Gameday Thread: Angels @ Astros (9/12/21 11am)

[Revad]

Please don’t do this god.

[eligrba4ever]

1 minute ago, Revad said:

Please don’t do this god.

Congratulations for pushing this thread all the way to the second page before the game ends.

[eligrba4ever]

Oh well. That .500 is looking more and more like a distant mirage.

[eligrba4ever]

Somebody should tell Shohei that Baby Vladdy has caught up with him.

[Duren, Duren]

MVP still up for grabs if Vlad finishes at a torrid pace and they make the playoffs. That's the real definition of 'value.' Being the best difference maker in the league and leading your team into the post season. Especially coming from behind in the stretch run. 

Ohtani can't afford to get rocked again when pitching in his few remaining starts. A slump on the mound as well as the plate leaves  bad perception at the worst time. 

He should still win, but it won't be unanimous. 

[Angel Oracle]

8 hours ago, Duren, Duren said:

MVP still up for grabs if Vlad finishes at a torrid pace and they make the playoffs. That's the real definition of 'value.' Being the best difference maker in the league and leading your team into the post season. Especially coming from behind in the stretch run. 

Ohtani can't afford to get rocked again when pitching in his few remaining starts. A slump on the mound as well as the plate leaves  bad perception at the worst time. 

He should still win, but it won't be unanimous. 

The O’s woeful pitching helped Vlad Jr. out too.

Edited September 13, 2021 by Angel Oracle

[Jeff Fletcher]

19 hours ago, Trendon said:

@Jeff Fletcher Why does Joe Maddon continue to bat David Fletcher leadoff when he had a .312 OBP for the season entering today? That OBP is 109th out of 137 qualified hitters in MLB.

He doesn’t have many options. Have you looked at the lineup they are sending out there?

 

I noticed yesterday that Ohtani and Walsh were the only guys over .700 OPS. 
 

Someone is going to hit leadoff who shouldn’t be hitting leadoff right now. May as well be someone who has been a good leadoff hitter in the past. 

[fan_since79]

Fletcher is in a horrendous slump right now.

That 26-game hitting streak seems like a happy dream. What happened to him?!

Last 32 games:  .182/.223/.197

[Blarg]

It is fatigue. 

[BTH]

4 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

He doesn’t have many options. Have you looked at the lineup they are sending out there?

 

I noticed yesterday that Ohtani and Walsh were the only guys over .700 OPS. 
 

Someone is going to hit leadoff who shouldn’t be hitting leadoff right now. May as well be someone who has been a good leadoff hitter in the past. 

I've seen the lineup, yes. The other options aren't great right now, but he is arguably one of the worst options.

OBP since August:

Walsh: .382

Ohtani: .340

Marsh: .336

Rengifo: .304

Gosselin: .300

Adell: .295

Mayfield: .280

Lagares: .278

Suzuki: .260

Fletcher: .257

 

Fletcher has a worse OBP since August than Mayfield, Lagares, and Suzuki (which shows how abysmal he has been at getting on base)

Assuming Walsh, Ohtani, Adell, and Gosselin are reserved for 2-5 in some combination, you still have Marsh and Rengifo as better leadoff alternatives.

You could say they don't want to have Marsh leadoff to avoid back-to-back lefties with him and Ohtani, but they already create an easy lane for opponents to use a lefty against Ohtani by batting Ohtani 2nd and Walsh 4th.