Angels can’t afford to think small
July 25th, 2007
L.A. Times, Helene Elliot:
Entering this season, the Angels told themselves they had enough pitching depth to get by without trading for a big bat.
They don’t.
They knew their home-run production would be modest, but they thought they could single and double and first-to-third their way to a secure lead atop the American League West.
They couldn’t.
With Ervin Santana having pitched himself to the minor leagues and Bartolo Colon on the disabled list, their starting staff doesn’t look so imposing anymore. And with Vladimir Guerrero trudging through a career-worst 24-game home run drought — and opponents learning how to pitch to fast-starting Reggie Willits — the Angels’ strategy of playing small ball and praying for an occasional jolt of power hasn’t been working consistently for about a month.
They had little choice but to play station-to-station ball Wednesday after Manager Mike Scioscia gave Guerrero a day off, and they won almost despite themselves: Francisco Rodriguez blew a save opportunity but got a reprieve when Maicer Izturis grounded a single through the hole between second and third to score Casey Kotchman in the bottom of the ninth and eke out a 7-6 victory over the Oakland A’s.
Izturis’ hit was the Angels 12th single, to go with three doubles. Small ball, indeed.
“This is a big game for us without Vladdy because we always rely upon Vladdy,” Izturis said through an interpreter.
If any good emerged from a hot and tedious day at Angel Stadium, it’s that Scioscia’s beloved table-setters — the one, two and three hitters — were a combined six for 14 with three runs batted in and three runs scored. Willits, restored to the leadoff spot for the first time since Thursday, dipped fractionally below .300 for the first time since April 17 but rebounded for a two-for-four performance that left him at .305.
“I haven’t been getting on base the way I’d like to be getting on base the last few weeks,” Willits said. “Hopefully I can take this and bounce back and start getting on base a little bit more.”
Scioscia had fretted about his team’s poor situational hitting lately and its inability to cash in with runners on base, but the Angels stung four Oakland pitchers for 15 hits Wednesday. Their cleanup and fifth hitters, Garret Anderson and Kotchman, were six for nine with three RBIs and two runs scored. In Kotchman’s case, it was a welcome detour away from a 12-for-73 slump.
“We really did a lot of things reminiscent of what we were doing before the last couple of weeks, and that’s exciting,” Scioscia said.
“That’s what our club needs to be. Do it without the home run and by running the bases well. Seven runs out of a game without Vladdy in the lineup, that’s encouraging.”
It would have been more encouraging if it had restored their lead to the eight-game margin they had a month ago, instead of to 3 1/2 games after slumping Seattle lost to Texas again Wednesday night.
If they are going to stay ahead of Seattle over the final 62 games, the Angels will need an infusion of energy and zest before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. They need a move that would take the burden off Guerrero and carry them through the dog days of August without them becoming the dogs.
But they’re unlikely to get that dramatic boost from General Manager Bill Stoneman, who seems to freeze at the exact moment he should be galvanized into action.
When Stoneman’s paralysis lifted last winter, he signed malcontent infielder Shea Hillenbrand — that really worked out well — and outfielder Gary Matthews Jr., whose five-year, $50-million contract looks more and more like an albatross every day.
Stoneman has reportedly talked to the Chicago White Sox about first baseman Paul Konerko, who passed up a chance to sign with the Angels as a free agent in 2005 and is in the second year of a five-year, $60-million contract that contains a limited no-trade clause. Stoneman is also said to have talked to the Texas Rangers about first baseman Mark Teixeira, who is four years younger than Konerko and is hitting about 30 points higher but might be costlier in the long run.
So far, no movement.
Scioscia said he tries not to become preoccupied with thoughts of what might occur at the deadline.
“You have to go through it assuming nothing is going to happen,” he said, “and I think our team is good enough to reach our goal if nothing happens.”
They thought they had enough pitching too, and that hasn’t proven true.
Teixeira has stirred interest from about a half-dozen teams, which would necessitate a bold move from Stoneman to wrest him away. The catch is that Stoneman doesn’t seem to do bold. He does safe.
This isn’t a time for safe. The Angels don’t need talk, they need action — and not of small-ball dimensions.
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