disarcina

fighting the pitches off....

just a base knock --

2-2 count........better

base hit - tie game........well its 0-2 count now.

agree with prior post -- Gray's pitch count is pathetic (for us). it means Gray completes the game and we're not getting to the A's pen. how many times have we all seen a game where the starter dominates, exits the game at the 105 or whatever pitch count and the pen takes over and suddenly the team that's been shut down all night comes to life....... that's probably not happening tonight..........Gray gets a complete game win -- or -- if a guy gets on in the 9th, the A's closer takes over.

ah - I mis -read the schedule -- it is a three game series....my bad. drinks with dinner will do that to you. still -- Oakland needs this game.........Sonny Gray on the mound. if we could split a THREE game series -- that would be a pretty major accomplishment!

'this game should mean as much to the Angels" well, I guess you can say that - but fact is, Halos have won 4 straight. have a two game lead over the A's heading into the final week of August. we've got a head to head four game series in OAKLAND. Oakland has just come off a poor week.....got swept etc. OAKLAND NEEDS THIS GAME --- more than the Halos. Oakland can afford to go down 0-1 in this series at Oakland. And Sonny Gray is pitching..........they gotta win it..........if not, it's a huge loss for them.

If we're losing to Sonny Gray in Game One -- well, that's expected. hey, folks --remember we're in first.........a split of this four game series in Oakland, is a sort of a win for us. if we lose game one to Sonny Gray -- well no need to despair - that's expected.......we need to win two of these games......if we actually take the series (long shot a that) -- that's a major win for us. I'd take a split in Oakland ----- that would make it an 8-3 road trip - NOT BAD AT ALL. the biggest loss on this trip? Garrett Richards.

this game means more to the A's than the Angels........the A's really need to win game one of this series. there was mention earlier on this thread about Donaldson being much better than Freese. Agreed. It's the 7th inning now, can McDonald take over at third, please.........I know we're down two runs, but I want someone to scoop up the baseballs hit down toward third,

ah, why all the fuss? I really like Bourjos and liked this trade for the Halos as well. fact is/was Bourjos wasn't going to play in Anaheim. I thought Bourjos would play in St. Louis and become a fan favorite. It hasn't happened and at this point in the season, Bourjos is pretty much an after thought in St. Louis, he's playing very little and the fans have sort of turned on him...........as a Bourjos fan (and a Cardinals fan) I am really not happy about this turn of events.........but it is what it is. Meanwhile Salas has done well for us this year - we got the pen depth from him that we needed and Freese, a player who I think is less than advertised, nonetheless has filled the gap at third. I think his defense is weak, he seems to be a slow and very poor base runner and hasn't hit that well until the past month or so.........I simply am not that impressed with his athletic ability and he's not a guy I would want on my team...........but he's played third for pretty much most of the season and his performance has been an upgrade for us at that position (which says a lot about what we've had at that position ever since Glaus left). I think the trade was good for us and good for the Cards. I really like Borujos as a ballplayer and hope he can make some major contributions down the stretch for St. Louis. Stretch time, expanded rosters should be good for Bourjos -- if I'm Matheny, Bourgos is in CF after the 7th inning in almost every game and that's after he's been inserted as a Pinch Runner for someone..........

Bourjos has become almost an after-thought in St. Louis -- and now John Jay, the CF Bourjos was going to push for playing time, has really come on and is swinging a great bat right now. Bourjos playing time is down to late inning OF defensive replacement and Pinch Runner........ also, something that really surprises me - the St. Louis fans have not taken to Bourjos and some how he got off to a bad start with the St. Louis fans. I thought Bourjos style of play would make him a fan favorite in St. Louis and it certainly has NOT turned out that way -- quite the opposite. that's hard to take with good guy Bourjos who plays all out, is quick, great D and runs really fast.......I thought St. Louis was a good fit for him. Oh well.

I wouldn't extend him.....he is still under club control and YES, he is a tradeable commodity....... He's doing well now, but with guys on a streak like this, you sign them, extend them and all of a sudden they revert to the .usual .245 hitter they actually are.

well Freese has come on of late -- but GEEZ, some of his ABs through July looked pretty weak...... his D is suspect and GEEZ is he a poor (and slow) base runner. If a LHP were on the mound, I might PH Beckham for Freese -- especially with a runner on first as Freese is Mr. GIDP. Beckham, at one point in his career, had some semblance of speed on the base paths.......

wow -- one would think a Halos sweep in Fenway which has haunted us over the years (right up to that sweet playoff series win vs. Boston few years back).....would be a cause for real celebration with Angels fans over the top --- instead its all very much tempered by the Garrett Richards injury and now the 6-9 months out news of today.

I watched the replay several times as has others and there's no awkward fall -- he just suddenly goes down which suggests as Sir Aaron posts states, the tear caused the fall.

what are we looing at BEST SCENARIO?? Return July 1 next year?

Grilli is sort of this year's Frieri -- ironic !! But remember two years ago when we got Frieri for next to nothing, he was ineffective in San Diego and came over here and become the closer. Now Frieri is all used up, best years behind him, and we deal him for Grilli (who is more of reclamation project than Frieri because Frieri in SD was a 'never was' while Grilli has had success as a closer in the past).....but still.......Grilli performing well for us now.

what's Beckham's contract situation? If it's a salary dump by ChiSox as some have posted here -- then he's probably signed through 2015 at least. otherwise, he may just be some infield depth as a rental with some added punch vs. LHP. Beckham was pretty good prospect, up and comer at one point but as others here have stated, never really lived up to all the hype about his potential. Still had some decent years. I don't recall him being considered much more than just average on D but can play all the infield positions. I would think the guys most 'at risk' for losing playing time (or roster spot via trade or otherwise) would be McDonald, Green and perhaps Freese. Beckham can play 3B and can run (or at one time was able to run) fairly well......I could see him spelling Freese at 3B against LHP, as a PH and then in September games it could go something like this -- Freese for 6 innings when Beckham PH for him in the 6th/7th and then McDonald comes on to finish up as late inning D guy at 3B...... Beckham can play some SS (not great) and 2B was his primary position. I like the pick up -- the player to be named later is probably a AA prospect.......

I've seen the re-play a few times -- geez, he just sort of crumbles as he approaches the bag at first........ did he twist his ankle wrong, it's almost as he stepped in a gopher hole or something -- he's moving to the bag and then just crumbles hitting the ground awkwardly which couldn't have helped things. OUCH. Geez......terrible.

we are really going to need the roster expansion coming Sept. 1 and stock the team with some more pen depth arms. I see some LaRussa type pitching starts coming up -- Wolf for three innings, Rasmus for two, Morin for two, Smith one, Street/ Jepsen one (depends on whether its a save situation or not).

Expect the news that Randy Wolf have been recalled from SLC -- he will get two to three starts to show what he can do with each start potentially being his last and each start possibly earning his next start........ this move would give the Halos a week to make a deal......but I don't see a deal coming unless we give up some low level prospects to take on a terrible contract from someone.

gotta feel for the guy -- it's tough -- he's at the stretch break of what has been a break out season for him - he's been the team's top pitcher performance and numbers wise -- his team is in first place with the best record in baseball........one minute he's on top of the baseball world, the next he's on a stretcher in a visitor's training room being told his season is over and he MIGHT make it back for the start of the 2015 season if everything goes well........otherwise - could miss first months of next season as well...... tough thing to hear.......

I think it will be Randy Wolf - for two or three starts with each start either being his last or earning his next one.

I think we'll be calling Randy Wolf up...........he may get two or three starts..........depends how they go.

Rats -- break out season - team in first place -- best record in baseball....... Cy Young Award type numbers...... feel bad for the guy -- looks like his next pitch might be at Tempe Diablo..