By Glen McKee, AngelsWin Staff Masochist -
I’m sure everybody reading this has had this experience: waking up and knowing that first thing in the morning you have a task so onerous, so odoriferous, that it makes you dread getting out of bed. That’s what this article is. As I lay in bed thinking about what to write, this task because Herculean.
Ah well, the best way is to just get it done, rip it off like a bandage. Ladies and gentlemen, the search for more adjectives begins.
The bad. Where do I start and where do I finish with the bad? Grab a Snickers.
- The injuries. Garret Richards gone for TJ surgery. Andrew Heaney went on the 60-day DL in an attempt to avoid TJ surgery. Andrelton Simmons left the game on Sunday with what was called a wrist injury, and has been placed on the DL with what is now described as a torn ligament in his thumb that will require surgery. Translation: We'll see Simba next year.
- The offense. After a good week the week before, the offense went in the tank. Finished the week scoring 3.5 runs per game, a stat that was inflated by the series against the woeful Brewers. Against the slightly-less woeful Rays, the Angels scored 5 runs in three games, leading to a sweep.
- The record for the week. 1-5. That’s one game better than the worst they could have done.
- The standings. Thank your deity of choice that Houston has been terrible this year and that Oakland is choking as bad as we are.
- Huston Street. He was placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to April 24, which makes him eligible to come off of it…um, today. Haven’t heard a word about him in over a week.
- Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
The good. I’m digging deep in the barrel here, folks. Work with me.
- The standings. We’re still not in last place! In fact, we’re a half-game away from third place!
- It’s still early. Although it’s getting late to still be early.
- We still haven’t traded Mike Trout. Suck it, ESPN. Seriously, eff you and your fantasies of Trout playing on the Red Sox or some other team. It’s your fetch; it’s not gonna happen. As Angel Oracle, would say, just stop it!
- Today. We have a day off. That’s one day this week we won’t lose.
- Mike Trout. He hit .417 last week. That’s probably the combined average of our bottom three hitters when Soto isn’t starting.
- Yunel Escobar. Batting .360 the last seven days. Best pickup of the offseason and the leadoff hitter we’ve needed for a while. For the record, the only hitting stat that Freese leads Escobar in is OBP, and it’s .366 to .365. Check the stats again later in the season and we’ll see how they both look.
The rest. CJ Wilson should be back by mid-June and will be pitching for a contract. The Angels are kicking the tires on Tim Lincecum. It could be another long week.
What’s next. Day off today, three versus the Cardinals at home, and three in Seattle against the first-place (Dipoto is laughing) Mariners.
My predictions versus last week. Last week I predicted 5-1 total; 3-0 versus the Brewers and 2-1 versus the Rays. What was I smoking? Reality: 1-2 versus the Brewers and 0-3 versus the Rays. Cumulative totals: 14-11 predicted versus 11-14 total.
My predictions for this week. 1-2 versus the Cardinals, 1-2 versus the Mariners, 2-4 total. Another long week.
