The Los Angeles Angels pitching struggled on Monday night as three different pitchers allowed runs to cross the plate.  The New York Mets were able to push across six runs in the game and defeat the Angels 9-6 to take the first game in the series.

Jered Weaver pitched 6 1/3 innings but gave up eight hits and six runs.  Two home runs were hit off of Weaver but they were both solo home runs by Carlos Beltran.  Things could have been a lot worse for Weaver had there been some runners on base when Beltran was batting.  Weaver is now 6-7 on the season after taking the loss.

Jose Arredondo gave up two hits and two runs while only recording two outs.  Arredondo came into the game after Weaver exited and he did a terrible job.  Darren Oliver then came in to the game and threw 1 1/3 innings while allowing one more run to cross the plate.  Justin Speier finally got the final two outs to finsih up the poor night of pitching.

Garrett Anderson led the Angels with two rbi as he went 2-4 in the game.  A sac fly in the first inning and then a rbi single in the seventh inning accounted for both of Anderson’s rbi’s.  Chone Figgins, Torii Hunter, Howie Kendrick, and Jeff Mathis all had one rbi in the game as well.

Good output by the offense, the pitching just didn’t keep them in the game.  The Angels will try to get back on track Tuesday as they take on the Mets once again.

Angels Blog

Finally some west coast coverage! ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball takes place tonight in Angel Stadium, where the Halos will try to avoid getting swept by the Atlanta Braves. The game starts at 5:05 P.M. Pacific time, and the pitching matchup is Jorge Campillo going up against Joe Saunders, looking to win his 10th game. DO NOT miss it!

After giving up 13 runs to the Rays in the opener at Angel Stadium, the Angels came back and held the Rays down with their usual good pitching. Their most recent win was a 4-2 victory over Tampa Bay to take the series before the team gets set to begin interleague play by hosting the Atlanta Braves on Friday. Scott Kazmir has been lights out of late, so John Lackey had to be at the top of his game. Was he ever! After giving up a run on a couple of hits in the first, Lackey settled down to pitch 7 1/3 innings, giving up 2 runs total. Kazmir looked sharp early on, no-hitting the Angels through the first     4 2/3 innings. Gary Matthews Jr. then tied the game at 1 with a line drive homer to left field, his 7th of the season.

After Tampa Bay took the lead in the 7th inning, the Angels came right back at Kazmir, with a 2-run single by Macier Izturis. Vlad Guererro padded the lead against J.P. Howell in the 8th, golfing his 10th home run of the year. Francisco Rodriguez earned save no. 27 in this one.

John Lackey: 7.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO

Vladimir Guererro: Has 3 home runs in his last 4 games

Scott Kazmir: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 10 SO

Joe Saunders had really, his first rocky outing of the year against the Rays. Saunders is now a still impressive 9-3 after giving up 9 hits and 8 earned runs in 4.2 innings. The Rays scored first when Evan Longoria, Willy Aybar, and Dioner Navarro hit 3 consecutive homers to left field in the second. This is the first time the Rays franchise has gone back to back to back. The Angels had caught up by the fourth, when Torii Hunter hit a 2 run homer to give the Angels a 4-3 lead. This was Hunter’s 200th home run of his career–his 8th as a member of the Angels. Saunders couldn’t hold the short-lived lead, however, coughing up 5 more runs in the 5th inning. Another disappointing outing by the Halo’s bullpen led to 5 more Rays crossing home plate. The Angels never scored anymore runs. The final was 13-4 Tampa Bay.

Joe Saunders: 4.2 IP, 9 H,8 ER, 4 SO, 2 BB

Torii Hunter: 200th career home run

Vladimir Guererro: 4-4, 3 singles, double

Evan Longoria: 3-4, 2 HR’s

Dioner Navarro: 4-5, HR, 4 RBI

Edwin Jackson: 7 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 2 SO, 1 BB

Rays: 38-26            Angels: 39-26

The Angels knew they had a tough task ahead of them when A’s ace Rich Harden took the mound on Sunday. Harden was dominant in the first, striking out the side on 9 pitches; The first time this has happened since July of last year, when Buddy Carlyle did it against the Padres. After Oakland put up a run in the first against Ervin Santana, Harden and Santana matched each other pitch for pitch until the fourth inning, when Vladimir Guerrero faced Harden.

Vladdy belted a 2 run homer to left field, putting the Angels in front. The Angels would plate another run on an RBI single by Gary Matthews Jr. The A’s would come back with a run the bottom half of that inning, making it 3-2 Angels. After Ervin Santana left with a lead in the 7th, Darren Oliver would allow the tying run to score. The Angels and A’s bullpen then dueled until the bottom half of the 12th, when the A’s loaded the bases with 2 outs against Chris Bootcheck.

Mark Ellis had 1 career walk-off home run before, and that was earlier in the season. This time, Ellis clubbed a grand slam off the left field foul pole to keep the Angels from winning their 8th straight game, and send A’s fans home happy. This was a huge boost for the A’s, who came into Sunday’s game 5.5 games back.

Final Score: 7-3 Athletics

Ervin Santana: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

Rich Harden: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K

Justin Speier: 3 hitless innings

The Angels have been unbelievable this week, as they won their seventh straight game Saturday night against Oakland,  5-3. Pitching again shined, as it was Jon Garland’s turn to shut down the Angels over seven innings, giving up 2 runs and striking out 8. The strikeouts were his highest total in a game since joining the Angels.

“I was throwing a disappearing ball, I guess,” said Garland with a smile.

There is a lot to smile about for the Angels, and while the offense hasn’t been slugging the ball of late, they are scoring just enough runs to win. Macier Izturis went deep again, his second home run to lead off a ballgame in as many nights. Izturis drove in two and scored 3 runs. Ever since taking over for the injured Erick Aybar, Izturis has come through and put up some big numbers. The Angels will definitely have a decision to make when Aybar comes off the DL. 

Notes: Francisco Rodriguez closed out the ballgame for save number #26.

This is a little late, but here are the Angels 2008 First-year player draft results.

The Angels have a major league best 20-11 record on the road this season, and after sweeping the Mariners in Seattle the Angels wasted no time coming in and beating the A’s on Friday, 3-1. Right away Macier Izturis jumped on a Joe Blanton pitch for a leadoff home run, his 2nd. Blanton settled down and pitched well enough to win, pitching 7 strong innings but John Lackey dominated the A’s and kept them from getting close.

Lackey only gave up a solo home run to slugger Jack Cust, and struck out 5 batters in 7 innings. It was Lackey’s 2nd win of the year; he is now an astonishing 13-3 against the A’s in his career. Francisco Rodriguez got his major league best 25th save.

Overall, just another Halo victory. They will go for the series win and their 7th straight win tonight.

Ervin Santana got back on track against the Mariners on Monday night, shutting down Seattle through 7.2 innings. Santana give up 6 hits, 2 runs, and struck 3 batters. Jose Arredondo and Francisco Rodriguez finished out the ballgame. The Angels won the game 4-2.

Jeff Mathis was another hero for the Angels last night, hitting a 2-run homer against lefty Jarrod Washburn in the 3rd inning. Apparently Mathis enjoys hitting at Safeco field; this is his 3rd home run in Seattle this year. Casey Kotchman is another name to look out for; he collected 3 more hits yesterday. The Angels 1st baseman has raised his batting average to .324 and is hitting .368 in his last 10 games.

The Angels go for the series win tonight in Seattle, as lefty Joe Saunders tries to win his 9th game.

In another close game at Angel Stadium, the Angels stole one from the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday to win 4-3 and take the 3 game series. Macier Izturis dunked the game-winning single into right field against B.J. Ryan after Ryan had plunked Howie Kendrick with the bases loaded. It looked like it was over when yesterday’s hero Juan Rivera struck out with 1 out and the bases loaded, but on the very nice pitch, Ryan hit Kendrick in the elbow with a fastball, to tie the game 3-3. This set up Macier Izturis’s heroics.

A.J. Burnett outdueled Jon Garland, going 8 innings, giving up only a two-run homer to Sean Rodriguez. The score was 3-2 Blue Jays at the end of 8 innings, almost guarenteeing A.J. Burnett his 6th win of the year, because B.J. Ryan had been so dominant this year. Unfortunately for Burnett and the Jays, B.J. Ryan coughed up his first blown save of 2008. Righty reliever Jose Arredondo earned the win, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings.