Boxscore Breakdown #99: Let’s pretend that didn’t happen – Astros 10, Angels 5

Well, that didn’t go well. Can we just pretend that game didn’t happen? Every year each team has a handful of those games where everything goes wrong and they get their butt kicked. This was one of those games for the Angels. In fact, they’ve only allowed double-digit runs three times this year. Once was this game, then there was an early season game against Toronto and then there was the last time C.J. Wilson faced Houston.

There were physical mistakes. There were mental mistakes. There was generally poor pitching. Above all else though, there was no Mike Trout. For that reason, the Angels just need to pretend this game didn’t happen. Trout-less games aren’t real games. It would’ve been better that the Halos not had a game like this against their chief AL West competition, but it did happen. We can pretend that it didn’t happen though.

Astros 10, Angels 5

Run Expectancy Rundown
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1NpjZtxvHq4Xj01x2jUJrzToDYKI0f3azDlER1OwNbro/pubchart” query=”oid=1976391661&format=interactive” width=”623″ height=”389″ /] Conor Gillaspie is working out pretty well so far, no? I doubt it will last, but the Angels just need him to get hot for three weeks. So far so good. Shane Victorino clearly knows how to ingratiate himself to a new boss as he demonstrated by bunting his way on base in his first Angel plate appearance. None of the Angels were that bad in this game as they all reached base, but Chris Iannetta might’ve helped let Collin McHugh off the hook in the first inning by swinging at the first pitch. At least he hit a solo shot later to somewhat make up for it.

[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1NpjZtxvHq4Xj01x2jUJrzToDYKI0f3azDlER1OwNbro/pubchart” query=”oid=1154832181&format=interactive” width=”620″ height=”341″ /] Jose Altuve, man. The Tiniest Angel Killer strikes again and this time he brought all his friends, especially former Angel Hank Conger. This was just a straight out massacre.

Starting Pitcher Scores
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1NpjZtxvHq4Xj01x2jUJrzToDYKI0f3azDlER1OwNbro/pubchart” query=”oid=161400381&format=interactive” width=”584″ height=”293″ /] C.J. Wilson and Collin McHugh were trying to one-up each other in a contest for who could pitch worse in this big game. C.J. won.

Bullpen Battle
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1NpjZtxvHq4Xj01x2jUJrzToDYKI0f3azDlER1OwNbro/pubchart” query=”oid=1141913419&format=interactive” width=”620″ height=”315″ /] Mike Morin looked like a hero when he bailed C.J. Wilson out in the fifth. The problem is that he came back out for the sixth inning. That’s when the wheels came off and undid everything good Morin did the inning before. The Astros got much better relief work, but they also had a five-run cushion to work with.

Game Flow
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1NpjZtxvHq4Xj01x2jUJrzToDYKI0f3azDlER1OwNbro/pubchart” query=”oid=41272350&format=interactive” width=”619″ height=”315″ /] This game was there for the Angels to take and run away with, little did they realize that they had a C.J. Wilson-shaped anchor attached to their anchor, headed towards the bottom of the ocean.

Halo A-Hole

The Angels don’t even need Ethier anymore, but at this point I think I’d just be glad to be rid of Wilson.