Friday, August 05, 2005
A Cold? In July? August?
How do you catch a cold in July? Anyone? It's 100 degrees outside and I was blowing my nose 562874-every 5 minutes. Now, it's August, and it still feels like someone is sitting on my head. I've had plenty of colds during the playoff chase in the NFL, but very few (I can't remember any) during the stretch drive of a summer pennant race. So that's the reason you haven't heard from me in a bit--what's the Angels offense's excuse? The Halos were next to last in the AL in runs and average for July and last in OBP, SLG, and OPS. Somehow, they managed to go 13-14 with all those horrid numbers, thanks in large part to a 3.98 ERA (3rd in AL). But even better were the Elephant Men (3.66), who have thundered the Angels lead all the way down to 1 game.
Bats Are Sluggish
Currently, the Angels have 2 players who are slugging over .450 that have more than 150 ABs. That's 3 less than Oakland and 5 less than the Texas. Wanna take a guess at which two? Sure, one's easy--Vlad (.556). Number two? No, it's not Garret Anderson. Nope, not expensive free agent signees Steve Finley or Orlando Cabrera. Not rookie slugger Dallas McPherson or newcomer Juan Rivera. That's right--it's backstop Bengie Molina (.458). He's also only the 3rd Halo to hit double digit HRs in '05. Bengie continues to hit the ball well while making a lot of contact (92%). The hitting has to come from somewhere and Bengie just had a .303/4/17 July while playing in 25 games. You can expect that production to continue as long as his health and stamina holds. Only 20% owned. Take a look.
No Lack of Respect Now
I'm very glad to see that John Lackey is almost a universally owned pitcher now in mixed leagues (98%). His ERA has been below 3.50 in every month but April (5.61). We all know a bad start can taint a pitcher's ERA for the remainder of the season, but now Lackey's ERA is beginning to reflect how well he's doing on the mound. In July, he threw 39 Ks and only 6 BBs. He did walk 3 in his first start in August, but since the All-Star Break, his numbers look like this: 3-0, 1.33 ERA, .214 OBA. Someone certainly needed to fill the void left by Kelvim Escobar and he's done it well. Lackey is going to be a very good pitcher for years to come and it looks like he may have finally reached the potential that many had him pegged for since his great run in the 2002 championship season.
Mending Wings: An Ace and Two Jacks
Even with the AL West lead down to a single game, the Halos still have to think about the postseason and playing their cards right now in order to set up a good hand if they get there. The Ace, Kelvim Escobar, is still on target to return in early September, allowing him to throw some meaningful innings in the stretch drive to hopefully prepare for a postseason series. Jarrod Washburn, who--let's face it, is a Jack (you know those crafty Jacks)--will miss his Saturday start and rest a little longer with that forearm tightness. His inexplicable 3.28 ERA will have to sit for now, but he should be back to fooling hitters (and fantasy owners) next week. Finally, Dallas McPherson began his minor league rehab in Rancho Cucamonga 1-3 with a double. He'll be back when his stroke is back.
All Arms
Since there's little reason to rejoice outside of Vlad on the offensive side, there's nothing wrong with continuing our focus on the arms that are carrying this division lead. Bartolo Colon is actually the only starter with double digit wins, but deservedly so, with 13. His K/BB is over 3, and opponents are getting on base at under .300 against him (.294). He did have a bad July, but his first start in August a 7-inning, 0 ER rebound. Paul Byrd continues to pick, pick, pick his way to a formidable year. Yes, his K/9 is only 4.67, but his BB/9 is a mere 1.23, which obviously doesn't give the opposing team any breaks. It's hard to recommend a guy who strikes out so few for several reasons, but Byrd has a lot more good starts than poor ones. A good matchup makes him a good pickup.
Juan Gone
So much for the emergence of Juan Rivera as an offensive jolt. After a stellar June (.341), he cooled off by over 150 points to hit a meager .180 in July. He did manage to drive in 10, but the increased PT did nothing to make him worthy of full-time PT. He's been in RF lately with Vlad just taking the DH slot, but it's hard to see Scioscia going to Rivera too much longer because he's clearly not getting it done. Of course, Jeff DaVanon is doing little to make you think he could produce at a regular clip (.216 in July), but the man can walk--even with that low, low average he still almost managed a .400 OBP (.396). The Angel DHs have managed only 5 HR (3 of those Vlad) this year. Put that together with a .242 AVG and a .638 OPS and the reality is that the pitcher might as well hit.
Rays and A's
Three games that oughta to be easier to win followed up with a matchup against the hottest team in baseball on the road. The upcoming week should be an interesting one for the Halos and maybe the year's first series against the Devil Rays will be just what the offense needs. Because TB has given up more runs that any team in baseball, you'll probably want to activate all Angels hitters and possibly even pick up a free agent (Bengie Molina comes to mind). The A's series will be great baseball to watch and with the Angels likely facing both Harden and Zito, it makes it all the more exciting. It doesn't look like a good matchup on paper, especially considering the A's are 35-18 at home and hit .281 (.248 on road). Big, big test. For the Angels, Matt Allen--ESPN.
Bats Are Sluggish
Currently, the Angels have 2 players who are slugging over .450 that have more than 150 ABs. That's 3 less than Oakland and 5 less than the Texas. Wanna take a guess at which two? Sure, one's easy--Vlad (.556). Number two? No, it's not Garret Anderson. Nope, not expensive free agent signees Steve Finley or Orlando Cabrera. Not rookie slugger Dallas McPherson or newcomer Juan Rivera. That's right--it's backstop Bengie Molina (.458). He's also only the 3rd Halo to hit double digit HRs in '05. Bengie continues to hit the ball well while making a lot of contact (92%). The hitting has to come from somewhere and Bengie just had a .303/4/17 July while playing in 25 games. You can expect that production to continue as long as his health and stamina holds. Only 20% owned. Take a look.
No Lack of Respect Now
I'm very glad to see that John Lackey is almost a universally owned pitcher now in mixed leagues (98%). His ERA has been below 3.50 in every month but April (5.61). We all know a bad start can taint a pitcher's ERA for the remainder of the season, but now Lackey's ERA is beginning to reflect how well he's doing on the mound. In July, he threw 39 Ks and only 6 BBs. He did walk 3 in his first start in August, but since the All-Star Break, his numbers look like this: 3-0, 1.33 ERA, .214 OBA. Someone certainly needed to fill the void left by Kelvim Escobar and he's done it well. Lackey is going to be a very good pitcher for years to come and it looks like he may have finally reached the potential that many had him pegged for since his great run in the 2002 championship season.
Mending Wings: An Ace and Two Jacks
Even with the AL West lead down to a single game, the Halos still have to think about the postseason and playing their cards right now in order to set up a good hand if they get there. The Ace, Kelvim Escobar, is still on target to return in early September, allowing him to throw some meaningful innings in the stretch drive to hopefully prepare for a postseason series. Jarrod Washburn, who--let's face it, is a Jack (you know those crafty Jacks)--will miss his Saturday start and rest a little longer with that forearm tightness. His inexplicable 3.28 ERA will have to sit for now, but he should be back to fooling hitters (and fantasy owners) next week. Finally, Dallas McPherson began his minor league rehab in Rancho Cucamonga 1-3 with a double. He'll be back when his stroke is back.
All Arms
Since there's little reason to rejoice outside of Vlad on the offensive side, there's nothing wrong with continuing our focus on the arms that are carrying this division lead. Bartolo Colon is actually the only starter with double digit wins, but deservedly so, with 13. His K/BB is over 3, and opponents are getting on base at under .300 against him (.294). He did have a bad July, but his first start in August a 7-inning, 0 ER rebound. Paul Byrd continues to pick, pick, pick his way to a formidable year. Yes, his K/9 is only 4.67, but his BB/9 is a mere 1.23, which obviously doesn't give the opposing team any breaks. It's hard to recommend a guy who strikes out so few for several reasons, but Byrd has a lot more good starts than poor ones. A good matchup makes him a good pickup.
Juan Gone
So much for the emergence of Juan Rivera as an offensive jolt. After a stellar June (.341), he cooled off by over 150 points to hit a meager .180 in July. He did manage to drive in 10, but the increased PT did nothing to make him worthy of full-time PT. He's been in RF lately with Vlad just taking the DH slot, but it's hard to see Scioscia going to Rivera too much longer because he's clearly not getting it done. Of course, Jeff DaVanon is doing little to make you think he could produce at a regular clip (.216 in July), but the man can walk--even with that low, low average he still almost managed a .400 OBP (.396). The Angel DHs have managed only 5 HR (3 of those Vlad) this year. Put that together with a .242 AVG and a .638 OPS and the reality is that the pitcher might as well hit.
Rays and A's
Three games that oughta to be easier to win followed up with a matchup against the hottest team in baseball on the road. The upcoming week should be an interesting one for the Halos and maybe the year's first series against the Devil Rays will be just what the offense needs. Because TB has given up more runs that any team in baseball, you'll probably want to activate all Angels hitters and possibly even pick up a free agent (Bengie Molina comes to mind). The A's series will be great baseball to watch and with the Angels likely facing both Harden and Zito, it makes it all the more exciting. It doesn't look like a good matchup on paper, especially considering the A's are 35-18 at home and hit .281 (.248 on road). Big, big test. For the Angels, Matt Allen--ESPN.
