sweep!

Just checking in...

These coming weeks are looking to be very hectic for me as my magnetism project will be consuming me. Just a few thoughts:

- I was very proud that the Angels took heed of what I said in my last post. Even though they lost that game, they ended up threatening in the 8th inning and not giving up.

- I actually really liked Kaz's and Sosh's postgame comments. Firstly, Kaz noted that going 5IP isn't acceptable. And secondly, he stated "I know I have what it takes to be a quality starter in this league." It really goes back to the fact that Kaz is going to do whatever he can to get back to where he can be. He and Butcher are going to work on his mechanics to try to get him back to where he needs to be. Truthfully, I don't know how much good it will do and how quickly it can produce results. But I was relieved that Sosh decided to keep him in the rotation (shows some faith) and that the Angels are "still trying to unlock Kaz and get him to be the pitcher we know he can be." At least the Angels are still as hopeful as I am that Kaz is better than he's shown.

- There were two great articles in the LA Times. One was on the role of pitching coaches. Another was T.J. Simer's article on Wednesday. I enjoyed the Angels coverage with the acerbic wit, though you know, I think he's developed some respect for Fuentes!

- That loss last Wednesday was disappointing. Partially because it was because Weave was on the mound and he's risen so high that my expectations have risen accordingly. But it was also the defensive miscues that were so difficult to stomach.

- Friday's masterful performance from Saundo was perhaps the opposite of Wednesday's loss. It seemed to come out of left field! But anyway, that is MUCH closer to the Saunders that Angels fans are used to seeing. I have a sneaky suspicion that the wide strike zone and ineptitude of A's hitters had a lot to do with Saunder's success. Nevertheless, it has to do wonders for Saunder's confidence. I loved to see the smile he had when he hugged Naps and then Weave.

- Saturday's game was good to see. After the initial fear that the Angels bats were going to get no-hit (why is it that Angels hitters can't hit rookie pitchers??), they got some breaks and really broke out. I loved that they didn't show any mercy, but were always working for more runs and never seemed satisfied. During the past losing streak, there were times where the offense simply believed that what they did was enough and they went into hibernation.

- Missed most of Sunday's win, but it was good to see some momentum being built. In fact, a pretty great day: Angels sweep the A's, Tampa Bay beats Seattle, Toronto sweeps Texas, Detroit wins against the Red Sox (and scores 5ER against Lackey), and the Twins come back against the Yankees. Great day!

- One of the best things about two complete games and a blowout in this sweep was the complete irrelevance of the bullpen. If the rotation can limit the bullpen appearances half as good as it did this weekend, there would be much less of a glaring hole.

- The Angels seemed a lot more like themselves during the sweep. The M's seemed to be the right tonic last weekend, but the Halos regressed against the Rays. Will the A's prove to be a more potent cure-all?

- I'm curious to see how the Angels respond to Texas. Surprisingly their first meeting, but I think the outcome of those two games can go a long way to setting the tone for the rivalry.

- After the Rangers, the Angels embark on a stretch of games where the opponents are noticably weaker than the early schedule has provided. I'm definitely looking forward to it.