Game Rewind: Silencing the Doubters (Myself Included) – Angels 8, Blue Jays 1

So much for the Angels becoming losers.

It didn’t take long for the Halos to show that they weren’t going to take another loss lying down, cranking out three runs before Jered Weaver even set foot on the mound.  And that would be all that Weaver needed as he answered the call to stop the Angels from sliding under .500 by doing his very best Roy Halladay impression (only without the astronomical pitch count).

Even with Mike Scioscia running out one of the least potent line-ups he has concocted all season (and that’s saying something), the Halo bats came alive, especially the top four batters in the order who combined to go 8-for-19 with 5 extra-base hits and 6 RBIs, more than enough productivity to cover up the collection of hacks at the bottom of the order.

However one nice win doesn’t quite count as a full blown remedy for what ails the Angels.  This is something they can build off of thoughm if they can reckon back to their nice comeback against Seattle while exercising a little bit of selective memory with that ugly Roy Halladay game.  Even something so small as winning the three-game series tomorrow would be a moral victory for this squad that still is trying to find its way this year.

Good News:

• Hey, a walk for Vlad Guerrero!  It’s only your first walk in the eight games you’ve been back.  The over/under was set at 9.5 and I took the over, so I guess you showed me.  Now that you broke your no walk streak can how do you feel about breaking the no homer streak as well?
• The return of Vlady has done Bobby Abreu some good.  He hit his second homer of the season tonight, with both coming since Guerrero returned, and now has eight hits and nine RBIs over that eight-game span as well.
• Two shutout innings from the bullpen, yes it really is that bad that when the relievers came into the game with a seven-run cushion I got a little bit nervous.

Bad News:

• Even on a night where the team banged out eight runs on thirteen hits, they still struck out eight times.  The Halos remain one of the toughest teams in the league to strike out, but they have been coming up with a whole lot of air recently, which tells me that this eight-run outburst is probably an aberration.
• Howie Kendrick rode the pine tonight.  Not that anyone is going to be sorry to see his .617 OPS go, but the Mike Scioscia is sounding like he finally quit on Kendrick, which is too bad because he could have been a real weapon if he ever figures it out.
• First Mike Napoli and now Jeff Mathis?  Say it with me now, “Catchers do not steal bases!”

Halo Hero of the Night:

• Jered Weaver

Jered Weaver was the story night, something that is beginning to be a trend for the blossoming ace.  Weave made mincemeat of the normally potent Toronto line-up, allowing just one run on three hits and two walks while setting a new career-high with 10 strikeouts.  Better yet, this was Jered’s third straight start of allowing just one earned run and the fifth time he has accomplished that feat in his last six turns.