Who is at fault for tonight's epic FAIL?

[Jay]

#blownsave

 

[Blarg]

8 hours ago, FabulousFabregas said:

The Fat Man for pulling Shoemaker.  I was sitting near the dugout and I booed his ass the second he walked out to pull him.

Scioscia pulled him in the 8th with 95 pitches and two outs still to go. He wasn't going to see the 9th, regardless.

This game was lost by the offense not executing and Smith being Smith. Another relief pitcher that is a flake.

[Angels#1Fan]

8 hours ago, arch stanton said:

He gave him 3 times through the order. He wasn't pitching the 9th no matter who was managing.

This.
 

[Stradling]

8 hours ago, OregonLAA said:

Scioscia has a tough time pushing the right buttons when it comes to the bullpen. Smith is not the closer. He's filling in and he's been one of our worst arms out of the pen this year. I mean how many games does Smith have to blow and look terrible in for Mike to figure it out? Like, what's the actual number? 20? 30? 

And while Salas and Bedrosian have looked good this season for 40 games, they are the two pieces in the pen that most here hate.  So if we go with the hot hand and they pitch like they've pitched in the past then is it really all that surprising?

[Torridd]

I saw those pitches to Escobar and Trout. No way were those strikes. I didn't see Smith's pitches to Trumbo though. Sad, but these games happen.

[HALOS23]

95 pitches...71 for strikes...pitching like a boss... Let him keep going. He's killing it... 

 

Great game, Shoe. Please come out like that next game. We need you. 

[Angels#1Fan]

Sometimes you have to win those 1-0 games and that requires your closer to finish the game off and Smith wasn't able to do it.

The offense just wasn't able to get the big hit last night that would have put Balt away and the biggest fail in that department was Albert stranding 7 runners. He came to the plate time after time with an opportunity to put the game out of reach.

As has already been posted Shoemaker wasn't going to pitch the ninth because he was at 95 pitches with one out in the eighth. He pitched a great game but he's struggled a lot the last couple of years and there wasn't any need to push him given that.
 

[Stradling]

If the offense did their job Shoe would have been given the rest of the 8th and if he possibly got a double play to end the 8th he could have been given the 9th.  

We've all seen Sosh and other managers let a pitcher who has a great game but with recent struggles pitch late into a game but remove that pitcher if the go ahead run comes to the plate.  It's basically saying, "you've pitched too well and I won't let you get a loss if you happen to throw one bad pitch".  

[Troll Daddy]

Lol at Scioscia being responsible. Shoey pitched a great game, no doubt. Salas did his job in the eighth. The ninth inning belonged to the closer. That's the way I see it.

I'm shock d no one blamed the contact play. lol 

Houston were are you?

 

[fan_since79]

The contact play is a given. It's so routine to lose that run we tend to forget about it.

[Stradling]

How exactly would we have scored more last night if Escobar stayed at 3rd and they threw the runner out at first?

[TroutCron]

How many yimes will this team win a 1-0 game? There are too many things that can go wrong. Smith has been shaky all season, but injuries play a huge part there. It is just a shame to waste such a great outing from Shoemaker. 

[fan_since79]

2 minutes ago, Stradling said:

How exactly would we have scored more last night if Escobar stayed at 3rd and they threw the runner out at first?

I don't know, but we would have had runners on 2nd and 3rd, rather than one at 3rd and the sluggish Pujols at first.

[FabulousFabregas]

They could not solve Shoemaker, he had complete game shutout type stuff all night.  My friend was even joking that he must have been on Adderall he was in such a zone.

[stormngt]

2 hours ago, fan_since79 said:

The contact play is a given. It's so routine to lose that run we tend to forget about it.

We wouldn't have scored had he not run.  The third out was the next batter.

[OregonLAA]

Contact play wasn't the issue. Pujols God awful approach with runners in scoring position is

[HeavenlyHalos]

15 hours ago, Stradling said:

Exactly.  If Shoe does was Salas did then Smith still pitches the 9th in a 1-0 game.  Every manager in a 1-0 game goes to their closer unless a legitimate ace is pitching.  But sure blame Scioscia, it's easier.  

Smith is the defacto close, chosen by (gasp) Scioscia. He has also been one of our worst relievers this season. Shoemaker struck out 12 of the 22 outs he recorded, including the only two batters he faced in the 8th. He was at 95 pitches, allowed only 3 hits and no walks. Starters and relievers have to be treated differently in the sense that a reliver has to be based on his stats recently and through the season, whereas a starter can clearly show to "have it" or not in any given start. Shoemaker "had it" this start more than any other Angel has since perhaps the Weaver no-hitter. He most certainly deserved to stay in the game, and if he gets out of the 8th without allowing another baserunner, he most certainly deserved to go back out in the 9th too. Just because, "every manager" does it, a claim that is hard to prove or refute, does not make it the correct decision. 

[mancini79]

So who is at fault for the Angels win today?

[laagamer]

8 hours ago, Stradling said:

And while Salas and Bedrosian have looked good this season for 40 games, they are the two pieces in the pen that most here hate.  So if we go with the hot hand and they pitch like they've pitched in the past then is it really all that surprising?

No, because we're not that good a team. 

[Guest]

I blame Joseph Smith.