Baggs' Instant Replay: Angels 6, Giants 0

Share

BOX SCORE
SAN FRANCISCOThe Houston Astros are moving to the AL West next season. The Giants should be grateful that theyre staying put.The competition in the AL West has not been kind to the Giants in interleague play. They dropped two of three to the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners, and the Los Angeles Angels overwhelmed them while taking the final two games of this series at Angel Stadium.The Giants never advanced a runner past second base and were shut out for just the third time this season in a 6-0 loss Wednesday night. There was no chance for Ryan Vogelsong to extend his winning streak to nine consecutive starts.The Giants dropped two of three at the Big A and lost on Vogelsongs day for the first time since May 3. It was a rare road loss for Vogelsong, too. He hadnt lost a decision on the road since Aug. 19, 2011, at Houston.The Giants still havent been shut out by an NL team this season. They were blanked twice by Texas at AT&T Park earlier this month before Jered Weaver and three relievers held them to four hits.The Angels lead the majors with 10 shutout victories.Starting pitching reportVogelsong (6-3) made it 13 for 13 in completing six innings this season. He also turned in his 12th quality start, one behind the Mets R.A. Dickey for the NL lead.But on this night, one mistake was enough to beat him. Alberto Callaspo hit a solo home run in the second inning, and the Angels added to their lead in a two-run fifth.Howie Kendrick hit a one-out double and the Angels aggressively sent him to the plate when Erick Aybars single deflected off shortstop Brandon Crawfords glove and into left field. Melky Cabreras throw arrived ahead of the runner, but catcher Buster Posey couldnt handle it on a skidding hop.The ball went under his glove and hit him in his manly parts. Posey was limping as he got up and assistant trainer Mark Gruesbeck ran onto the field to check on him. But Posey remained in the game.Aybar took second on the throw home and scored when rookie Mike Trout took an impressive swing on a down and in pitch, somehow serving it to center field for a single.Vogelsong kept the Angels off the board after that while completing seven innings for the fifth consecutive start. Along the way, he hit Torii Hunter with a pitch. Hunter appeared to glare at the mound as he dropped his bat, but Vogelsong defused the situation by tapping his chest -- the universal signal for my bad.Vogelsongs line: Seven innings, seven hits, three runs (all earned), no walks, six strikeouts, two hit batters.Bullpen reportShane Loux served up back-to-back home runs to Kendrys Morales and Mark Trumbo as part of a three-run eighth inning.At the plateThe Giants made some hard contact off Weaver, but they couldnt drive up his pitch count to get into the soft underbelly of the Angels bullpen.Weaver (6-2) was on an 80-pitch leash after the Angels activated him from the DL because of a lower back strain. He mostly cruised and used his defense while throwing 78 pitches in six innings. The Giants managed two singles and two walks against him, but never got a runner as far as third base.Their streak of 15 consecutive successful steal attempts ended in the fourth inning, when Ryan Theriot was thrown out at second base.In fieldAlbert Pujols robbed the Giants of another hit, snaring Brandon Belts line drive in the third inning.Crawford returned the favor, backhanding Pujols one-hop rocket with two runners aboard to get Vogelsong out of the seventh inning.The Giants other nifty play came in the second inning, when Morales hit a comebacker off Vogelsongs foot that deflected back to Posey. The catcher pounced on it and fired to first base in time.AttendanceThe Angels announced 40,321 paid. Give the home folks credit for stifling a wave in its infancy.Up nextThe Giants take a day off Thursday before completing their longest road trip of the season with a three-game series at Oakland over the weekend. Tim Lincecum (2-8, 6.19) will try to snap his nine-start winless streak against As left-hander Jarrod Parker (3-3. 2.82).

Contact Us