On paper, and often on the field, the Angels have featured one of the best starting rotations in baseball, from the back to the front. Now, all of a sudden, their veteran starting superstars are falling behind hitters. The Angels have 40 games to climb into the wild-card playoff, but the next 15 are critical.
By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles
Less than a week after the non-waiver trading deadline, the Angels had all of the baseball world thinking they were about as good as it gets. And they were.
The Angels were, and remain, a club with jolting offensive capacity, very good defense and a starting rotation of front-line talent.
But there was something about the Angels that gave pause going back into July. Because the Texas Rangers are so strong atop the AL West, the Angels were going to the playoffs as a wild-card team, meaning as a road team. And July taught the Angels that they would not succeed that way. They lost three of four at Detroit, two of three at New York, then two of three at home against Tampa Bay.
To succeed in the playoffs, the Angels knew they needed another piece, so they added Zack Greinke. We think they overpaid for Greinke because a wild-card playoff position isn't worth the talent they gave up. However, we totally understand the serious motivation for bringing in Greinke. This organization is trying hard to win.
The next big indicator of road warring would be a four-game series at Texas July 30-August 2. The Angels won the first two. Good sign. And at the end of business on July 31, they were 57-47, a mere two games out of first place in the American League West. This space said right as the series started that the Angels had no chance of catching Texas. But after winning those first two games, the Angels could have left Arlington tied for first place.
What has happened to the Angels since Aug. 1 almost defies any possibility that it could have been predicted. Veteran pitchers who know how to pitch and who have been top-level producers suddenly are falling behind hitters. The manager, Mike Scioscia, says the pitchers aren't "controlling counts."
Since that high point of their season, the Angels now have lost 13 of their last 18, falling all the way to nine games behind the Rangers. Indeed, the Angels also have fallen beneath the Oakland Athletics in the division and the wild card race, where the Angels led at that high point. But they now have dropped also behind Detroit, Tampa Bay and Baltimore and they must now make up 4 1/2 games just to nudge into the second wild card.
In August, C.J. Wilson is 0-2 in four starts, allowing 24 runs (20 earned) in 21 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters are torching him for a .326 batting average and a .972 OPS. In August, Dan Haren is 0-2 in three starts, allowing 13 runs (11 earned) in 13 innings. Against 61 batters in August, Haren has allowed four homers. In August, Greinke is 1-1 in four starts, but he has allowed 20 runs (all earned) in 25 innings, allowing a .316 batting average and an .892 OPS.
Even the great Jered Weaver has kicked in a bad start, giving up nine runs in three innings on Aug. 17 against Tampa Bay. Oddly, the only reliable Angels starter in August is Ervin Santana, who is 1-0 three starts with 19.1 innings, a 3.26 ERA, and a .192 OBA.
Haren has struggled all year with a bad back. Wilson's trouble is more recent, as is Greinke's. On the whole, then, the collapse of the Angels' starting rotation is a very new development. Perhaps, also, it is to be short-lived.
But it can't live for any longer if the Angels are to remain serious contenders. They now face 12 of their next 15 on the road, including trips to Detroit and Oakland for wild-card scraps. One hates to think of the Angels pitchers, with their recent failures, taking on the green monster in Fenway Park, but that's the task, Tuesday through Thursday.
If these starting pitchers don't come around right now, the Angels are going to bury themselves in a hurry. Kind of a strange ultimatum for a pitching staff that has always been four deep in quality pitchers (if not quality results), then added a fifth.
Of all that might have side-tracked the Angels this year, is it going to end up being big-salaried starting pitchers losing track of the strike zone and throwing up home runs? Sadly, we might soon find out.
By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles
Less than a week after the non-waiver trading deadline, the Angels had all of the baseball world thinking they were about as good as it gets. And they were.
The Angels were, and remain, a club with jolting offensive capacity, very good defense and a starting rotation of front-line talent.
But there was something about the Angels that gave pause going back into July. Because the Texas Rangers are so strong atop the AL West, the Angels were going to the playoffs as a wild-card team, meaning as a road team. And July taught the Angels that they would not succeed that way. They lost three of four at Detroit, two of three at New York, then two of three at home against Tampa Bay.
To succeed in the playoffs, the Angels knew they needed another piece, so they added Zack Greinke. We think they overpaid for Greinke because a wild-card playoff position isn't worth the talent they gave up. However, we totally understand the serious motivation for bringing in Greinke. This organization is trying hard to win.
The next big indicator of road warring would be a four-game series at Texas July 30-August 2. The Angels won the first two. Good sign. And at the end of business on July 31, they were 57-47, a mere two games out of first place in the American League West. This space said right as the series started that the Angels had no chance of catching Texas. But after winning those first two games, the Angels could have left Arlington tied for first place.
What has happened to the Angels since Aug. 1 almost defies any possibility that it could have been predicted. Veteran pitchers who know how to pitch and who have been top-level producers suddenly are falling behind hitters. The manager, Mike Scioscia, says the pitchers aren't "controlling counts."
Since that high point of their season, the Angels now have lost 13 of their last 18, falling all the way to nine games behind the Rangers. Indeed, the Angels also have fallen beneath the Oakland Athletics in the division and the wild card race, where the Angels led at that high point. But they now have dropped also behind Detroit, Tampa Bay and Baltimore and they must now make up 4 1/2 games just to nudge into the second wild card.
In August, C.J. Wilson is 0-2 in four starts, allowing 24 runs (20 earned) in 21 2/3 innings. Opposing hitters are torching him for a .326 batting average and a .972 OPS. In August, Dan Haren is 0-2 in three starts, allowing 13 runs (11 earned) in 13 innings. Against 61 batters in August, Haren has allowed four homers. In August, Greinke is 1-1 in four starts, but he has allowed 20 runs (all earned) in 25 innings, allowing a .316 batting average and an .892 OPS.
Even the great Jered Weaver has kicked in a bad start, giving up nine runs in three innings on Aug. 17 against Tampa Bay. Oddly, the only reliable Angels starter in August is Ervin Santana, who is 1-0 three starts with 19.1 innings, a 3.26 ERA, and a .192 OBA.
Haren has struggled all year with a bad back. Wilson's trouble is more recent, as is Greinke's. On the whole, then, the collapse of the Angels' starting rotation is a very new development. Perhaps, also, it is to be short-lived.
But it can't live for any longer if the Angels are to remain serious contenders. They now face 12 of their next 15 on the road, including trips to Detroit and Oakland for wild-card scraps. One hates to think of the Angels pitchers, with their recent failures, taking on the green monster in Fenway Park, but that's the task, Tuesday through Thursday.
If these starting pitchers don't come around right now, the Angels are going to bury themselves in a hurry. Kind of a strange ultimatum for a pitching staff that has always been four deep in quality pitchers (if not quality results), then added a fifth.
Of all that might have side-tracked the Angels this year, is it going to end up being big-salaried starting pitchers losing track of the strike zone and throwing up home runs? Sadly, we might soon find out.
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