Why the Angels lost
by Travis G on Oct 26, 2009 3:34 PM EDT
in Analysis
19 comments
Before we focus entirely on the World Series, I want to take a quick look back at the ALCS, and why the Yankees were able to defeat their longtime nemesis.
The Yankees' pitching was phenomenal. The Angels, who led baseball in batting average (and were second in runs scored), were held to a .236/.300/.352 batting line. Their series OPS (.651) was almost .150 lower than their season OPS (.792); their .300 OBP largely negated their base-stealing ability. They failed to hit for almost any power, putting only three balls over the wall (the Yankees hit eight). In addition to the Yankees' great pitching, I believe the cold of New York hurt the Angels' hitters: in three games in Anaheim, they scored 13 runs; in three games in New York, they scored six runs. The Yankees, on the other hand, were able to score 13 runs in New York and 20 in Anaheim.
For as bad as the Yankees have looked (at times) laying down bunts this year, they were perfect last night: Melky did it twice, and Swisher once. And they were big, leading to two insurance runs in the top of the ninth.
The Angels were hyped for their excellent fundamentals, yet committed two crucial errors and another baserunning blunder last night. Overall, Anaheim made eight errors in the series compared to just three for the Yanks (all in one game).
But who gets your vote for most responsible for the Yankees' win? The offense, the pitching, or the Angels' poor play? My vote goes to the Yanks pitching.
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its good to be back in the World Series
thanks to CC and Arod two players who everyone had doubts about when playing in the playoff. GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Yes we lost and yes we are upset. But like all Champs we will bounce back."
Osi umenyiora
by donnybaseball23 on Oct 26, 2009 3:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
For one reason or another...
these were not the Angels we’re all accustomed to seeing. They did not play well fundamentally throughout the whole series.
But the bottom line for me is that the Yanks pitching staff neutralized the top of their lineup for the most part, and that’s what won the series.
by NumberSeven on Oct 26, 2009 4:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
The Angels lost
we didn’t win. Of course there were a few bounces that went our way & 8 errors in a series isn’t very good.
by BriGuy27 on Oct 26, 2009 4:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
absolutely bs
So game 4,the Yankees didn’t put up 10.They outscored them 20-13 in LA. Aceves, Hughes,Joba all were sub-par.The first two gave the Angels games 3 & 5.So I’d seriously reconsider your stance.Opinions are your own,but if u can’t give the Yankees credit for pulling one hell of a series out,ignorance must be bliss.
TheAddisfaction
by Addisfaction on Oct 26, 2009 5:51 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
great
CC AND A-ROD AND JEETS FANTASTIC
BIG YANKEE FAN,FROM MASS. HAVE TO PUT UP WIYH ALL THESE HOLE SOX FANS
by JEETS on Oct 26, 2009 5:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yankees back baby
TheAddisfaction
by Addisfaction on Oct 26, 2009 5:30 PM EDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs
Not over until the 24th out?
What I gained from watching the Angels – Yankees matchup early this year in Anaheim is that the Angels are a team of momentum. Countless times they were would put up 5-6 runs in an inning with 2 outs. I think the reason the Yankees were able to win is eliminating the big inning. I would say the biggest inning the Angels had was the 7th inning of Game 5. Solid pitching and Angels mistakes definitely were the two main factors in this series win. Was I the only one celebrating after Morales grounded out to Cano to end the 8th for the Angels. I knew after this out, the Yanks were going back to where they belong. The World Series!
by Dennis Day on Oct 26, 2009 5:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
As an Angel fan
you hit it on the head.
1) We were streaky through the year, and couldn’t get that hamster wheel going on offense. CC was better than advertised, and Mo was Mo – hey, we got a post season run off him. Shouldn’t we get a trophy for that?
2) When you make 8 errors over 6 games, and play tight enough to create a diamond in your a**, you won’t beat the Nationals, let alone the Yanks.
3) No Scot Shields. That messed up our pitching order, and we needed our middle relief to be strong. Why? Brian Fuentes is why. Luckily for us – Fuentes is signed for next year!!! Potential Angel 2010 slogan: Blown Saves live here.
Both teams didn’t play particularly well this series – the biggest difference: your worst players merely performed below their norms while ours combined weak hitting with fielding as solid as the Mets’ front office.
by Lee Stevens' Potential on Oct 27, 2009 4:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
of course the Yankees won.even with the errors,game 6 was over 3-2.Angels(except Vlad)stopped hitting.
TheAddisfaction
by Addisfaction on Oct 26, 2009 5:34 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Angels got in their own way
I would put it Pitching >>>> Angels >>>>>>>> Hitting.
We did get FIVE QS from our starters, not bad for a six-game stretch. Starters were instrumental in all 4 wins.
The Angels definitely contributed to their losses in Games 1, 2, and 6, so they played a role in it.
We did NOT hit well in this series, especially with RISP.
by PortlandYankee on Oct 26, 2009 5:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
you are extremely critical
Are you sure you don’t cheer for another team. I mean your all but picking the phillies to win, and now are taking any credit away from the Yankees for a solid performance in a tough series against the second best team in baseball. I’m getting really tired of the whole we never hit with runners in scoring position gripe. Its about as tired as the girardi can’t handle the bullpen complaints. They had good pitchers and a good god damn team over there and we beat them. Did you ever stop to think we forced them to make mistakes because of the constant pressure we put on them to play perfect ball or else. And when you have got professional pitchers coming at you, its their job to get you out but we got big hits when we needed them and won this series. No one gave us anything.
by swanny4eva on Oct 26, 2009 7:56 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
First of all
go back and read my post. I think the Phillies are a better offensive team, especially the way they’ve played in the post-season, though it’s close (Phils OPS 848; Yanks 835). I also said the Yanks will win in 7, mainly because of homefield advantage, Sabbathia, and the Hammer of God. If Sabbathia had pitched tonight, I would have said Phillies in 7.
I didn’t know that my being a Yankee fan meant blindly accepting every aspect of this Yankee team, which has real problems that the Phillies can expose.
Second, the Angels made 8 errors in the ALCS, the most since Boston’s 10 in 1999. (oddly enough, they made 7 in 2005, 3rd highest in that period). We did not catch the Angels at their best defensively, and if they were even average they might have taken the series, to say nothing of their costly baserunning mistakes.
Third, the Yankees were 12 for 64 with RISP (sub-.200!). With a .279 average in the ALCS, that tells me 1) small sample size and 2) we’re playing extremely tight. That won’t get it done against Philly (.231 BA in the NLCS, but 12-30 w. RISP!).
These are two very evenly matched teams. Right now, the Phillies have a slightly better offense and the Yankees slightly better pitching (though our ERA and WHIP were identical in the LCS).
by PortlandYankee on Oct 26, 2009 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
follow blindly....
No one is following blindly, but your redicilous. If I wanted to hear someone talk out of their ass about how good the phillies are I’d listen to their fans. Look at the dodgers pitchers. Kershaw, pedilla, Randy wolf! These are not good pitchers! Of course their bats came alive. They can’t hit leftys, and we have two of the best in the game dude. I live in Philly, I watch these guys all year. They are not as good as the last series made them look. So keep on saying how their a better offensive team, you will be proven wrong.
by swanny4eva on Oct 27, 2009 9:12 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Hey Travis I didn't see an option in the poll for Umpires
/HalosHeaven’d
Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.
by CasanovaWong on Oct 26, 2009 6:05 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yankees pitching was #1
the hitting would have never been able to pull it out if the pitching didn’t keep em in it. Kinda obvious…I know, but its not like all the games were 9-8 games…..
The Angels did beat themselves a lot. A LOT!.
Whoever thinks the umpries cost the Angels is an idiot and a joke. Yea, they were horrible, but I don’t really think they cost any team a game to either side.
I know HH’ers were still PO’d/bitching about the A-Rod walk…but it was inside, even if A-Rod thought it was a strike (he’s seeing a beach ball right now…everything’s a strike to him…in a good way)
..."I predict...the Giants are #1"...
...."That's not a prediction meatman, that's a FACT OF LIFE"!.
---Carl
by FreeBradshaw on Oct 26, 2009 9:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Angels
Everybody always talked about how the Angels are so sound in every aspect of baseball. So why did they implode in this series? Well, let me tell you why..yes the Angels may have a lot of “Angels in the outfield” in Anaheim but at Yankee Stadium we have “THE GHOSTS” and it was very apparent that they made their way over to the New Stadium and hung out. In game 6, ask Kazmir or Hendriks if they would normally drop balls or throw balls intended for Shaq over to 1st!!
by Mondoas on Oct 27, 2009 3:19 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
They stopped playing solid, fundamental baseball!
It’s really that simple in the end. That and A-Rod killed them with game tying homers and other big plays. I mean, if in an elimination game you screw up two basic sacrifice outs at first like they did, what else would you expect. Also, the top of their lineup (Figgins, Abreu) all but disappeared and that is what made the offense tick with Hunter and Guerrero hitting behind them.
Of course, the nut jobs over at Halo heaven see it differently. They like to blame the umps being in the tank ( they sucked all around), Rivera’s “spitball” that he’s always thrown one(WTF and nobody noticed until now?) and MLB bias towards the Yankees (yeah, like that’s gonna happen) in general. They even claim Buck and McCarver LOVE the Yankees! I almost spit cola out my nose when I read that! I was amazed in my one posting day there (I got banned for literally nothing other than discussing any of this with the inmates) just how freaking paranoid and insecure their fan base really is. I mean, I guess they are the SECOND largest attraction in Anaheim behind Disneyland, let alone Los Angeles proper and the almighty Dodgers and they wear that shit on their sleeve man. I lived in SoCal for 7 years back in the 1980s and it was a great place to live then, but I don’t remember the fans being that way back in the day.
by Sixstring59 on Oct 28, 2009 10:22 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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