They say that hitting is contagious. That must be true because the Angels won this game on the back of two of the more unlikely bats in the lineup. Hank Conger, in particular, has finally shown some signs of life during this recent offensive surge by the Halos.
You know what else is contagious? The freak injury bug, apparently. The Rangers have had their share of such injuries this year and now they’ve managed to infect the Angels. How else do you explain Collin Cowgill fouling a bunt into his own face, bloodying himself and hurting his thumb in the process. Thanks a lot, Rangers.
Run Expectancy Rundown
As mentioned above, it was Conger and Cowgill having the best nights. Howie Kendrick didn’t rate well in RE24, but he did collect three hits. On the other end of the axis, Kole Calhoun had his first off night in what feels like a good month. I guess he isn’t going to have to worry about that platoon anymore though what with Cowgill breaking his face and all.
Ironically, Rougned Odor was the only Ranger that didn’t stink in this game. Sorry, I had to.
Starting Pitcher Scores
Jered Weaver showed no ill effects of the back issue that caused him to hit the eject button in his last outing. Either that or the Texas lineup is just inept. Maybe a little of both. Miles Mikolas scored some points for alliteration, but that didn’t help when he tried going through the order for the third time.
Bullpen Battle
The Angels bullpen posted two perfect innings. The Texas bullpen had a bumpier time, but ultimately kept more runs from crossing the plate. Joakim Soria even got a chance to audition live for Mike Scioscia, which was a bonus.
Game Flow
This one was actually in doubt for awhile for the Halos, which was kind of a nice change of pace. Of course once they decided to score, they erased almost all doubt quite quickly.
Halo Hero
Not only was it a strong performance from Weaver, but it was a pleasant surprise as I thought he and his dodgy back would wilt in the Texas heat as he’s done so many times before.
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