Angels Get Smacked Around by Astros in Series Opener

As I was sitting here listening to Terry Smith and Mark Langston call the game, I thought about starting this in the eighth. The Angels were down 4-2, but a Grant Green RBI single in the seventh after they had caused a wee bit of a ruckus, had filled me up with a little bit of optimism. Consider myself suckered.

The game was scoreless through four as Angels starter Jerome Williams once again was making us forget about how he averaged a run per inning over a three start stretch merely a month ago. Then he couldn’t get out of the fifth inning, allowing two runs while on the mound, and being charged with a third run when J.C. Gutierrez took over with two outs in the inning. Williams’ final line for the night was 4.1 innings, three runs, five strikeouts and four walks to go along with five hits. Four walks. Four walks allowed to the most swing happy team in the Majors. Nice touch, Jerome.

The Angels got one back on an RBI groundout by Hank Conger in the bottom of the fifth, and another one in the seventh on the aforementioned Grant Green RBI single. And with the outs dwindling away, the game was at least close enough that the Angels could have mounted a comeback. But then, Joe Blanton happened. And Chris Carter.

In case you haven’t noticed, in 14 games against the Astros, the Angels are currently 7-7. The Astros are a near mortal lock to finish the season with the worst record in baseball, yet the Angels just can’t seem to beat them. And a big part of that is because of Chris Carter. Not only did Carter get an RBI in the seventh on a basehit, he also decided to once again lay down the boom on Angels pitching when he hit a three-run home run in the ninth inning making it 7-2 Astros.

That home run gave Carter 16 RBI’s against the Angels this season. In 14 games. Chris Carter owns the Angels. And to add insult to injury, Matt Dominguez followed that up by hitting his 15th home run of the season to give the Astros an 8-2 lead.

And then there was this tweet:

DFA Joe Blanton tonight, Jerry. Do it the moment he gets back to the locker room. It will be less painful that way.

There will be more baseball tomorrow when the Angels send Garrett Richards to the mound to face Dallas Keuchel at 6:05 PM PST. Light up the…yeah, you know, fail-o.