Missed Opportunities Catch Up With Angels in Loss to Twins

My apologies for not having a post game write up written up after yesterday’s write-in against the Athletics. But, when Bartolo Colon does a number on your team, again, with PED rumors swirling around him, it’s a tough task to write something without having it devolve into an endless string of fat jokes. I consider myself above that. So I left the now short-bus size Colon alone.

Back to work tonight, and unfortunately, it comes on the heels of another Angels loss. This time, in a game that they could have gotten themselves out in front of numerous times. The Angels had 13 at bats tonight with runners in scoring position. they mustered all of two hits in those 13 at bats. two of those at bats came in the ninth inning after J.B. Shuck and Mike Trout singled with one out.

Five players stranded runners in scoring position. Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar, Alberto Callaspo, Mike Trout and Chris Iannetta. Although, in Iannetta’s case, he did get robbed of a three-run home run by Clete Thomas that would have put the Angels up by two runs. But that wouldn’t have been as heartbreaking had Hank Conger‘s leadoff triple the inning before not been wasted by two strikeouts and a groundout. This offense can be so good at times. And other times, it’s as if they are finding new and inventive ways to lose baseball games.

And with the offense sputtering the last two games, the pitching has needed to step up. And tonight, it was the bullpen that stepped up to take care of business.

Joe Blanton finished 3.2 innings, throwing 90 pitches and giving up four runs in the process. One of those runs coming on a solo home run by Clete Thomas. Extending Blanton’s stranglehold on the league lead in home runs allowed. But the following 5.1 innings saw an Angels bullpen shut down the visiting Twins and, at the very least, keeping the game close should the offense decide to mount a comeback.

But that comeback never came. And after those two basehits with one out in the ninth, and Albert Pujols backwards “K,” and swinging strikeout for Howie Kendrick, closed the book on a game that was more than winnable for this bunch of underachievers.

After taking two in a row from the Athletics, the Angels have now dropped two straight, and look to get back on the Winners Wagon tomorrow. Tommy Hanson gets his first start back after a DL stint due to forearm tightness, and looks to actually explode his elbow in the process. Opposing him is the Twinkies rookie right hander, Kyle Gibson. Game time is at 7:05 PM PST. Light up the fail-o, light Joe Blanton on fire.