Friday, July 07, 2023

Series Thread (Games 88-89): July 7-8 vs. Angels

Fri Jul 7 7p: Gonsolin vs. Canning
Sat Jul 8 6p: TBD vs. Detmers

No Angels? Not the German female supergroup, of course. We're talking the Los Angeles Angels, who have lost Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, and Anthony Rendon in this week alone. The Dodgers certainly aren't weeping, having had their own pitching staff decimated by injuries all season long, capped by Daniel Hudson's injury to his other knee, after working his way back from ACL surgery last year.

Hudson had just closed out Wednesday's win against the Pirates, in his third appearance of the year, earning his first save. Now, he'll be out for at least a month, and possibly the rest of this season.

But back to the Angels! They too are struggling for the playoffs, aiming for a Wild Card spot while sitting in third place in the AL West, 6.5 games behind Texas (and 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot). The Dodgers have inched their way back to a half-game deficit to the Diamondbacks, and hold the NL's second Wild Card spot. Let's see if we can make up any more ground in these last two games before the All-Star Break.

14 comments:

Steve Sax said...

Bummed for Daniel Hudson.

And for this team.

Steve Sax said...

GAME ONE

Betts 2B
Freeman 1B
Smith C
Muncy 3B
Martinez DH
Peralta LF
Heyward RF
Outman CF
Rojas SS

Gonsolin P

Steve Sax said...

For the Angels: Ohtani batting leadoff. No Trout or Rendon.

Steve Sax said...

Well, we were up 4-0 and Gonsolin looked good…until the fourth. And now it’s 4-3 on a three-run HR, with Gonsolin missing the zone.

Steve Sax said...

Betts with his second HR of the game!

5-3 LA

Steve Sax said...

Mookie with a two-run double!

7-3 LA

Steve Sax said...

Gonsolin sure likes to give up the long ball right after we expand a lead.

Home run yielded to Moustakas, so it's now 7-4 LA in the seventh.

Steve Sax said...

On the positive side, Gonsolin is actually pitching into the seventh, which is needed given this bullpen (not to mention his short starts of late).

Steve Sax said...

Vesia comes in and Ks Ohtani on three pitches! Holy smokes that is cool.

7-4 LA at the stretch

Steve Sax said...

The rout is on!

11-4 LA, off a two-run Will Smith HR.

Angels falling apart here, with a double play throwing error, not to mention a Miguel Rojas (?!) RBI double.

11-4 through 8 full

Steve Sax said...

WIN

Steve Sax said...

Dodgers remain a half-game behind the Diamondbacks.

Steve Sax said...

GAME TWO

Dodgers up 6-0 through 2! Leadoff HR for Mookie in the first, and then a big second inning for the Dodgers!

Steve Sax said...

Detmers has now hit three Dodgers with pitches.

Stay classy, Angels!