Orange County Register

ANAHEIM

Angels centerfielder Torii Hunter has pretty good instincts out in center field and he didn’t like what he saw in the 11th inning of Game 2 when catcher Jeff Mathis set up for an 0-and-2 fastball up and away to Alex Rodriguez.

“Oh, man – I wanted to call timeout,” Hunter said. “I saw it and I said, ‘No.’
“I saw fastball away and I saw his (Mathis’) glove come up and I said, ‘Nooooooo’ in my head.”

Angels closer Brian Fuentes said he was trying to “elevate a fastball” but Rodriguez reached out and drilled it on a line into the front row of seats in right field. That tied the game 3-3 after the Angels had gone ahead in the top of the inning.

Given Rodriguez’s opposite-field power, Fuentes’ less-than-imposing fastball velocity (the home run pitch was clocked at 90 mph) and the easy-access hitters have to the right field wall in new Yankee Stadium, it might not have been a wise pitch selection.

“On any count, there’s a number of options a pitcher has,” Scioscia said. “One of the options Brian uses is to elevate his fastball. He obviously didn’t get that one up as much he’d like to.

“If Brian had tried to invent a knuckleball there and throw it, you might be second-guessing him. But that’s a pitch he makes all the time.”

Hunter indicated he might not have been as shocked by the pitch selection if it came at Angel Stadium.

“It was a line drive. At our park, that hits the wall or maybe not even hits the wall,” he said.

Rodriguez has done plenty of damage at Angel Stadium over the years (mostly with the Mariners and Rangers).

In 89 career games at Angel Stadium, Rodriguez has batted .335 (117 for 349) with 37 home runs and 82 RBI. The 37 home runs are the most he has hit in any visiting park and his .716 slugging percentage here is his highest at any park he’s played more than six games in.

However, he was hitless in three games at Angel Stadium during his only previous post-season visit (the 2005 ALDS).

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