Joe Smith sure picked a bad time to start giving up home runs. The side-armer has made a career of keeping the ball in the park, never once allowing more than one in an appearance. Well, until Saturday that is. Smith surrendered back-to-back jacks in the eighth, pulling the Twins not only out of a 4-4 tie with the Angels in the game, but also out of the 5-5 tie with the Angels in the running for worst home-run-hitting American League team.
The loss drops the Angels back under .500 and puts them in danger of negating all the good they did against the A’s by getting swept in Minnesota.
Run Expectancy Rundown
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1sztSvWzUHzBuvQNrdN_BpIMGSLbHzp7d8ArHjeQwznc/pubchart” query=”oid=1976391661&format=interactive” width=”623″ height=”389″ /]Cliff Pennington has as many hits in three starts as Johnny Giavotella has in eight. He also has one more walk, three more total bases, and three more RBI (two of which came on a bases-loaded double Saturday). I think I know who will be getting more playing time in the coming weeks. Yunel Escobar continued his hot hitting, tallying three singles and driving in two to extend his hitting streak to seven. He’s reached base in nine of the team’s first 11 games. Kole Calhoun finally went 0-fer, ending his streak at eight games. Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, and Calhoun combined to go 1-for-12 on the day.
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1sztSvWzUHzBuvQNrdN_BpIMGSLbHzp7d8ArHjeQwznc/pubchart” query=”oid=1154832181&format=interactive” width=”620″ height=”341″ /]The Twins mashed nearly as many home runs Saturday (3) as they’d hit in their first 10 games combined (4). Trevor Plouffe, Oswaldo Arcia, and Byung-Ho Park all went deep on the afternoon, the latter two driving the nail in the Angels’ coffin. Trevor ended the day a TSOTC, while Eduardo Nunez again tormented the Halos with a multi-hit game.
Starting Pitcher Scores
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1sztSvWzUHzBuvQNrdN_BpIMGSLbHzp7d8ArHjeQwznc/pubchart” query=”oid=161400381&format=interactive” width=”584″ height=”293″ /]This was the Jered Weaver everyone expected in his first start: just five swinging strikes (and only one strikeout), lots of line drives, unable to escape the fifth inning. The Angels even finagled him a second day game in as many starts, but that alone wasn’t enough to keep the Twins from mashing. Please give him an extra day of rest so that his next outing isn’t in Chicago.
Ricky Nolasco was just as hittable as Weaver, but somehow managed to survive seven innings. I don’t really get it, but the absurd number of groundouts (14) and the unconscionable Escobar steal attempt in the fifth probably helped.
Bullpen Battle
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1sztSvWzUHzBuvQNrdN_BpIMGSLbHzp7d8ArHjeQwznc/pubchart” query=”oid=1141913419&format=interactive” width=”620″ height=”315″ /]Cory Rasmus was fantastic in his 2⅔ of relief, allowing no hits and striking out three. Unfortunately for him and the Angels, there was another inning to go after he was done. Joe Smith saw five batters Saturday and surrendered absolutely crushed dingers to two of them.
Kevin Jepsen now has two saves in six career games against the Angels. He had just five saves in 315 career games for the Angels. Baseball is the worst sometimes.
Game Flow
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1sztSvWzUHzBuvQNrdN_BpIMGSLbHzp7d8ArHjeQwznc/pubchart” query=”oid=41272350&format=interactive” width=”619″ height=”315″ /]This was anyone’s game for much of the day, but the Angels never really threatened again after the second.
Angel Antagonist
In just six appearances, Joe Smith has already allowed half of his season home run total (4) from 2014 and 2015. Not a great start to his walk year.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
