July 31, 2016

Getting to Know You... Getting to Know all About You...



During the broadcast last night, it was mentioned that Drew Pomeranz said he could walk around San Diego, and no one even knew who the all-star pitcher was. Then when he arrived in Boston, he was greeted to a huge billboard with his face plastered on it, heralding the new savior of the starting rotation.  Welcome to to pressure cooker, Drew. Oh, and don't worry. It doesn't take long for us to form an opinion. Wait... on second thought... you might want to start getting a bit concerned about our perception. It's been a mixed bag for sure in three starts. I still think he is a very capable mid-rotation guy as his hook reminds me a bit of Rich Hill's bender. The long ball has fouled him up, especially in his debut when he couldn't get out of the fourth inning. He's been slowly improving, and while last night wasn't a starry outing by any means, he wasn't terrible. A base hit or two early could have lessen his margin of error as run support has been absent in his last two outings. Missed opportunities were again a highlight last night for the lackluster Red Sox offense. Angels' starter Hector Santiago walked 6 men and gave up 4 hits in 5 innings while throwing 119 pitches. Incredibly, he left the game leading 3-2.

Which brings me to a guy we're getting much too familiar with - Bryce Brentz. Can someone tell me what John Farrell sees in this guy? Really, he doesn't have many other options right now, but I hope Dombrowski has been watching. Speaking of watching, Brentz was doing plenty of that last night, striking out twice looking with the sacks drunk. Brentz was lifted later in the game for Brock Holt, but it was too little too late. 

Left field has been a black hole at times this season, and even fan favorite Brock Holt has displayed his limitations. Angels' catcher Jeff Bandy drilled a rope off reliever Joe Kelly last night, and it was a decisive factor in the loss. Holt went back hard, and despite the fact that it would have been a terrific grab if he made it, the ball dropped beyond his outstretched glove. I feel that a more experienced corner outfielder makes an out on that ball.

I hope it's not too humid in Anaheim today as slumping aquaphobe Steven Wright vies for a much needed split against the worst team in the AL West.

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