debuts. Each gave up a run, a hit, and a walk (or more) in their inaugural innings of work, allowing the game to slip further and further away. Mike Morin was the only guy not to pitch himself into trouble, retiring the Cubs in order in the eighth.
Justin Grimm and Travis Wood weren’t overpowering, but the Angels were so overeager to face someone who wasn’t Arrieta it didn’t really matter. Grimm needed only eight pitches to retire the Halos in the eighth—despite a leadoff double from C.J. Cron—and Wood needed only 12 pitches in the ninth.
Game Flow
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1dmH41rNgDoh7TyzILMifBukMaNDspgseohlofVVbulQ/pubchart” query=”oid=41272350&format=interactive” width=”619″ height=”315″ /]The makings of a pitchers’ duel are there, but it fell apart after Richards’ arduous fourth inning.
Angel Antagonist
Sorry, Garrett. The seven strikeouts were great, but the 41-pitch half-inning was an absolute nightmare.
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