There’s nothing like some crucial September baseball games with playoff implications. That is unless you’ve already clinched your playoff spot and don’t care anymore. In that case, you run out the lineup and starting pitcher for your Triple-A team.
It wasn’t exactly high drama and I suspect a lot of Angels fans took the night off as well, but we almost got ourselves a nice piece of humor as the Salt Lake Bees of Anaheim nearly pulled off the upset against a possible playoff team and the likely AL Cy Young winner. That would have been the highest of high comedy, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Run Expectancy Rundown
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Felix Hernandez is very good. He looks even better when he faces the lineup for a Triple-A team that had the second-worst record in their league. That being said, Hank Conger hit a homer as he continues to display at least a modicum of competence with the bat. I still don’t know if he is going to get any starts in the postseason, but at least there is a chance he won’t be totally useless if he does.
Starting Pitcher Scores
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King Felix was amazing as usual. It was actually kind of weird that he only went 97 pitches in this game. The only thing weirder was Wade LeBlanc going 5.1 innings and looking solid in the process. He’ll be getting another start before the season is over and could be a factor in the postseason if Shoemaker can’t get healthy.
Bullpen Battle
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If only Jepsen had gotten LoMo out, the faux-Angels would have had the opportunity to be celebrating a walkoff homer against maligned former closer Fernando Rodney. You had one job, Jepsen! Oh, Joe Thatcher pitched and got the job done, but he did have his customary HBP.
Game Flow
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The Angels didn’t even get a runner to second base until the sixth inning. The Mariners didn’t have a real threat until that inning either. It was the failure to capitalize on the bases loaded in the eighth where the Bees really saw this game slip through their fingers.
Halo A-Hole
Way to ruin it for everyone, Kevin.
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