Angels Open Second Half with a Win
Another Major League Baseball All-Star Game has come and gone. It was not too long ago that the city of Anaheim was flooded with baseball talent as the best players across the globe showcased their skills at Angel Stadium.
But there's still plenty of talent on display in Anaheim, which Angels right-hander Joel Pineiro displayed by when Pineiro delivered seven solid innings and won his seventh straight decision in an 8-3 victory over the Mariners on Thursday to remain 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Rangers.
After losing eight out of 10 heading into the All-Star break, Pineiro bounced back in a big way and opened the first game of the second half with a much deserved victory. Pineiro understands that each win is important and must come in a total team effort.
“Defence and good run support are all I can ask for," Pineiro said. "I'm not going to be out there and strike out a lot of guys, so the ball is put in play. The defense made some good plays again, and we were able to put up some runs. It was a good start to the second half, so hopefully we'll keep rolling."
Pineiro improved to 7-0 with a 2.51 ERA in his last eight outings after giving up three runs on six hits over seven innings to pick up the win. Pineiro did not do anything different so it is a mystery why the team had struggled in previous meetings.
“I don't think I've changed much from earlier," Pineiro said. "I think it's just a little more luck, really. I haven't changed my game plan. I still throw my sinker and try to throw strikes. It's just part of the game, I guess."
When asked about the difference in Thursday's game, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu credited the solid play of Pineiro.
"I thought he [Pineiro] was good. I thought he stayed around the plate. I only thought where we did a decent job was trying to get his pitch count up a little bit. I thought he threw a nice game."
Pineiro's lone blemish of the night came in the fifth inning on a three-run double from Ichiro Suzuki.
The damage ended there, as Kevin Frandsen earned his pay check with a nice play at third base on a hard hit ground ball by Franklin Gutierrez and threw out Ichiro at home plate for the second out of the inning .
The fifth inning was one to forget for the Angels, as the Mariners added three runs. The impact was minimal as the Angels had already scored four against Seattle starter Doug Fister who allowed six runs on 12 hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Fister, the right-hander, has seen better days and struggled during the contest, allowing six runs on 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking one.
Seattle’s manager, Wakamatsu was quick to blame the pitching and Fister.
"He left some pitches up, and I think in his defense, too, he gave up 12 hits, but seven of those were ground balls. I thought he ended up in the fourth and fifth having the best stuff he had all night, got in a little bit of trouble again in the sixth. Just that many hits and giving up four runs early cost him."
It shows that the Mariners are beginning life without the services of Cliff Lee. Instead, the Mariners were forced to count on Brian Sweeney, who came in relief for Fister.
Sweeney was charged with the final two runs. Garrett Olson, who hadn't pitched in more than a week, came in and did a little better.
He threw a perfect eighth after Jamey Wright let up a run-scoring hit, a walk and recorded the final out of the seventh in his first day with the team.
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