Game Rewind: Same Old, Same Old – Angels 5, Yankees 2

I know I should be excited that the Angels just handed a loss to the best team in baseball, but frankly, beating the Yankees just isn’t as exciting as it used to be.

Even the Angels can hardly muster up any excitement over beating the Yankees.

This should have been a tension-filled game, what with the Angels still putting the finishing touches on their third straight AL West title while also facing a potential playoff opponent.  I should have been on the verge of pooping my pants when Joe Saunders started giving up solo shots in the late innings to the highes scoring offense in baseball.  At the very least I should have gotten nervous when the Yanks brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the ninth and the incredibly shaky Angel closer on the mound.

But I wasn’t.

This must be how the Red Sox feel when they play the Angels.  When you own another team like the Angels have owned the Yankees all century, there is just nothing that they can do to make the Angels fear them.  In fact, I’m not even sure I respect them anymore.  They throw countless dollars at players to make their team better, but they can never get over the Angel hump.  They can change their manager, build a new stadium and buy every ace pitcher on the market, but none of it does any good.  I’m sure they’ll break through someday, I just don’t think it is going to be anytime soon.

The Yankees inability to beat the Angels is enough to make anyone cringe.

Angelic Accomplishments:

• I had hoped that the day off for Kendry Morales would get him back in a groove, little did I know that he would only need a few innings of rest.  If that pinch-hit homer wasn’t an aberration, then things are starting to fall into place very nicely for the Angels with the playoffs around the corner.
• Well, it wasn’t perfect, but Brian Fuentes picked up another save and did so against some good hitters.  He still can’t seem to get that final out without allowing a baserunner first, but a save is a save.

Devilish Details:

• What is going on with Bobby Abreu?  After striking out three times tonight he has now fanned nine times in his last four games versus just one hit and one walk.
• Jeff Mathis is officially the anti-Abreu.  While the rest of the Angel line-up has been much more selective at the plate, Mathis continues to swing at literally every single pitch he sees.  In three at-bats tonight, Mathis saw just six total pitches.  I know that his stats say is seeing 3.88 pitches per plate appearance, which is actually a career-high, but I just don’t believe it.  This is a guy who a few weeks ago whiffed three times on nine pitches in a game and walked just three times since August 1st.

Halo Hero:

• Joe Saunders

This is beginning to become a trend.  Saundo was stellar again tonight.  His control was spot in his 8.1 innings of work, not walking a single batter while using just 108 pitches, no small task against the ultra-patient Yankees.