By Jeff Flinn - AngelsWin.com Contributor
Thumbs Up
*Downs and Walden did their usual thing on Saturday afternoon, shutting out the A's over 2.1 innings.
*Callaspo went 6-14 with 3 BBs. Aybar was 5-15 with a HR and 2 rbis, and 2 BBs. Abreu had a pair of RBI's. Branyan actually had 3 walks in 5 plate appearances. Wilson drove in the only run on Sunday, and was 2-4. Goodbye Mathis? Yeah right.
Vernon Wells (#14 and 10th since returning from the DL) and Trumbo (#18) also had HR's in game two of the doubleheader for all 3 runs. The team stole 4 bases in 5 attempts in the 4 games.
The Halos threw out two runners at the plate and a runner at 3B.
Over the past 15 games, Halos' pitchers have allowed just THREE HRs.
The traditional DH on Saturday was fun to attend, the first one for MLB in 8 years.
Thumbs Down
*This was a very disappointing series, to say the least. Where to start?!
*Haren set the tone for the series in allowing the A's to build a 4-0 lead, giving up a crucial HR to Willingham, and allowed 10 hits to go with the 4 runs. Santana seemed to have a bit of a meltdown in the middle innings in game 2 of the DH, making a bad throw to Trumbo and giving up a lot of baserunners. It took a double play to bail him out of big trouble. Joel Pineiro was putrid, as his curveball was flat and he couldn't control the sinker. 1/3 of an inning later, EIGHT runs, 4 hits, FOUR WALKS, one grand slam. The staff walked NINE batters on Sunday. This isn't the A's teams of old, as this team doesn't walk like their clubs did in the early/mid 2000s.
* The Angels desperately need a second reliable righty to join Walden, as Thompson just can't pitch in tight spots yet. Takahashi could easily take the 3rd pitcher spot in the pen, but needs a righty to share that spot with.
*RISP hitting was just 5-31, returning to the woes of the first 2 months. Even Aybar, the most reliable by far guy in those spots so far, hit into a bases loaded double play on Friday night.
* Torii Hunter drew a collar for the ENTIRE series (0-15 with 5 Ks), and saw the BA sink from .250 to .239. Questions still abound about maybe his not adjusting to the muscle gain in the off-season, and having his bat being slower as a result. The Ks count does tend to support that.
*Kendrick is now slumping, going 1-12 and is now 4-26 in the past 2 series. Trumbo, despite the HR and 2 BBs, did go just 2-14 with 6 Ks. Abreu is just 5-33 in the past 3 series. Trout was just 2-15 (although having an rbi) with 6 Ks; not easy for a 19 year-old to hit up here.
*The Halos had THREE throwing errors in the series (Conger, Santana, and Trumbo).
*You do NOT allow a weak hitting A's team to have 20 runs and 40 hits in 4 games. YOU JUST DON'T! Way to kill the momentum guys! Just, way to go! It's like they had some sleep walk in them throughout the series? Oakland sure wanted it a lot more!
