Athletics beat Angels in 10 innings
As unlikely as it appeared throughout the season and again early Sunday, Frank Thomas had a feeling the
Oakland Athletics were going to Minnesota.
Fortunately, he knows what to expect.
Thomas homered and drove in four runs, Jeremy Brown scored the go-ahead run on pitcher
Brendan Donnelly's throwing error in the 10th inning, and the A's beat the Los Angeles Angels 11-10 Sunday to avoid being swept in a season-ending four-game series.
The A's, who played the finale like an exhibition game, open their best-of-five division series Tuesday at the Metrodome against the Twins, who won the AL Central Division championship on the season's final day.
The
Twins went 6-4 against Oakland this season, including 5-1 at the Metrodome, and beat the A's in a division series four years ago before losing to the Angels in the AL championship series.
"We match up well - great pitching, great defense. They're grinders, we're grinders," Thomas said. "I tell people, they have the ultimate homefield advantage. When you get 50,000 people in there, it's very noisy."
Thomas should know, having played the first 16 years of his career with the
Chicago White Sox - who also play in the AL Central.
The Twins, 25-33 at one stage of the season, needed to beat the White Sox and have Detroit lose to
Kansas City in the finale to win the division and nudge the Tigers to wild-card status and a playoff date with the Yankees.
Even when the Tigers led the Royals 6-0 after three innings Sunday, Oakland manager
Ken Macha issued a word of caution while speaking before the A's-Angels game.
"We've seen some other leads dwindle also - some of ours included," he said with a smile.
The Royals beat the Tigers 10-8 in 12 innings and the Twins topped the White Sox 5-1.
The A's (93-69), who clinched the AL West championship last Tuesday, enter the postseason having lost six of their last nine games.
They know that doesn't mean a thing now.
"Our team feels pretty good about themselves," Macha said. "They should, having won a bunch of games and the division."
The
Angels (89-73) won seven of their final nine.
Brown started the winning rally by hitting a two-out double off Chris Bootcheck (0-1). Donnelly relieved and walked D'Angelo Jimenez before
Jay Payton hit a liner that hit Donnelly in the stomach. The ball bounced toward the third base line before Donnelly picked it up and made a wild throw to first.
Chad Gaudin (4-2) pitched a perfect ninth to earn the victory. Ron Flores, the sixth Oakland pitcher, worked a 1-2-3 10th for his first major league save.
The first five batters in the
Oakland lineup were all on the bench by the sixth inning. Thomas hit a three-run homer and a sacrifice fly in his only plate appearances; Mark Kotsay had two hits and a walk, drove in a run and scored three times; and Milton Bradley had two hits and an RBI with a run scored.
Tim Salmon was hitless in four at-bats with a walk and a run scored in the final game of his 15-year career - all with the Angels.
The 38-year-old outfielder-designated hitter is retiring with franchise-record totals of 299 homers and 986 runs scored along with 1,674 hits and 1,016 RBIs. He received a standing ovation from the crowd of 44,107 after popping up in the eighth in his last at-bat.
"About the only word I can think of is finality. It's over," Salmon said. "It just didn't seem like that day would come, but it's starting to sink in now. This whole weekend's been kind of like a dream, in a sense. It's been surreal. It was pretty spectacular. That's why it's special to play your whole career in one organization."
Rookie
Jeff Mathis had a career-high three hits, including his second homer for the Angels, who also got home runs from Dallas McPherson and Robb Quinlan.
Oakland's Rich Harden was ineffective in his third start since coming off the disabled list, issuing a season-high six walks and allowing three hits and six runs in 3 2-3 innings. Harden, a possibility to start Game 3 of the division series, threw 91 pitches - only 44 for strikes.
Los Angeles'
Dustin Moseley, making his second big league start, gave up 10 hits and seven runs in four innings.
Notes: The first three games in the Oakland-Minnesota division series are day games. The A's were an AL-best 40-21 in day games and the Twins were 27-20. "We're used to playing during the day - we have the second-most day games in baseball," Macha said. "I don't think it's going to matter." ... The Angels' 54-29 record since July 1 was the best in the majors. ... Thomas has hit 235 of his 487 homers as a designated hitter, tying former White Sox teammate Harold Baines for second on baseball's career list. Seattle's Edgar Martinez hit 243 homers as a DH. ... The Angels finished the season having committed an AL-high 124 errors and 80 unearned runs - second-most in the majors to Cleveland. ... Salmon's wife, Marci, threw out the ceremonial first pitch, with Salmon serving as the catcher.
MLB: LA Angeles 4, Kansas City 3
ANAHEIM, Calif., June 13 (UPI) -- Orlando Cabrera had three hits and drove in a run to extend his on-base streak, as the Angels held off Kansas City, 4-3, in the opener of a four-game series.
Ervin Santana lasted 6 2/3 innings for his second straight win and
Francisco Rodriguez left the tying run in scoring position in the ninth inning, striking out three batters in the last frame, as Los Angeles snapped a three-game skid.
Dallas McPherson had three hits and drove in two runs for the Angels, who have beaten the Royals in 15 of the last 17 meetings, including seven straight.
Cabrera has reached base safely in 42 straight games, extending his franchise record.
LA Angels of Anaheim at Cleveland
John Lackey hurled seven brilliant innings, and
Kendry Morales and
Juan Rivera each drove in three runs as the LA Angels of Anaheim routed Cleveland, 14-2, in the rubber match of a three-game set at Jacobs Field.
Lackey (4-3) gave up just two hits and struck out four for the Angels, who have won four of their last six contests. Morales finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Rivera was 2-of-4 for Los Angeles.
Chone Figgins,
Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Napoli and
Dallas McPherson each belted home runs for the Angels in the blowout.
Victor Martinez and
Ben Broussard had solo home runs for the Indians, who lost for just the second time in six outings.
Jason Michaels recorded two hits for Cleveland.
The Indians' ace,
C.C. Sabathia (5-2), was torched. The bulky-lefty surrendered seven runs on eight hits in just five innings of work. Sabathia walked four, struck out five and gave up three home runs.
The Angels jumped on top with three runs against Sabathia in the top of the first. Figgins led off the game by turning on a 3-2 pitch and drilling his third home run of the year. One batter later, Guerrero took Sabathia out of the park.
Tim Salmon then cracked a line drive single to left and Morales plated him with a double.
Los Angeles manufactured another run in the second. The speedy Figgins drew a two-out walk and swiped second to set the table for
Orlando Cabrera. The Angels shortstop then delivered a line drive single to make it 4-0.
The Angels continued to distance themselves with three more runs in the third. Salmon got on with a one-out walk and moved to third on a single by Morales. Rivera plated Salmon with a sacrifice fly to right. Napoli capped the inning with a towering two-run home run to left.
Lackey finally gave up his first hit in the fourth. Michaels lined a single to left to put runners on first and second with no one out but the veteran right- hander settled down and got out of trouble. Lackey got Jhonny Peralta to ground into a 4-6-3 double play and, after walking Travis Hafner, punched out Martinez.
Los Angeles really put the game away with a four-run sixth. Morales' two-run double and Rivera's two-run single put Los Angeles on top 11-0.
The Angels tacked on another run in the eighth when
McPherson crushed his fifth homer of the year.
A pair of RBI doubles in the ninth, by Adam Kennedy and Erick Aybar, made it a 14-0 game.
Cleveland finally got on the board with back-to-back home runs from Martinez and Broussard in the bottom of the ninth to account for the final margin.
Angels' rally trims Twins in 11th
For most of the game, the Minnesota
Twins saw the light at the end of a tunnel, suggesting they actually might win a game outside their own time zone.
But, alas, it was just another pair of headlights as the road-kill Twins were struck down by
Orlando Cabrera's run-scoring single in the bottom of the 11th inning of the Los Angeles
Angels' 4-3 comeback victory at Angels Stadium.
After two shutout innings of relief, right-hander
Jesse Crain (0-3) took the loss in his third inning, creating most of his own problems with an errant pickoff throw that allowed one of the fastest players in the American League,
Chone Figgins, to go from first to third on the play.
Cabrera drove the next pitch through the left side of a drawn-in infield for the game-winner that snapped the Twins' four-game winning streak.
The Twins fell to 1-12 in games outside the Central time zone and 7-18 on the road overall.
This after taking a lead into the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Angels, who had lost seven of 11 entering the game, scored the tying run off Twins setup ace
Juan Rincon after the right-hander retired the first two batters of the inning.
But the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters then reached on a walk and an infield single, and Figgins followed with a line drive toward
Gold Glove second baseman
Luis Castillo for what should have been the final out.
Castillo drifted a few feet to his right to make the play but had the ball glance off his glove into center field for a run-scoring single that could have just as easily been ruled an error.
Another sloppy play in the top of the ninth squandered another possible scoring chance when
Rondell White was picked off second to end the inning with a 3-0 count on
Tony Batista.
For all the misfires and drama in the way the game ended, the Twins took some optimism in the way it started, if only because struggling starter
Brad Radke escaped a rocky first inning and survived six innings for only his third quality start of the season.
Radke faced seven men in the first inning but allowed just one run, leaving the bases loaded when
Dallas McPherson popped up to end it.
The Twins tied it with a Minnesota special in the third inning - Batista leading off with a single, taking second on a wild pitch, third on a passed ball and scoring on a one-out sacrifice fly by Jason Kubel.
They rallied with two outs in the fourth inning to take the lead, with maturing No. 5 hitter
Michael Cuddyer hitting his fourth homer in nine games for the first run, and
Justin Morneau following with a double to the opposite-field gap in left. White then singled him home for a 3-1 lead.
Cabrera's leadoff double in the fifth off Radke turned into the Angels' second run when
Garret Anderson singled to center with one out.
Quarterly Report on Major League Divisional Races (NL WEST)
By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
Now that most teams have played around forty games, let’s look on in the Divisional Races:
NL WEST
Here’s a division where all the teams are in the hunt for the title. Not much has been determined in the first quarter of the season except that the division is not nearly as bad as many thought it would be. All four teams currently have winning records and they are only separated by 2.5 games.
Arizona has been led by Brandon Webb (7-0), who is probably the early leader in the NL CY Young race. Unfortunately, the rest of their pitching staff has about a 6.00 ERA. Jose Valverde (13 saves), Luis Vizcaino (3.38 ERA) and Brandon Lyon have led a bullpen that is improved over last year’s version. After a miserable start, Shawn Green has been on a torrid pace and Chad Tracy was recently rewarded with a $13 million plus contract extension for his fine work. The offense has been a moneyball fan’s dream: Craig Counsell (.387 OBP), Conor Jackson (.372) and Luis Gonzalez (.387) have certainly managed to get on base. Most analysts of the minor leagues rank Arizona near the top of the list and they are going to need to dip into their system to get some rotation help if they are to win the division or compete for the wildcard.
Colorado has been one of this year’s early surprises. One of the best
bets in recent years was against the Rockies on the road, but they have dramatically improved this year. The skepticism usually associated with their gaudy numbers are not valid this year as guys like Brad Hawpe who is hitting .340 overall is hitting .383 on the road. Matt Holliday has added 11 dingers and Garrett Atkins has filled out what has been a very productive, albeit no name, middle of the order. In Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook, the Rockies have developed two nice young starters. Brian Fuentes (10 saves, 1.45 ERA) is having his second straight good year. The Rockies appear to finally have a sound plan in place. In a division that will beat up on each other, you can’t count the Rockies out.
The Dodgers have gone the high risk/high reward strategy the last couple of years. Nomar Garciaparra is the perfect example. He has hit .369, but injuries have limited him. J.D. Drew has 8 homers and 33 RBI so far, but don’t you wish wagerweb.com let you bet on whether or not he would make it through the season? Kenny Lofton (.350 OBP) keeps chugging along, but the Dodgers are waiting for Furcal (.244) to get going. Brad Penny has been pitching well (4-1, 2.53), but also has a dicey injury history. Will Eric Gagne be healthy and effective for the second half of the year? Like Arizona, the Dodgers have a strong farm system. Unlike Arizona, they may be willing to trade a few to fill holes.
Most of the attention surrounding the Giants has been around Barry Bonds. The fact that Bonds is hitting close to .250 and still has an OBP close to .500 speaks volumes about the Giants offense, especially without Moises Alou. The starting rotation led by a resurgent Jason Schmidt (3.07 ERA), the recently returned to action Noah Lowry (3.38 ERA) and Jamey Wright (3.38 ERA) have pitched well enough to keep them in contention, but it would seem another bat is needed for them to stay in the race.
The San Diego Padres recently won 15 out of 18, but still appear to be the weakest team in the division. Mike Piazza has hit 6 homers and has hit better of late, but 15 RBI for a cleanup hitter is just not going to cut it. The challenges of Petco aside, this team has a definite power outage. Only Khali Green has joined Piazza in hitting over 5 homeruns to this point. As usual, Brian Giles continues to get on base with an OBP over .400 and Trevor Hoffman (7 saves, 1.20 ERA) and Scott Linebrink (3.27 ERA) lead a strong bullpen.
So it will come down to Arizona’s farm system, Colorado’s youngsters, The Dodger’s health, The Giants pitching and San Diego’s ability to keep doing it with mirrors. Stay tuned.
Quarterly Report on Divisional Races --- NL CENTRAL
By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
After a few weeks and with some surprises, the NL Central has begun to look a lot more as expected, particularly at the very top.
With a lineup containing the best player on the planet, the
Cardinals have recently started to pull away and
seem well on their way to their third straight division title.
Pujols’ numbers are mind-boggling (22 homers and 54 RBI). Barring an injury or a stunning slump, he’s practically locked up the MVP Award in May. Underrated David Eckstein has an OBP of .390 and provides the kind of spark few leadoff hitters can match. While injuries and age have slowed Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen to some degree, they are both still dangerous hitters. Juan Encarcion and Yadier Molina have been disappointments, but the rest of the lineup has picked them up so far. Chris Carpenter has continued to pitch like an ace and starters Mark Mulder, Jeff Suppan, and Jason Marquis form a solid rotation that always keeps the Cardinals in the game. After a slow start, closer Jason Isringhausen has rounded into form. Only injuries will keep the Cards from playing in October.
Losers of 10 of their last 15, the “Big Red Mirage” are starting to play like their talent level indicates they should. Bronson Arroyo has been an outstanding acquisition and is obviously thrilled not to have to face those tough NL lineups, but you simply can’t send out such a mediocre starting rotation and expect to stay in the race. I told you a few weeks back to
bet against them and those who listened are a bit richer today.
The Astros got off to a hot start before their starting pitching went through a horrid stretch. Roy Oswalt remains one of the league’s top pitchers and Wayne Rodriguez has been a nice surprise, but Andy Pettitte has struggled, Brandon Backe is out for the year, and the rest of the rotation has been inconsistent. Brad Lidge has struggled (mostly with his control), but expect him to turn things around. Morgan Ensberg hit home runs in six straight games early in the year and Lance Berkman would be an MVP candidate in a league without Pujols. Also, very quietly, Brad Ausmus has put together a very good year (.418 OBP). The Astros could stay in the wildcard race and may soon get the kind of help that could rocket them to the finish line.
The Brewers are fun to watch. They lead the majors in home runs, and youngsters Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Bill Hall mix nicely with veterans Geoff Jenkins, Carlos Lee, and Corey Koskie. The only thing is they may be too dependent on getting home runs and they strike out too much. A bit of small ball might help them at times. Getting Ben Sheets healthy would help a rotation that has one underrated star (Chris Capuano) and mostly back-of-the-rotation types. Derrick Turnbow is showing he’s no fluke, but the bullpen lacks depth. This year’s trendy sleeper pick will stay around a while, but ultimately doesn’t have enough for the playoffs.
First the Red Sox, then the White Sox, now the Cu … stop right there. Derrek Lee’s injury has revealed just how impotent the rest of the Cubs lineup is. Juan Pierre has an OBP of .271. Aramis Ramirez is hitting only .231. It’s ugly on the North Side. Greg Maddux’s May has been very different than his April and still no sign of Mark Prior. Dusty Baker must be on edge. No playoffs here, folks.
The Pirates were expected to be an improved team this year, but their starting pitching has failed them. Zach Duke has hit a bit of a tougher time facing teams the second time around, and whatever happened to Oliver Perez, who was thought to be a fast rising star? Not much hope in the Steel City either.
So early on, it looks like it’s the Cards division to lose and the Astros waiting for Roger Clemens to make them serious wildcard contenders.
Major League Surprises and Disappointments at the Quarter Pole
By Mike Brody
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
We're a little over a quarter of the way through the
major league baseball season, and like every season, there have some been some great stories and some sad tales so far. With
Barry Bonds finally catching the Babe in
home runs, we can now focus on the teams and the pennant races.
Detroit 'Stop' City
The biggest surprise in all of
baseball has to be the Detroit
Tigers. Heading into Tuesday's games, Detroit has the best record in the majors at 30-14, one game ahead of the defending world champions, the Chicago
White Sox. The Tigers were expected to improve under new manager Jim Leyland, but no one could have predicted this kind of success.
Detroit will be in the race for the long haul because of their outstanding starting pitching. The Tigers’ staff is leading everyone with a 3.26 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. Veteran
Kenny Rogers has led by example in his first year in Motown. He's headed towards another all-star birth, posting a 7-2 record with a 2.91 ERA. Rookie Justin Verlander has been outstanding, winning 6 of his 9 starts including a 5-hit shutout of Kansas City on Monday night. Fourth-year pro
Nate Robertson is 4-2 with a 3.03 ERA, and 23-year-old Jeremy Bonderman, who was expected to be the club's ace coming into the season, has a 1.14 WHIP and is averaging 8 strikeouts per 9 innings.
Angels Can't Get Out of the Infield
No American League team has been more disappointing than the Los Angeles
Angels. Mired in last place in the AL West, only the anemic Royals have a worse record than the Angels. Their offense has been pathetic. They are dead last in the majors with a .299 on-base percentage and last in the AL in slugging percentage.
The only player hitting anywhere close to his average is
Vladimir Guerrero. But the Angels have no one in the lineup to protect Guerrero, so teams have already started to pitch around the all-star outfielder. Los Angeles had a chance to acquire Manny Ramirez in the off-season, but decided the price tag was too high for the Red Sox slugger and went with unproven youngsters like Casey Kotchman, Robb Quinlan, and Dallas McPherson. They have combined for 2 HRs and 11 RBIs so far.
Return of the Big Red Machine
Over in the Senior Circuit, Cincinnati has gotten off to a Red-hot start.
Cincinnati is hanging tight with St. Louis in the NL Central and would be the National League wild card representative if the season ended today.
The Reds have belted the second most home runs in the National League behind only the Brewers. Adam Dunn leads the team with 16 big flys, trailing only Albert Pujols, who is in a league of his own. Dunn and fellow 26-year-old outfielder Austin Kearns are both slugging over .500 and with the return of Ken Griffey Jr. to the lineup, Cincinnati's offense should continue to put up impressive numbers all season.
While the Reds' offense was expected to be good, not much was expected of the pitching. A March trade with the Red Sox changed all that, though. Cincinnati acquired
Bronson Arroyo in the deal for outfielder Wily Mo Pena with the hopes that he would turn out to be the team's ace. Arroyo has not disappointed as he has an NL-leading 2.40 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. He even blasted a home run in each of his first two starts. The rest of the Reds' staff has been average at best, however, and ultimately will be their downfall.
The Loveable Losers
In a position all too familiar to their long-suffering fans, the Chicago Cubs are struggling again. Like the Angels in the American League, the Cubs can point to their pitiful offensive output as the reason for their problems. Chicago is last in all of baseball with a .364 slugging percentage and their .301 on-base percentage ranks last in the NL.
Injuries have decimated the Cubs. Star pitchers
Kerry Wood and
Mark Prior have been out all season with shoulder injuries. Wood just returned but was tagged for 3 home runs in 5 innings in a loss against the light-hitting Washington
Nationals in his first start of the season last week. Prior has just started throwing off the mound in his rehab assignment and the club hopes he can return to the majors in early June.
The other devastating injury to Chicago was to first baseman Derek Lee. Lee, who was a triple-crown contender last season, was off to another brilliant start batting .318 with 3 homers and 10 RBIs through 14 games. Lee is still in a cast after breaking his wrist and most likely won't be back until after the All-Star break. Even if the Cubs get all of their stars back from injury, don't bet on them making a run in the NL Central. They'll be too far back with not enough time left.
Fantasy Tip of the Week
By Chris Goudey
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
We are about 1/3 of the way through the
2006 MLB season, and whether you are doing well or are struggling, this is a crucial time. You know what categories you need to improve on and one of the best ways to improve your standing is to pick up guys who have started off slowly but are due to break out. Here is a list of players to target who have had a bad spring but should soon get as hot as the weather:
Batters:
Marcus Giles, 2B, Atlanta –He is historically a .300 hitter who is currently hitting .235. He’s a perfect buy-low candidate.
Manny Ramirez, OF,
Boston – Usually good for 40 HRs and 130 RBIs, he is currently in single-digits in HRs and very low in RBIs. He is the ONE player who is due to go crazy in the month of June.
Juan Pierre, OF, and
Aramis Ramirez, 3B,
Chicago Cubs – Both players have seen their value decrease with the injury to Derrek Lee. Pierre isn’t scoring or hitting as well as normal, and Ramirez’s numbers are all down. When Lee returns, watch these numbers start to rise.
Ken Griffey Jr., OF,
Cincinnati – IF he can stay healthy, a power surge is coming. Todd Helton, 1B, Colorado – Now over his mysterious stomach ailment, he should be sending many homers into the Mile-High air shortly.
Reggie Sanders, OF, Kansas City – Should be good for at least 15 homers and 15 steals in the upcoming months.
Garret Anderson, OF,
LA Angels – The Angels’ offense has been horrible so far, so look for Anderson to have more RBI opportunities as they begin to heat up.
Jeff Kent, 2B,
LA Dodgers – Kent is always good for 25 HRs and 100 RBIs, so take advantage now and reap the rewards later.
Cliff Floyd, OF,
NY Mets – Floyd has really struggled so far, barely batting over .200. That won’t continue. Alex Rodriguez, 3B, NY Yankees – Along with Manny Ramirez, he is the highest-profile player on this list. Look for A-Rod to really explode soon. He is too good a player not to.
Jimmy Rollins, SS, and Bobby Abreu, OF,
Philadelphia – It’s amazing the Phillies have done as well as they have with two of their biggest players slumping. Abreu is about to bust out, so snag him quickly. Rollins is the best SS in the NL, but you wouldn’t know it judging from his numbers so far. He will hit over .300 and get you at least 20 steals the rest of the way, so grab him now!
Jason Bay, OF, Pittsburgh – He’s already started to break out, but if you can find an owner who isn’t paying attention, go get those 20-25 HRs and 75-80 RBIs that are coming. Richie Sexson, 1B, and Adrian Beltre, 3B, Seattle – These two were supposed to be the Mariners’ power duo of the future, but it just hasn’t happened….yet. Look for both of these guys to get it together soon and help Ichiro out.
Jim Edmonds, OF,
St. Louis – With only 5 HRs so far, Edmonds is a very good candidate to bust out. He’s normally good for 35, so look for him to get at least 25 more for the year…IF he can stay healthy, which is always his biggest issue.
Carl Crawford, OF,
Julio Lugo, SS, and
Aubrey Huff, 3B, Tampa Bay – All 3 of these guys have had slow starts due to injury (Lugo/Huff) or just a sub-par performance (Crawford). All 3 should start to pick it up together.
Mark Teixeira, 1B-DH,
Texas – With only 4 HRs so far, Big Tex is my bet to hit the most homers in the AL from here on out. He is simply too good a player not to have a huge hot streak and in the 100-degree Texas heat, the ball simply flies out of the stadium.
Jose Guillen, OF, Washington – This is a talented player if he can keep his head on straight. He was projected to have 30 HRs and 100 RBIs, so pick him up now and hope he stays on the straight and narrow. The numbers will come if he can.
Obviously not all of these players will break out and start to hit immediately, but they have done much better historically than this year. Next week, I’ll take a look at some pitchers to acquire that fall under the same classification.
LA Angels Of Anaheim (17-26) At Los Angeles Dodgers (23-20)
Losers of four in a row, the struggling Los Angeles
Angels of Anaheim will attempt to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the intrastate rival
Dodgers when the rivals collide this afternoon at Chavez Ravine.
Ervin Santana will take the hill for the Angels today, and he is 4-1 this season with a 4.50 earned run average. Santana is coming off a strong performance against Toronto on Tuesday, in which he allowed only two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings of work to win his second straight start.
Santana does carry a 6.35 road ERA in today's tilt.
He has only faced the Dodgers once in his career and surrendered only one run in 6 2/3 innings en route to a victory last June.
Derek Lowe is only 1-3 this season, but his 3.45 ERA suggests that he has been better than his record suggests. Lowe has lost his last two starts, including Tuesday's game at Colorado in which he surrendered five earned runs on nine hits in six innings.
In eight career games against the Angels, Lowe is 4-4 with a 3.18 ERA.
On Saturday, Willy Aybar slammed a three-run home run and scored twice as the Dodgers rallied to beat the Angels, 8-4, Saturday in the middle game of the Freeway Series.
J.D. Drew hit a go-ahead pinch-hit solo home run in the seventh inning for the Dodgers, who won for the fifth time in their last six games. Rafael Furcal had three hits and an RBI while
Nomar Garciaparra doubled and scored a run.
Starter Brett Tomko recovered from a rough first inning and finished with four runs allowed on 10 hits through six innings.
Joe Beimel (1-0) struck out the side in the seventh for his first win of the season.
Dallas McPherson hit a two-run home run in place of third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo, whom the Angels released before the game. Alfonzo struggled for the Angels, batting just .100 (5-for-50) with one RBI in 18 games.
Erick Aybar, Willy's brother, recorded his first-career hit for the Angels, who lost for the sixth time in their last seven games.
Kevin Gregg looked strong through five innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth. He finished with four runs allowed on seven hits, while striking out seven and walking one.
Scot Shields (1-3) gave up Drew's homer in the seventh to take the loss.
The Angels took five of six meetings between the two area rivals last year, including two of three in Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers own a 77-71 all-time mark in interleague play, while the Angels are 83-77 against the
National League.
“Ain’t no sucker like Jim Duquette”
By Jonathan Wachs
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
A baseball trade is basically a
wager by two general managers that the player each acquires will be better than the one he gives up. It may or may not work out well. That’s
gambling.Now that
Scott Kazmir is off to a great start at 5-2 with a 2.94 ERA and
Victor Zambrano has just undergone season-ending surgery, it might be a good time to review how Jim Duquette, the Mets GM at the time, broke every single rule of gambling.
NEVER BET MORE THAN YOU CAN AFFORD
When the
Mets traded Scott Kazmir, their farm system was almost completely bare. The only true blue-chip pitching prospects at the time were Phil Humber, who has since undergone Tommy John surgery, and Alay Soler, a Cuban defector who just made it to the U.S. this season and is currently pitching at AA. This year the Mets are throwing out such retreads as
Jose Lima and
Jeremi Gonzalez as they wait for
Mike Pelfrey and the next wave of prospects to be ready. Do you think they would rather have sent out Jose Lima – or Scott Kazmir, to try and sweep their arch-rival
Braves last week?
NEVER BET WHILE INTOXICATED
Right around the time of the trade in 2004, the Mets had just swept their cross-town rivals, the New York
Yankees, in an exciting three-game series. The Mets, who had been dead in this town since 2000, finally had some juice. They were close to first place and back on the back page. Of course, they still had a .500 record and not much talent. But Duquette, drunk on the city’s enthusiasm, wanted to “win now” no matter what the future cost.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
You wouldn’t bet on a
Falcons game without checking if Michael Vick was hurt, would you? Yet Mr. Duquette failed to adequately check into Victor Zambrano’s injury before the trade. Zambrano admitted he has been hurt the entire time he has been a member of the New York Mets. The week the trade was made, Zambrano skipped a start because of arm stiffness. Shouldn’t some alarms have gone off? Duquette blamed Tampa doctors for downplaying the injury, but you don’t need to be able to read medical charts to know something might be amiss.
LOOK FOR VALUE
Barbaro, who was such a good bet on Derby Day, might not be such a great bet for the Preakness. You won’t get enough in return. A lefty who throws 97 MPH has more value than a barely over .500 pitcher with control problems. Had Mr. Duquette waited until the off-season, he might have received Tim Hudson or
Mark Mulder in return.
KNOW WHEN TO WALK AWAY
This is the one Mr. Duquette clearly missed. Tampa officials were said to be laughing to themselves when they realized what they were getting. Mr. Duquette should clearly have just walked away. Next time you’re in
Baltimore and you’re looking for someone to round out your poker game, look up Mr. Jim Duquette because there ain’t no sucker like the one who doesn’t know the rules.
