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Rays 4, Angels 2 (final)
August 19th, 2008, 6:35 pm · 4 Comments · posted by BILL PLUNKETT, OCREGISTER.COM
The Angels are in the midst of their worst slump since early May after losing for the fifth time in their past six games.
The common denominator? The Tampa Bay Rays. The Angels have lost their past three games, their longest losing streak since a four-game skid May 7-10 that included a three-game sweep in Tampa.
The Rays are on the verge of another sweep of the Angels after rallying for three runs on just one hit in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Ervin Santana left the game after seven innings, handing a 2-1 lead to Scot Shields.
But Shields was clearly out of whack tonight. He threw just one strike — a bunt attempt by Jason Bartlett — in his first eight pitches and that one didn’t work out so well. Angels catcher Jeff Mathis fielded Bartlett’s bunt down the third-base line, spun and threw wide of first base.
The error put the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second with no outs.
After Shields walked Akinori Iwamura to load the bases, he struck out B.J. Upton.
With left-handers Carlos Pena and Cliff Floyd coming up, Angels manager Mike Scioscia went to left-handed reliever Darren Oliver. But Pena worked Oliver for a walk on seven pitches, forcing in the tying run.
After Oliver struck out Floyd, switch-hitting Willy Aybar singled to left field, driving in two runs.
The win gives the Rays at least a tie for the best record in baseball (pending the outcome of the Chicago Cubs’ game tonight) with the Angels a half-game back.
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Wow, this is just embarrassing. Tampa Bay has the Angels number and smacks em around like ragdolls! Considering the Angels will have to play Tampa Bay or Boston, and possibly both, in the playoffs, I think the Halos can kiss a World Series appearance goodbye. Oh well, at least they look good against lame teams like Seattle.
The Angels are in a funk. I went to the second game of the 3-game series against the Indians and they just looked flat. The Indians played very sloppy and they still beat the Anghels. The Indians took two out of three for the Angels just as the Angels had laid claim to being the best team in baseball and as most people were practically giving them their ‘08 World Series Championship rings. There is plenty of time for LAA to pull out of this slump, but they may not win in as convincing fashion as we first thought they would. I know they have a huge lead in the West, but they were on the verge of being the unbeatable monsters of all of baseball, which we have never seen before. I actuall started to believe that they could win 110 game or more. Now they’re looking up at the Rays in overall standings. This must change. And I think it will. As well as the Rays are playing now, I’m pretty sure that they will fold in the playoffs, with no experience behind them. Go Angels!
The biggest thing that stood out to me about last night’s game was the fact that the Angels looked like the tight team. I would’ve expected the “inexperienced” Rays to be the ones to melt down. Last night’s game is a good example of why I think the Rays go all the way and experience is overrated. It is, after all, the Summer of the Rays.
The Angels looked tight? HUH? Did you miss Vlade letting a routine ground ball go between his legs? LOL Great power hitter, LOUSY outfielder.