Game Preview 4/20/12 — Through the Looking Glass — Orioles vs. Angels

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Baltimore Orioles (8-5) @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (4-9)

Like the line in JFK goes, we are through the looking glass people. Black is white, up is down. The Orioles ride into Anaheim in first place of the AL East and the Angels are sucking fumes in the cellar of the AL West. It would be easy to blame the bullpen or even the starters, but the offense is really the secret culprit to the Angel’s early season struggles. Once again the blame lies on the shoulders of Mickey Hatcher (thanks to my friend @ferriertv for starting the #firehatcher campaign). How this team continually strands runners on base and hits pop up after pop up is beyond me. If I see Vernon Wells ground out weakly to short or Erick Aybar jump at the first pitch in the dirt one more time, I will scream. How can they say they have been tutored effectively by their hitting coach if that is their game day response to live pitching? What sort of hold does Hatcher have over the Angel front office that they rush to his aid any time the Angels fall into a hitting slump? I just don’t get it.

 The only hope is that the Orioles will revert to their old sucky ways and the Angels can get back into things over the weekend. A series loss this time out could spell geniune disaster. Pray for us people, we are really in some bumpy territory.