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I know all you Angels fans are hurting this morning, so let’s talk about it. The Angels blew another game to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. I’m not sure if there is something in the air there, but this was disappointing to say the least. It’s not as if we are losing every game there, because last year we had a very good record at Fenway, but when it comes to the close games we can’t seem to finish. So what happened?
Blown Calls
Brian Fuentes loaded the bases in the ninth inning and the umpires blew it. The first call was the should have been check swing, and the second and most important was the ball called that was right down the heart of the plate. Whether it was low or not the batter should have been called out for not swinging at that pitch. There is no doubt about it, the umpires choked. So it was the umpires who lost the game right?
Closer Controversy
You can’t escape the fact that Brian Fuentes came in and loaded the bases. Now I don’t know about you, but when a save opportunity comes around I don’t really feel comfortable with Fuentes coming into the game. I like Fuentes and want him to succeed, but Kevin Jepsen will be the closer eventually. Maybe we should think about sooner rather than later. So Brian Fuentes lost the game right?
Lazy Rivera
The blooper hit into left field to end the game should have been caught. It was two feet away from him. DIVE! I hope we are not getting a glimpse of the new Garret Anderson in left field. Juan Rivera has been great offensively this year, but he can be lazy out there. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen him not turn his body to run back on a ball and try and catch it over his head. They call what he did Big League’n it. So it was Rivera who lost the game right?
Bottom Line
I’m not sure there is one specific person to blame for this loss. The fact is they shouldn’t have been in the situation we were in in the first place. The Angels had multiple chances to keep leads and take bigger leagues. This was a team effort and they better figure this Fenway curse out before October.
I watched the game too. Obviously I saw it from a different perspective, which is to be expected. The replay on the check swing seemed to bear out the umpires, it stopped at 90%. Close, yes, but close calls can and do go both ways.
Ball four was also close. On first look it looked low, both in real time and on replay, every time. On Game Day, and on the Pitch Zone on NESN, it did look at the knees. But it was close, and the umpire only sees it once. It can be very difficult to judge where it crosses the plate. When the catched caught it, it was low, and that affects the umpire’s call.
I am a little disturbed with this statement:
“Whether it was low or not the batter should have been called out for not swinging at that pitch.”
What rule book does that come from? It sure isn’t baseball.
Its like the play earlier this year, when Derek Jeter was called out at third. The ball beat him, but he clearly avoided the tag. Would you say he should have been called out because the ball beat him?
They were close calls, they could have gone either way, the went Boston’s way this time. To say that the unpire “choked” because he called them the way they appeared to him, is not really fair.
Lee
There are many “rules” in baseball that are not in the rule book. That is why it is such a great game. Is there a rule that says when you hitter is thrown at you are to return the favor? Is there a rule that says if the umpire biffed a call early in the game he is to make up for it later? Is there a rule that says the coaches are not allowed to argue balls and strikes? I could go on and on.
Typically when there are two strikes on the batter the umpire opens up the strike zone. Ask any baseball guy. The crazy thing here is that didn’t even need to happen. It was right over the middle of the plate at his knees. That is called a strike in any count.
Yes calls can go either way, but this was a big one.
I want to add. It was not the Umpires fault for the Angels loss. It just didn’t help. The Angels blew it plain and simple as I said in the article.
i agree with the article! Of course I am biased because Im an Angel Fan but thats insane that he was not called out on that “check swing” and that last pitch. Those umpires made HORRIBLE calls!!! Come on…I mean how many times did he have to strike him out? I think those umpires just wanted to get home…..bullsh** call….3 days later and Im still pissed!!!