Gameday Thread (5/28/23): Angels vs Marlins - off days for Renfroe and Neto

[REDneck]

Trout and Ohtani once again failing to come through.

This narrative is gaining credible traction.

[Swordsman78]

3 minutes ago, REDneck said:

Trout and Ohtani once again failing to come through.

This narrative is gaining credible traction.

 

[bloodbrother]

Very average team

[daygloman]

7 minutes ago, Justin said:

They will win the series and I'll get my hopes up again? 

(Then they will get swept at Houston and we will be reminded that they still are not nearly in the Astros' class.) 

I dig how you feel!

[greginpsca]

We are officially in 4th place. Oakland, here we come.

[TroutField]

Just now, bloodbrother said:

Very average team

Even Renfroe has cratered to a sub .750 OPS. 

we have nobody to carry the offense with Trout and Ohtani struggling to put the team on their back. Until somebody steps up we are going to continue to dabble around .500 ball all season. 

[daygloman]

8 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Uhhhhhh..., sorry to hear that.

This team is going NOWHERE this season. 

NOWHERE!

I'm sorry as well!

[REDneck]

7 minutes ago, REDneck said:

Trout and Ohtani once again failing to come through.

This narrative is gaining credible traction.

 

4 minutes ago, Swordsman78 said:

 

I wasn't speaking of your credibility, you have none.

Especially in relation to Doc.

[Vlad27Trout27]

Grawd damn we need Rendon back! these scrubs can't do it

[Jay]

54 minutes ago, Erstad Grit said:

Screw it, just trade Ohtani now to get a better return. 

Should have traded him right after the WBC.

[T-angel]

I get the feeling there's a way teams know how to pitch Mike that will result in getting him out a majority of the time. The key I feel is that they use that method when its most necessary and not always all the time. Makes it harder for Mike to overcome it on a consistent basis.

Mike more than any other superstar looks susceptible to a good fastball with movement and run, especially higher in the strike zone. It's been there all his career. He just hasn't ever closed that hole completely.

I was watching an old clip of Alex Rodriguez and Mike discussing how Mike hits and takes batting practice. It was obvious to me that Alex saw something out of the ordinary about Mikes approach to high pitches but didn't want to say anything outright or contradictory. Instead he told Mike how Barry Bonds taught him to prepare yourself to hit the high fastball. Alex said that you have to almost start out trying to hit high pitches during practice by getting on top of them in an exaggerated way by looking to spike them on the ground. And that you should start out your practice with high fastballs this way, and then look to square them up because its easier to go high to low than it is low to high. Mike looks better this past couple of weeks than in the ones before with regard to fastballs. But everytime he goes bad, it always seems he's swinging under them or getting jamed.

[TroutField]

7 minutes ago, T-angel said:

I get the feeling there's a way teams know how to pitch Mike that will result in getting him out a majority of the time. The key I feel is that they use that method when its most necessary and not always all the time. Makes it harder for Mike to overcome it on a consistent basis.

Mike more than any other superstar looks susceptible to a good fastball with movement and run, especially higher in the strike zone. It's been there all his career. He just hasn't ever closed that hole completely.

I was watching an old clip of Alex Rodriguez and Mike discussing how Mike hits and takes batting practice. It was obvious to me that Alex saw something out of the ordinary about Mikes approach to high pitches but didn't want to say anything outright or contradictory. Instead he told Mike how Barry Bonds taught him to prepare yourself to hit the high fastball. Alex said that you have to almost start out trying to hit high pitches during practice by getting on top of them in an exaggerated way by looking to spike them on the ground. And that you should start out your practice with high fastballs this way, and then look to square them up because its easier to go high to low than it is low to high. Mike looks better this past couple of weeks than in the ones before with regard to fastballs. But everytime he goes bad, it always seems he's swinging under them or getting jamed.

He did get jammed on that last pitch. If he muscles it another 6-7 feet it probably drops in and we are all celebrating an amazing at bat and fighting off a great pitch to tie the game. 
 

oh well, sometimes it breaks your way, sometimes it doesn’t. Feels like those types of scenarios can’t ever fall in for the Angels consistently enough. I will indicate that taking the first pitch works against Trout sometimes. If he went up ready to crush that first pitch of the at bat he would have, it was right over the plate. Instead he starts out 0-1 and then swings and then fouled off the next one to put him in a deep hole, has to fight back and battle any close pitches. It lead to him getting jammed, had to swing at one that wasn’t his pitch. 

On to Chicago. A couple games above .500 it’s not season over but they really need to find a way to get a little run going, you can almost feel Texas and Houston running away and it’s not even June, A lot of baseball left to get their shit together and put these ugly games in the rear view. 

[Vlad27Trout27]

Wards needs a trip down to AAA and rediscover his swing/mechanics.

I'd love them to move Gio up to the 2 spot. He going to make contract and you can put hit n runs and so much more. 

Trout and Othani 3rd and 4th. Until Rendon returns I'd have Renfrore and Walsh 5th and 6th. Drury at 7th hole is the perfect spot, Neto and Thaisis to round it up.

 

[HeavenlyHalos]

1 hour ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

Wards needs a trip down to AAA and rediscover his swing/mechanics.

I'd love them to move Gio up to the 2 spot. He going to make contract and you can put hit n runs and so much more. 

Trout and Othani 3rd and 4th. Until Rendon returns I'd have Renfrore and Walsh 5th and 6th. Drury at 7th hole is the perfect spot, Neto and Thaisis to round it up.

 

I'd prefer Walsh hits like 8th until he starts to show signs of life with the bat. Hitting him 5th has not worked out well, especially with Trout-Ohtani-Renfore really struggling.

[Duren, Duren]

94 game non shutout streak ends. Miami just was better all around this series. Clutch pitching, timely hitting, good defense, few mistakes. 

Trout and Ohtani each seem easier to get out than ever before in clutch situations. Some over eagerness for Ohtani and less aggression from Trout on the first pitches to them? Which puts them behind to start the at bat. 

Ward and Walsh are liabilities at the moment. Both have, and should hit 20 plus homers. But now they probably won't get that many between them. 

This sweep comes at a bad time. It destroys the momentum of the homestand as they start a road trip. More doubts now for multiple concerns. 

The season can still be reset but more teams than usual are playoff contending. The bullpen now is an ad hoc experiment. Scoring has dried up. The superstars are mortal. 

This road trip critical. Coming after this sweep it could slide into something prolonged. 

[Farmbuildingfan]

Ten of the 15 teams in the AL have winning records.

I suspect this is because collectively the AL is beating up pn the NL.

Too many teams ahead of the Angels would need to cool off even if the Angels get hot. I don t see that happening.

I feel the Angels will soon be below .500 and will stay there.

Sure wish they would prove me wrong

[FromJapan]

 

[Erstad Grit]

2 hours ago, Farmbuildingfan said:

Ten of the 15 teams in the AL have winning records.

I suspect this is because collectively the AL is beating up pn the NL.

Too many teams ahead of the Angels would need to cool off even if the Angels get hot. I don t see that happening.

I feel the Angels will soon be below .500 and will stay there.

Sure wish they would prove me wrong

Royals, White Sox, and A's are REALLY bad so the rest of the AL is doing .500 or better

[Angels 1961]

4 hours ago, Vlad27Trout27 said:

Wards needs a trip down to AAA and rediscover his swing/mechanics.

I'd love them to move Gio up to the 2 spot. He going to make contract and you can put hit n runs and so much more. 

Trout and Othani 3rd and 4th. Until Rendon returns I'd have Renfrore and Walsh 5th and 6th. Drury at 7th hole is the perfect spot, Neto and Thaisis to round it up.

 

Brett Philips is working on his swing at SLC. He was 0 for 4 today but did strikeout 4 times. 

[Angelsjunky]

What a joke this team is. Just when it looked like they were starting to get hot, and even got to five games over .500, they get swept at home by a .500 team. Momentum over.

I don't see this team winning a playoff berth, let alone catch the significantly better Rangers and Astros. Yet another mediocre season that ends with Trout hunting in October.

Good bye, Shohei, and thanks for the memories.

[REDneck]

15 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

What a joke this team is. Just when it looked like they were starting to get hot, and even got to five games over .500, they get swept at home by a .500 team. Momentum over.

I don't see this team winning a playoff berth, let alone catch the significantly better Rangers and Astros. Yet another mediocre season that ends with Trout hunting in October.

Good bye, Shohei, and thanks for the memories.

Trout has a lot of taxidermy on his wall from October hunting!

[REDneck]

Just now, REDneck said:

Trout has a lot of taxidermy on his wall from October hunting!

 

18 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

ends with Trout hunting in October

Hey Mike, when did you shoot that...October 2022

Hey Mike, when did you shoot this one...October 2019

Mike, how bout this one...October 2018

Etc,etc!

[full circle]

5 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

What a joke this team is. Just when it looked like they were starting to get hot, and even got to five games over .500, they get swept at home by a .500 team. Momentum over.

I don't see this team winning a playoff berth, let alone catch the significantly better Rangers and Astros. Yet another mediocre season that ends with Trout hunting in October.

Good bye, Shohei, and thanks for the memories.

Trout is a huge part of the reason for this.  He wants to bitch about not making the postseason he can look square in the mirror.  He is a disappointment. 

[full circle]

We don’t have top baseball minds at the helm of this organization.  Other teams are light years ahead of us.  It’s clear. 

[PattyD22]

15 hours ago, Erstad Grit said:

Royals, White Sox, and A's are REALLY bad so the rest of the AL is doing .500 or better

The Angels get to see Kopech tonight, Giolito tomorrow and Lance Lynn on Wednesday.  I know the White Sox have under performed this season so far, but why do I have this weird feeling that the Angels are just what these 3 pitchers need to get on track?

Remember that series in Philadelphia last year when the Phillies sucked, canned Joe Girardi, and came out and swept the Angels?  

Offensively, this team instills zero confidence right now.  I hope it changes, but it will be a tall order.
 

Edited May 29, 2023 by PattyD22