By Jeff Flinn - AngelsWin.com Contributor
Raves:
Haren looked good, especially with runners on base. That's the Haren we expected when acquiring him from Arizona.
Kendrick had one of his few clutch rbis over the past couple of months.
Callaspo and Aybar did a solid job of hitting against Hernandez tonight.
Rants:
The defense had some moments, but also some downers, like Math-is' passed ball and Bourjos' overrunning the base hit that allowed the tie-breaking run to score. Bourjos gets a pass because of what he brings defensively, and it was probably just a case of over anxiousness on his part.
Abreu looks like a 40 year-old over the past close to 50 at bats, aside from the home run on Monday night. Given that he never has had a slump this big, is this the beginning of the end of his career?
Why, why, why Mike do you continue to use the contact play with a for the most part slower team??? What are you trying to prove here? It has RARELY ever worked this season!!!
Mathis continues to reach new lows at the plate and behind the plate. He's now UNDER a buck sixty since June 18, and had yet another PB tonight.
Hunter must be trying to set a MLB record for most GIDPs in one half season??????? He and Kendrick have a combined total of a whopping 31 rbis since July 1. Just sensational! For the first time, my faith in Hunter is fading!
As for the team in general, I sometimes think my grandmother could hit better with RISP, and she's 93!!!!!!
Oh Jepsen, you throw mid/upper 90s, you have a solid slider, and you have an emerging cutter. Yet, you keep on nibbling the freaking plate!!!!!! You blew away the first batter, then you had TWO strikes on Branyan AND you nibble it into a freaking walk followed shortly by yet another walk????? Trust your stuff!!!!!
This bullpen is in serious need of adding someone in the off-season who pounds the freaking strike zone! Everyone in this pen treats control like a four letter word!!!!!!
This bullpen and this offense are BEYOND ugly!!!!