After a feisty three-game set in which they deserved more than the one victory they got, the Jays have a chance to inflict more harm on an AL West contender, as they hit the Big A for a three-game set. For their part, the Halos need to make hay against our heroes, as their two playoff targets -- the Red Sox and A's -- are playing a key zero-sum series in northern California.
This edition of the Scout features a recovering slugger, a veteran's untimely swan song, an outfielder who is no doubt hearing a bunch of "point and click" jokes, and a raw callup who can really rake. The Jays get another shot at Kelvim Escobar tomorrow night, which is reason enough to follow this series.
On to the Advance Scout!
* The Halos are 15-5 over their last 20, but that includes a damaging 0-for-Boston series last week ... They rebounded nicely, sweeping the Tribe out of Jacobs Field this weekend ... The Angels score with base hits (.288 team average, best in the big leagues) and speed (120 steals, best in the big leagues) ... They've collectively hit .299 since the All-Star Break ... They need to scratch out runs, since their home run and double totals are both well into the bottom half of the league ... Surprisingly, their pitching staff leads the AL in strikeouts (977) ...
* Tonight's starter, Bartolo Colon, has finally started to cut down his home runs allowed. His season total is now up to 34 ... Even though he plays home games in a pitchers' park, he's still surrendered 23 blasts at home ... In general, he's been much more effective since the All-Star Break. After heading into the break with a sorry 6-8, 6.38 record, he's been 7-3, 3.92 since then ... He did, however, get knocked out in the fifth inning on Thursday night by the Red Sox, who tagged him for 10 hits and drew four walks ...
* Good ol' Vladimir Guerrero has hit in eleven of his last twelve (.388) ... That said, he has gone eleven games without a homer and ten games without a walk ... His bat is absolutely lethal against lefthanded pitchers, against whom he hits .357/.436/.721 ... Although his hitting has been decent since the All-Star Break, his post-break OPS is over 130 points lower than his outstanding pre-break line ...
* Darin Erstad is also hot at the plate, with hits in 13 of his last 14 (.361) ... He's done about as well against righties as the Angels could have hoped for (.337/.384/.457) ... Strange: He has four more walks and 23 fewer strikeouts at home, where he hits .335/.398/.453 ... Since the All-Star Break, he's hit a more-than-respectable .340/.389/.473 ... He picks his spots smartly on the basepaths, where he's 15-for-15 in steal attempts ...
* David Eckstein is just 2 for his last 15 (.133) ... This was looking like a bounce-back season for the diminuitive shortstop, but he had a poor August (.234/.300/.290), despite drawing more walks than in any other month ... He's much peskier at home, where he hits .305 with a .368 on-base percentage ... His Jay-killing .315/.369/.488 line is his best against any club against whom he's had 100 at-bats or more ...
* Tomorrow's starter, old friend Kelvim Escobar, has struck out six or more batters on fourteen occasions this season ... 12 of his 18 home runs allowed have come at home ... He was very sharp in August, posting a 3-1, 2.76 line ... He hasn't been consistently dominant with the Halos, but he also hasn't fallen victim to the truly horrible outings that would plague his Jays career at times ... He was probably lucky to get ten runs of support on Friday. He was lucky to only give up four runs on eight hits and four walks, with only two Ks. Escobar: "I didn't have my best stuff" ...
* One of the surprises of baseball this season, Chone Figgins has played six positions, and hustled at each one ... He's unfortunately fallen well out of the running for the all-time triples record, after tripling just once in his last 49 games. He's stuck on 14 ... His production, especially in the doubles and triples categories, has fallen off since the All-Star break (.268/.324/.342) ... He's been caught in three of his last four steal attempts ...
* Troy Glaus was eagerly welcomed back to the power-starved Angels lineup a little over a week ago. He's homered twice and hit two doubles in his seven games since coming off the DL ... Prior to undergoing shoulder surgery, he was hitting a robust .296/.387/.694 and on pace for about 60 dingers ... He's hit just .241 all-time against the Jays ... Sad but true: Despite missing over three months due to injury, he'd still be just one homer shy of third place on the Jays ... Scioscia was delighted to get the slugging third baseman back in the lineup: "He'll give us a lift" ... The Angels got a scare when Glaus tumbled over first base after crashing into Josh Phelps on Friday night. His repaired shoulder was hurting, but thankfully only briefly ... Glaus will only DH the rest of the season; he hasn't even begun the throwing portion of his rehabilitation. The 28-year-old has, however, vowed to play third next season, which might mean that he and the Angels part ways. Anaheim wants to call up Dallas McPherson, and if they re-sign Glaus, it will be as a first baseman ...
* Despite being relegated to part-time duty, Jeff DaVanon continues to produce ... He hit for the cycle on August 25, completing it with a home run to right-centre ... A nominal switch-hitter, he's only 3 for 18 (.167/.250/.167) as a righthanded hitter. Against righties, he's an excellent .310/.397/.469 ...
* Versatile swingman Scot Shields has not risen to the occasion this season ... Against teams currently out of playoff contention, 22 of his 30 outings have been scoreless. Against contenders, only 11 of his 22 appearances has he held the opposition without a run ... In general, he's been much tougher at home, where his ERA is nearly two full runs lower (2.54) than on the road. At Angels Stadium, he's fanned 57 batters in just 49 2/3 innings ...
* Meanwhile, ordinarily automatic Brendan Donnelly has surrendered runs in three of his last five outings ... His strikeout rate (40 in 29 1/3 IP) borders on the insane ... At 2.77, his ERA is more than a run lower at home ... His combined line in four career appearances against the Jays: 5 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K ...
* Jose Guillen has been plagued by -- of all things -- carpal tunnel syndrome. Apparently it's been affecting him for some time ... He sat out on Saturday and Sunday, although Mike Scioscia expects him back this series ... With his wrist in pain, he's gone just 4 for his last 25 (.160) with nine strikeouts ... Guillen: "I've had a lot of numbness in my hand...My hand feels heavy. I don't know what it is, but it's not normal" ... He's a gamer, though: He hit .455 in the ALDS with Oakland last season, despite a fractured bone in his left wrist ... Unlike some of his teammates, he really enjoys hitting at home (.321/.383/.529) ... The Jays have not been able to shut him down over six games this season (.318/.444/.545) ...
* Seems like he's been around forever, but veteran closer Troy Percival is only 35 ... He's converted his last eight save opportunities, but that span includes a loss in which he entered with the score tied ... His strikeout rate, once fearsome, is now down to just 6.2 per nine innings ... He's rattled off seven consecutive scoreless outings ... His velocity, which used to regularly hit 98 mph, has settled in around 93-95 mph. But the career two-pitch man (fastball, change) has added a curve this season ...
* Reliable Garret Anderson enters play tonight on a seven-game hitting streak (.414), with seven RBI over that span ... While he won't be confused with Barry Bonds, Anderson's patience at the plate has improved this season. His .361 on-base percentage is the highest of his career ... Unfortunately, he won't continue his eight-year streak of playing in at least 150 games ... He's neutralized by lefties, but he's awfully tough against righties (.339/.390/.514) ... 20 of his 29 extra-base hits have come away from spacious Angels Stadium, where he hits a modest .284/.324/.373 ...
* Thursday's starter, Jarrod Washburn, made a triumphant return from the disabled list (rib cage injury) with a solid start on Saturday in Cleveland ... He pitched two-hit ball over five innings, allowing only one run while fanning six ... Washburn: "Honestly, I didn't expect to be that sharp" ... He's put up a sorry 6.70 ERA at home on the year, though, so let's see how he does in his next start ... His all-time line against the Jays: 1-4, 4.06 ...
* Still only 22, Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez has his mojo back this year ... His last six outings have been scoreless ... Righties hit a feeble .131 off him ... In July, opponents hit .226 off him in what was by far his worst month ... You simply have to marvel at 109 strikeouts in 72 2/3 IP (13.5 per nine) ... K-Rod has already tied the franchise record for strikeouts by a reliever, set by DeWayne Buice in 1987 ...
* Second sacker Adam Kennedy's hot streak died down this past weekend, as he went 1-for-11 in Cleveland ... He still has plenty of trouble with lefties, hitting just .242/.333/.323 ... He's been simply terrible at home this year, with a paltry .218/.293/.301 line. 22 of his 30 extra-base hits have come on the road ... August was easily his best month, in which he put up .333/.411/.474 numbers ... He's a darkhorse Gold Glove contender with his slick glove. But it's not as slick as Orlando's ... Kennedy made two costly mistakes on Thursday night in Boston. He was doubled off second after Dave Roberts made a diving catch, and then swung through a hit-and-run attempt in the ninth, leaving Troy Glaus a dead duck in their 4-3 defeat ...
* Bengie Molina remains an unrepentant hacker at the plate. He's walked twice so far in September; one more and he'll equal his high from any month this year ... He made a sensational no-look flip to a covering Francisco Rodriguez on a ball that got away from him last night. K-Rod blocked the plate, and Ronnie Belliard (who represented the tying run) was correctly called out ... Molina eagerly bolted for the clubhouse after the eighth inning to watch the replay. He wasn't disappointed ... Scioscia: "That play was flat-out unbelievable" ... It's available on mlb.com if you click on one of the "Top Plays." When your media player opens, you can find it on the right-hand column ...
* His brother Jose has hit in five of his last six (.375), with five runs and six RBI ... He can't hit righthanded pitching, though; righties limit him to a .232/.269/.312 line ...
* Feeble-hitting Alfredo Amezaga stunned Red Sox reliever Mike Myers with a ninth-inning grand slam on Tuesday. He entered play on Tuesday hitting .141/.193/.154 with no homers ...
* The most shocking news out of Anaheim is that major surgeries to Tim Salmon's left shoulder and left knee might end his career. Darin Erstad is among those who'll miss him: "He's been that rock in right field, one of those guys you can count on every day. He was under the radar because he didn't make an All-Star Game, but he carried us in the second half for quite a few years" ... Bench coach Joe Maddon: "He's kind of like Gene Autry was, a quiet force in the background that gives you stability...He was a quiet leader who avoided the spotlight" ...
* The Angels will try a four-man rotation down the stretch, with Aaron Sele as the obvious demotee after getting tagged for seven runs on ten hits in just 3 1/3 IP last Wednesday ... Sele handled the temporary (for now) demotion maturely: "Whatever's best for the team, whatever gets us into the playoffs, I'll do" ... Scioscia noted that Escobar was occasionally used on short rest in Toronto ...
* Pitching for next year -- and beyond -- is a concern for the Angels brass. The vastly overpaid Sele and the unhappy Ramon Ortiz will both be gone, and of their top three pre-season pitching prospects, Ervin Santana and Bobby Jenks both suffered serious injuries and Chris Bootcheck had a terrible year ...
* Dallas McPherson and reliever Matt Hensley are the club's September callups ... McPherson's combined totals between AA and AAA: an amazing .317, 40 HR, 126 RBI season. But he committed 29 errors at third as well -- with limited range ...
* The Big Cat, Andres Galarraga, was called up to be a bat off the bench, but hasn't played at all since he was called up last week ... He's sitting on 398 career homers ...
Probable Batting Orders
vs. LH
6 Eckstein
3 Erstad
9 Guerrero
7 Guillen
8 Anderson
DH Glaus
5 Figgins
2 B Molina/J Molina
4 Kennedy
vs. RH
6 Eckstein
3 Erstad
9 Guerrero
8 Anderson
7 Guillen/DaVanon
DH Glaus
4 Kennedy
2 B Molina/J Molina
5 Figgins/McPherson
Pitching Probables
Tuesday: RH Colon vs. Bush
Wednesday: RH Escobar vs. Miller
Thursday: LH Washburn vs. Lilly
Bullpen Usage
Long: Dunn R, Ortiz R, Hensley R, Sele R
Short: Shields R, Gregg R
Setup: Rodriguez R, Donnelly R
Closer: Percival R
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20040907020023999