18-21, Super Fast Game Notes

Can't stay up late (jury duty) (email me for details of the case!), so tonight we play a lightning round version of Focus On The Positives.

• 29 of Brandon Morrow's 42 pitches found the strike zone, and tonight he threw all four of his pitches. Not that they all worked, but it's progress. The home run, meanwhile, was one part bad location and four parts pure Morales strength, as that pitch looked like it jammed him. His two innings weren't all bad.


• Wladimir Balentien only swung at one pitch out of the strike zone, and that was right on the border. He also made a nifty play against the wall, leading to an outfield assist. Early indications are that he may just have something to contribute to this team after all.


• Russell Branyan is now 12-40 (.300) against lefties this year, with six doubles and two homers. That level of success is unsustainable, as one need only look at his 13/1 K/BB against southpaws to see how much trouble they can give him, but his mammoth power is able to elevate him above the level of pure platoon player. He may not hit lefties very often, but when he does, he hits them damn hard.


• Yuni really only fucked up one, maybe two plays in the field.


• Against a lineup full of righties and switch-hitters, Jarrod Washburn actually managed four strikeouts and two walks, with one of those walks coming against the Angels' lone lefty. That fifth was just the inning from hell, and there are several reasons why, if we were to repeat that inning over again, we wouldn't expect the Angels to score five runs. This was a big challenge for Jarrod, and he pitched better than his line.


• In all likelihood Torii Hunter will eventually not play for the Angels.