Post-Game Report: Angels vs. Mariners (9/23/08)
It looked as though the Angels were headed for win number 98 until Jered Weaver let 4 runs score in the bottom of the 6th inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 9-6 on Tuesday night. Weaver, who was cruising until the 6th inning, got a no decision, and Kevin Jepsen was slapped with the first loss of his career.
The Halos’ offense looked powerful once again, as Gary Matthews Jr. and Mike Napoli both went deep off of Mariner’s starter Ryan Feierabend. Napoli, who is now batting .250 on the year, hit his 19th home run in the 4th inning, and ended up going 3-4 on the night. Howie Kendrick also had 2 hits – both singles – on the night; this was his 2nd game since coming back from a hamstring injury.
Angels’ starter Jered Weaver looked brilliant until the 6th inning, where he gave up 4 runs on 5 hits, while only getting 2 outs, before being lifted for reliever Kevin Jepsen. Up until that point, Weaver had struck out 6 batters in 5 innings, and had given up just 2 runs.
The Angels’ bullpen was a little suspect on Tuesday night, as well. Relievers Kevin Jepsen and Justin Speier combined for 1.1 innings of shaky pitching, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits with 2 walks. Little-used Shane Loux pitched a very good 8th inning, giving up just 1 hit to go along with 1 strike out.
Here are Tuesday’s best…
Top Three Angels Performers:
1) Catcher Mike Napoli had a very good game on Tuesday night, going 3-4 with 2 singles, a 3-run home run, and a stolen base. Napoli is really settling into a groove at the plate, and looks to be in a good position heading into the postseason.
2) How often have we said this? Gary Matthews Jr. had a pretty good game on Tuesday. Matthews went 1-3 with a 2-run homer and also scored 2 runs on the night.
3) Howie Kendrick, who played just 5 innings before being lifted to rest, went 2-3 with 2 singles. Hopefully, Kendrick is beginning to get his timing back and will be ready for postseason play.
Jeff Weaver of the Game: I could’ve gone with Jered Weaver here, but instead, the award goes to Torii Hunter. Hunter had an awful night at the plate (0-5, 6 LOB) and also misplayed a ball in center that led to Mariners’ runs.
Play of the Game: With 2 on and 2 out in the bottom of the 6th, Ichiro Suzuki laid down a perfect bunt that Chone Figgins charged, bare-handed and fired to first in just enought time to get the 3rd out of the inning.
What to look for next game: Jon Garland will go for the Halos tomorrow, and he’ll be facing Mariners’ starter Felix Hernandez. Garland, who was absolutely shelled in his last outing, will be looking to make a case for a possible postseason start tomorrow, so keep an eye on his performance. Also keep an eye on Mike Napoli… Napoli has been on fire lately, so he’ll probably hit a few balls hard.
Next Game: Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. (FSN)
Related posts
I am a UCLA graduate and I can confirm that BruinsNation is not about being a Bruin or Trojan or ...