SB Nation - Eddie Guardado

An Optimist's Take on the Nationals' Offseason Doings: Three Reasons the Nats are Heading in the Right Direction

John Quinn — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:38:21 -0000

12 days ago: Washington Nationals new catcher Ivan Rodriguez looks on during news conference announcing his signing with the baseball team on Friday, Dec. 11, 2009 at Nationals Park in Washington. The 38-year-old catcher agreed this week to a $6 million, two-year contract (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

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To my count, the Nationals have made four major moves in the 2009 offseason: they've signed Doug Slaten from the Diamondbacks, traded for Brian Bruney, signed future hall-of-fame catcher Pudge Rodriguez, and signed Jason Marquis, a former Rockie. But the moves don't stop there -- the Nats are reportedly interested in Texas reliever Eddie Guardado, are still interested in Matt Capps and have shown more interest than most in Aroldis Chapman, who is widely considered the top free agent pitcher this offseason. I am very impressed with what Mike Rizzo has done thus far, and here is why:

1.) He's brought in one of the veteran starters they so desperately needed. Jason Marquis, while far from an ace, is a reliable arm for the top of the rotation and he pushes the Nats' other arms down a rung. The Nationals' ERA for starters was 4.97 last year, good for 27th in the majors. In signing Marquis, Rizzo has knocked a younger pitcher out of the rotation and replaced him with a more reliable, more knowledgeable one.

2.) He's shored up the Nats' leaky bullpen. The Nats' relievers finished dead last with a 5.09 ERA last season, more than a full run above the National League average. The two relievers the Nats have brought in so far have ERAs of 4.27 (Brian Bruney) and 3.68 (Doug Slaten). Along with Tyler Clippard and Sean Burnett, the Nationals have the basis of a solid bullpen in 2010. If they are able to sign Matt Capps as well, who has closing experience, things will be very different next year.

More reasons after the jump...

3.) He's bought some catching insurance in Pudge Rodriguez, in case Jesus Flores doesn't work out in 2010 (or ever). The 38-year-old Rodriguez seems to think he's capable of being an everyday player. With a two-year contract, the Nats can take their time in bringing up catching prospect Derek Norris, who finished the 2009 season with single A Hagerstown.

Really, at this point, I like all of the moves that Mike Rizzo has made. Sure, he's paid a little bit more than I would have liked, but when you're at the bottom, you have to pay more to get the players you want. Mike Rizzo has made it clear that he isn't done making moves this offseason, so here's what I'd like to see him do:

1.) Sign another veteran pitcher. Right now, the rotation has only two locks in Marquis and John Lannan, leaving three spots for J.D. Martin, Ross Detwiler, Collin Balester, Garrett Mock, Scott Olsen (thanks Unkle Wheez!) and Craig Stammen to fight over at spring training. Signing another veteran would mean only two of those pitchers (Detwiler and Stammen, I'm looking at you) would be needed in the major league rotation, allowing the rest to further develop in Syracuse or be pushed to the bullpen. The Nationals won't be contenders in 2010, so signing an ace isn't necessary, and the Nats can save some bucks there.

2.) Sign Aroldis Chapman. Mike Rizzo was one of only two GMs to see him pitch, and was the only GM who traveled to see his bullpen session. Rizzo's appearance signals serious interest, or at least curiosity, but Rizzo was impressed when he left, calling Chapman "an extremely talented, athletic left-handed pitcher with a ceiling as high as any current amateur pitcher in the world." At a cost of $15-20 million for four or so years, Chapman is certainly not without risk, but coming off of back-to-back 100 loss seasons, the Nationals are a team that needs to take risks. Signing Chapman would also show once and for all that the Lerners are willing to spend money on their team, as undeserved as that reputation is. With two high upside pitchers locked down in Stephen Strasburg and Aroldis Chapman, the Nationals could be contenders sooner rather than later.

I don't see signing a second baseman as a huge priority. If Guzman does in fact move to second, he'll be better off than he was at short, and even then he's only around for one more year. Save the money, spend it on Chapman, and figure something out after 2010. Until Rizzo gives me reason to think otherwise, I'm just going to accept the fact that he knows a lot more than I do, and believe that he's doing the right things.

Washington Nationals Close In On Eddie Guardado...

Ed Chigliak — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 02:41:27 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

The Washington Nationals are reportedly close to signing veteran left-hander "Everyday" Eddie Guardado to be a part of the 2010 bullpen. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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MLB.com's Bill Ladson's been on the beat all night...Apparently the signing won't stop, as the Washington Nationals are now reportedly close to signing veteran lefty "Everyday" Eddie Guardado. The 38-year-old, 17-year reliever pitched for the Texas Rangers last season, putting up a (1-2) record with a 4.46 ERA (6.10 FIP) in 48 games and 38.1 IP, over which Guardado, a Stockton, California native, allowed 19 ER, 8 HR's (1.9 HR/9) and 15 walks (3.5 BB/9) while striking out 20 (4.7 K/9) and posting a 1.41 WHIP with a ERA+ of 104...Mr. Ladson's latest Twitter message on Guardado reads as follows:

"I have it comfirmed that the Nationals are set to sign reliever Eddie Guardado. I'll have more on nationals.com."

But it doesn't stop there, according to early tweets from the MLB.com writer:

• The Nationals will know by tomorrow night where Matt Capps decides to pitch.

• The Nationals are still thinking about Orlando Hudson.

• And...The Nationals "continue to have interest in John Smoltz."

In Rizzo We Trust.

All Ex-Twins Team, 2009

Jesse — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:09:33 -0000

More photos » by Lori Shepler - AP

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2008 Roster
2006 Roster

For the second year in a row I tried to put together a full 25-man roster, and while I made the cut this team has some pretty big holes. Generally it's old, which is surprising, and there's going to be some pretty bad defense in places, but if any of the three outfielders get hurt there's nobody to be a fourth outfielder. Luckily, none of the guys on this team have to play a single game.

Without further ado, your batting order:

Name	Pos	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	'09 Team	With Twins
Jason Bartlett	SS	.320	.389	.490	14	66	Rays	'04 - '07
Luis Castillo	2B	.302	.387	.346	1	40	Mets	'06 - '07
Garrett Jones	RF	.293	.372	.567	21	44	Pirates	2007
Torii Hunter	CF	.299	.366	.508	22	90	Angels	'97 - '07
Casey Blake	3B	.280	.363	.468	18	79	Dodgers	'00 - '02
Randy Ruiz	1B	.313	.385	.635	10	17	Blue Jays	2008
David Ortiz	DH	.238	.332	.462	28	99	Red Sox	'97 - '02
A.J. Pierzynski	C	.300	.331	.425	13	49	White Sox	'98 - '03
Craig Monroe	LF	.215	.287	.354	3	16	Pirates	2008

All in all that's not a bad offensive lineup. According to Baseball Musing's Lineup Analysis tool, this offense would blow last year's out of the water: 5.741 runs per game, or about 930 runs over the course of a full season. Even with Jones and Monroe being stone defenders in the outfield corners, those runs are going to make up the difference.

The tool also insists that all of the best lineups would have Monroe hitting 8th and Castillo 9th, while a vast majority of the best lineups still have Bartlett leading off, but they also have Ruiz batting cleanup with his massive OBP and SLG in limited time.

Your bench? Outfielder-less. Henry Blanco of the Pirates is your catcher, followed by a trio of infielders: Cristian Guzman (Nationals), Adam Everett (Tigers) and Juan Castro (Dodgers).

Next up? Your starting rotation:

Name	W-L	ERA	IP	K	BB	'09 Team	With Twins
Johan Santana	13-9	3.13	166.2	146	46	Mets	'00 - '07
Matt Garza	8-12	3.95	203.0	189	79	Rays	'06 - '07
Kyle Lohse	6-10	4.74	117.2	77	36	Cardinals	'01 - '06
Livan Hernandez	9-12	5.44	183.2	102	67	Mets/Nationals	2008
Sidney Ponson	1-7	7.36	58.2	32	25	Royals	2007

I want you to know that I seriously considered going with a three-man rotation, a three-man bench, and then having a nine-man bullpen, but the reality is that even the bullpen pickings get a little thin once you get six or seven deep. As far as other starters I could have considered, there aren't many guys out there right now. Carlos Silva? Absolutely not.

Last season saw Santana, Lohse and Garza as the top three in the rotation as well. Moving onto the bullpen, last year I had Balfour closing, but this season I'd probably tab Hawkins.

Name	W-L	ERA	IP	K	BB	'09 Team	With Twins
LaTroy Hawkins	1-4	2.13	63.1	45	16	Astros	'95 - '03
Craig Breslow	7-5	2.60	55.1	44	18	Athletics	'08 - '09
J.C. Romero	0-0	2.70	16.2	12	13	Phillies	'99 - '05
Joe Beimel	1-6	3.58	55.1	35	19	Nationals/Rockies	2004
Grant Balfour	5-4	4.81	67.1	69	33	Rays	'01 - '04
Eddie Guardado	1-2	4.46	38.1	20	15	Rangers	'93 - '03, '08

Even in limited time, Romero is still managing to escape at least the appearance of damage in spite of some unnerving peripherals. Like the bench and the back of the rotation, this one of this team's weaker spots.

If injuries weren't a factor, how would this team fare over a season? Would an offense like this be able to keep this team afloat with the help of a strong 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation? Or would those unproven bats pair up with some older arms to bring the team's fortunes crashing to earth?

Guys who have made the team each of the three years: Pierzynski, Blake, Ortiz, Beimel, Romero and Hawkins.

Poll

How would this team fare?

They could compete for a division title

169 votes

Probably a .500 team

322 votes

Bottom dwellers, for sure

181 votes

672 votes | Poll has closed

Twins Win Nail-Biter In 10: Delmon Young's Insurance Run the Difference

Jesse — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:13:18 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

No, listen, Nick, it was just a high-5. It meant nothing, please don't be mad. You have my heart. Give me yours.

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F10: Twins 3, Tigers 2

To use the words of fischean: One. 1. Uno.

If you wanted intense, hard-fought baseball, you got it. If you wanted big moments, pivotal mistakes and a fantastic pitcher's duel, you got that, too. Did you want a Twins win? Granted.

Nick Blackburn struggled through the first four innings, allowing the leadoff hitter to reach three of the four innings with two of those hits being a double. Yet every time the Tigers pushed, Nick pushed back. Eight base runners through the first four innings garnered the home team just a solitary run, thanks to some nice defense (a diving Orlando Cabrera and a scoop by ~~Justin Morneau~~ Michael Cuddyer) and a great play (Cuddyer to home, Joe Mauer blocking the plate and applying the tag).

Once Nick escaped the fourth, he sent down all nine hitters through his final three innings. Blackburn settled in and turned into the big game pitcher we needed him to be.

Down 0-1 in the top of the fifth the Twins finally managed to even the score, which may have helped to take the pressure off Blackburn a little bit. Matt Tolbert led off the inning with a double, earning him his new monicker: Tol-Bear. It's French. Nick Punto then attempted his first bunt of the game, a beauty, advancing Tol-Bear to third and nearly running out the throw to first himself. Denard Span-crush then allowed Tol-Beart to tag from third to knot the score.

The Twins threatened again in the top of the ninth before managing to momentarily delay the win. Alexi Casilla doubled to lead off the inning before Tol-Bear dropped down a great bunt to move him to third base. Gardy then called up the ol' squeeze play, and with Casilla already in full sprint Punto was forced to attempt a first-pitch bunt on a ball almost over his head. Popped up, Casilla doubled off third, tear off clothes gnash teeth and generally implode all over the television set.

Enter Jon Rauch being awesome, Span getting a base hit to lead off the tenth. Cue Orlando Cabrera not ending an inning but in fact giving the Twins the lead after Span advances on a wild pitch. Twice. Joe Mauer walking, Carlos Gomez putting down another successful Minnesota bunt and Delmon Young, oh yes Delmon Young, launching a ball in a lofty nature designed to score a sacrifice run. 3-1, Twins.

Of course Joe Nathan managed to make in interesting, allowing Curtis Granderson to smash a bomb before recording an out. But he locked it down and recorded save number 45, tying Eddie Guardado for the team record.

It's all down to one, for just a few hours. Next game in just over three hours, so relax now. While you can.

Stars of the Game
#3: Orlando Cabrera (1-for-5, BIG RBI, .118 WPA)
#2: Alexi Casilla (1-for-2, BIG DOUBLE, .149 WPA)
#1: Nick Blackburn (7 IP, 4 K, 6 H, 1 BB, 1 R, .321 WPA)

Wednesday morning Rangers stuff

Adam J. Morris — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:07:16 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

3 months ago: Texas Rangers' Willie Eyre places his hand to his head during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

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I'm ready for the season to be over.

Ron Washington felt Nelson Cruz made the right decision in going after the ball in the second that resulted in two Oakland runs scoring.

Josh Hamilton says he's ready to come back as a DH.

Eddie Guardado is considering retirement.

Justin Smoak is hammering the ball at the Baseball World Cup.

Gil LeBreton thinks the Rangers did the right thing in letting Kevin Millwood get his 180 innings.

Rangers designate Thomas Diamond for assignment

Adam J. Morris — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:00:07 -0000

Per the S-T blog, Thomas Diamond has been designated for assignment, and Brandon Boggs has been recalled and transferred to the 60 day disabled list, moves necessitated by the activation of Brandon McCarthy from the 60 day disabled list and purchasing the contracts of Kevin Richardson and Craig Gentry.

Esteban German and Eddie Guardado have been activated from the disabled list, and Guillermo Moscoso and Warner Madrigal have been recalled. Willie Eyre will likely be recalled, as well, as soon as his 10 days run.

The Diamond move is a bit of a shocker, as I figured Joaquin Arias would be the one to get the axe, but Diamond has disappointed this season after being considered a dark-horse candidate to make the team out of spring training in the bullpen. Diamond has missed a lot of time the past three seasons due to injury, and I suspect the Rangers are going to look to move him for a fringe prospect in the next 10 days.

Twins win fourth straight, 2-1 over Orioles

Jon Marthaler — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:40:29 -0000

More photos » by Tom Olmscheid - AP

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Wasn't this the way it was supposed to be this year? Your light-hitting Twins scored runs on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly, but Scott Baker's seven strong innings (a run on four hits) and strong relief pitching slammed the door on Baltimore.

Minnesota shot itself in the foot early against Baltimore's Chris Tillman, bouncing into three double plays in the game's first five innings. In the sixth, though, Alexi Casilla tripled and went home on a wild pitch, and singles from Denard Span and Orlando Cabrera knocked the young Orioles starter out of the game. Jason Kubel eventually sacrificed Span home with a fly to left, giving Minnesota the lead it needed.

That old-school Twins defense made a comeback on Monday night, as well. Span ended the fifth by making a catch in the Twins bullpen while sitting on Jesse Crain's lap, and Casilla turned in an infield gem just moments before his triple. (Casilla, by the way, went 2-3 and is now hitting .202, proof that miracles do happen.)

Jose Mijares worked a perfect eighth, and Joe Nathan started out the ninth with a pair of strikeouts before being seized by the spirit of Eddie Guardado. Two full-count walks brought up highly-touted rookie catcher Matt Wieters, but he could only fan on a Nathan slider to end the game.

Once again, the Twins have won four straight, and are threatening to - be still, wildly beating heart - actually put together a five-game winning streak for the first time this year. Throughout the season, this has been the team's cue to crumple like a cheap bookcase; if they're serious about making a run, it'll have to be built on streaks like this one.

The three stars of the night:

3. Denard Span
Two singles and two walks in four trips to the plate. We love Span very much, and for good reason - his OBP is nearing .400, second on the team only to you-know-who.

2. Joe Nathan
Never a dull moment with this guy, is there? He made it exciting, but three strikeouts is nothing to sneeze at.

1. Scott Baker
Now THAT'S what we were supposed to see, this year.

Orioles vs Twins coverage

Thursday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:35:57 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y Huh - AP

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: the last time we'll ever see Bill Hall looking clueless after a strikeout in a Brewer uniform.

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Some things to read while abbreviating your quotes.

It's another rough week to be a Brewer fan, but at least Doug Melvin found a way to unload Bill Hall. Reactions from around the web:

Tom H. reports the Brewers are saving at least $1.3 million in salary for next season by trading Hall. That's the portion of his salary that will be paid by the Mariners.
Brewer Paradise Lost says Melvin is a genius for finding a team willing to take on any of Hall's salary.
Gord Ash told Adam McCalvy that one other team was interested in Hall, but the rumors about Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo were incorrect. Both potential trades were for minor leaguers.
Over at The Hardball Times, Jeff takes a look at the decision to give Hall a long term deal following the 2006 season, and still concludes it was the right move to make at the time.
The Bucky Channel is surprised Jack Z. had any interest in Hall.
Meanwhile, on the Mariners' side, Lookout Landing is playing the "He could be a great player if he puts it all together" card we've all become so familiar with over the last few years.
Pro Ball NW is calling Hall a "free lottery ticket" and expects him to platoon with Jack Hannahan at third.

Meanwhile, the Brewers are off today while they travel to Washington to open a four game series there. If you're a Brewer fan in the DC area, the Nationals have quite the deal for you: For one dollar, fans can get into the ballpark at 2 pm tomorrow, see the press conference introducing Stephen Strasburg and stay to see the Nats take on Manny Parra and the Brewers. Nats320 has more about the promotion.

The trip to Washington will be a return home for Felipe Lopez, who had a very forgettable three-year run as a National between 2006 and 2008 before being released. As part of tomorrow's game preview, Adam McCalvy has a look at Lopez's time as a Brewer and his rebound from some defensive lapses a couple of weeks ago.

Unfortunately for the Nats, they won't get to face Carlos Villanueva this weekend, at least as a starter. With today's off day, the Brewers had the opportunity to skip a starter this weekend, and Carlos Villanueva is the one getting the hook, with Mike Burns getting the start Saturday. Both Jeff Suppan and Dave Bush are expected back in the rotation by the next turn.

With Yovani Gallardo stuck on 11 wins, it looks like the Brewers will be without a 20 game winner again this season. As Chris Jaffe notes at The Hardball Times, 23 teams have had a 20 game winner since Teddy Higuera did it for the Brewers in 1986. Only Baltimore, Philadelphia, San Diego, Montreal/Washington, Colorado and Tampa Bay have longer active droughts.

In the minors:

Mike Jones' AAA debut didn't go so well last night, as he allowed six runs on ten hits and struck out no one in four innings and the Sounds lost 11-1. Hopefully it was just nerves and he'll settle down in his next start.
The Brewers spent $1.2 million signing Kentrail Davis, well over slot value for his pick, but it could have been much worse: The Biz of Baseball noted that Davis' deal was about 42% over slot, the lowest percentage among Scott Boras clients who signed on deadline day.
Brewerfan.net has a new Power 50 with Alcides Escobar moving into the #1 spot and most of the 2009 draft picks being slotted in. (FanShot)
The Tuscaloosa News has a look at the negotiation process with 15th round pick Del Howell, who at one point said he was "90% sure" he was returning to Alabama next season.
The Brevard County Manatees continue to have a successful season: They have the fourth best winning percentage in all of minor league baseball, according to Baseball America.
Timber Rattlers reliever Nick Tyson is the prospect of the week over at Between the Green Pillars.

On power rankings and postseason odds:

Beyond the Box Score moved the Brewers up one spot from 24 to 23 in their rankings.
MLB FanHouse dropped the Brewers one spot to 20th.
CoolStandings gives the Brewers a 1.2% chance of making the playoffs.
MLB Playoff Odds gives them .6%.

Maybe I should just forget all of this and write a blog about Anthony Witrado. Miller Park Drunk's post from a couple of weeks ago calling for his firing was the seventh most popular post in site history. That's saying a lot, because he's consistently got some pretty good stuff over there.

Speaking of people we don't like much around here, Jason Kendall received one fifth place vote in Dugout Central's poll asking for former stars who are playing their way out of the big leagues.

Around baseball:

Dodgers: Signed Vicente Padilla.
Indians: Placed Trevor Crowe on the DL with an oblique strain.
Rangers: Placed Eddie Guardado on the DL with knee inflammation.
Reds: Placed Johnny Cueto (shoulder inflammation) and Willy Taveras (strained quad) on the DL.

At FanGraphs, R.J. Anderson looks at the Dodgers' decision to sign Vicente Padilla and wonders if they made the wrong decision when they traded Claudio Vargas to the Brewers. Vargas has turned out to be a useful arm in the bullpen, but wouldn't have been stretched out enough to fill a vacancy in the rotation for the Dodgers.

Sometimes you just have to take a step back and be happy for what you have. The 2009 Brewers may be a disappointment, but the team continues to invest in the future, signing all of this year's high draft picks. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, have fallen out of contention, dealt Alex Rios and Scott Rolen to free up money, and still let three of their top four draft picks walk away. Things are going to get worse before they get better in Toronto. Maybe much worse.

The Royals are 47-73, in last place in the AL Central and in the conversation for baseball's worst record. Yet somehow, they've almost made it through the entire season without a single player making their major league debut. One would think that will change in September, but the fact that it hasn't changed yet is pretty surprising.

Earlier this week Jason Marquis was brought up as a potential free agent signing for the Brewers this offseason. If the Brewers plan to pursue him, they'll also need to purchase a copy of Connect Four, because that's apparently how he prepares for starts.

On this day in 1992, the Brewers tagged David Wells for 13 earned runs on eleven hits and five walks in 4.1 innings en route to a 16-3 victory over the Blue Jays. Six Brewers had multiple hits, but John Jaha had the only home run.

Happy birthday today to Nick Green, who turns 25, and Tom Brunansky, who hit .187/.263/.317 as a Brewer in 1993 and 1994 and turns 49.

Oh, and I consider myself somewhat of a mac and cheese expert, but I don't get how this is even possible.

Drink up.

Eddie Guardado to the disabled list, Willie Eyre recalled

Adam J. Morris — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 21:57:49 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

5 months ago: Texas Rangers reliever Eddie Guardado reacts in the seventh inning after giving up a single to Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki in a MLB baseball game Saturday, July 11, 2009, at Safeco Field in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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Eddie Guardado is headed to the disabled list. Willie Eyre is being recalled.

I've thought for a little while now Eddie was going to have a d.l. trip. I don't think the Rangers feel comfortable with him being out on the mound right now, but they also don't want to cut ties with him. This allows them to let him rest his arm for a couple of weeks, stay with the team, and then activated him in September.

With Jason Grilli due back soon, along with Nelson Cruz, Eyre and Guillermo Moscoso are likely going to end up heading back to Oklahoma by Sunday.

Erick Aybar Bat and Glove Stifle Texas Rangers; Jered Weaver Gets 12th Win

Rev Halofan — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 22:55:29 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

Gracias, Guardado... ¡Que Facil!

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Final Score in Adventureland: Angels 3, Rangers 2

Jered Weaver pitched deep into the 8th inning, Kevin Jepsen blazed 100 MPH heat to Hold the game and Brian Fuentes got a Save with a dreadlocked asterisk as Erick Aybar made one of the great infield catches on a liner that you will ever see. Angels radio announcer Steve Physioc botched the last play of the game on KLAA, a screaming liner to 1Bman Kendry Morales that tired old Phyzz called a strikeout after ten seconds of silence, deflating any drama for Angel fans lucky enough to have missed the terrible announcing of Eric Karros and some monotone dreary yapper of a play by play guy on the Fox National telecast.

Vladimir Guerrero showed very little plate discipline, golfing Ball 2 of a 6th inning AB into the LF seats for his 6th HR of the season, but plenty of Angel fan "experts" will whine about him swinging at that pitch and demand he be lowered in the order. Vlad was on 2nd base earlier in the game when Kendry Morales doubled him home. Terrible, over the hill and sloppy on top if it all, right you bandwagoneers... uh, I mean, baseball experts?

Besides Weaver's masterpiece over a lineup that scored 11 runs against the Angels less than 15 hours before today's first pitch (7.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 11 K, 1 BB), Jepsen's truly game saving stuff dominated the Rangers late in a way that Ranger true believers are convinced is the sole proprietorship of their Mister Special Neftali Feliz. Jepsen came in with runners on 2B and 3B with only one out and got a strikeout and a flyout while everyone else in Southern California was biting their nails or stuffing fingers in their ears to avoid terrible announcers on radio and television.

When closer Brian Fuentes was brought in to get the final 2 outs against lefty batters, Erick Aybar nabbed a smoking Josh Hamilton liner up the middle for the inning's 2nd out. Little Glovey-Dovey Aybar had homered off of Eddie Guardado in the 7th inning to put the Angels ahead. Texas manager Ron Washington had brilliantly brought in Guardado to turn Aybar around and bat from the right side. What an idiot.

Meanwhile, to tarnish the lit-up Halo, one ha to wonder if Fuentes giving up three hard hit liners to lefties means that he is still lost in the woods of Incompetency looking for a return to Excellency Mountain. Check that radar gun, Kevin Jepsen might have inherited a spot closer to closing today.

Poll

Panther of the Game

Erick Aybar

106 votes

Vladimir Guerrero

14 votes

Kevin Jepsen

69 votes

Jered Weaver

156 votes

345 votes | Poll has closed