It's not been a good ALCS for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Touted as the team that does all the little things correctly, the Angels have instead looked like a group of bumbling amateurs -- the Keystone Kops of the ALCS. From throwing the game away in the 13th to dropping infield popups, it's been a cavalcade of horrors for the Halos. All this from a team that SportsNation thought had the defensive edge in this series.
It seems like at least one team in every postseason suffers from a strength being turned into a weakness. If your team mashed home runs in the regular season, they'll manage only pop flies in the playoffs. Strikeout pitchers become batting practice machines, and as the Angels have seen, sure-handed fielders become gaffe-prone. In a way, the Angels are just conforming to expectations -- just in a different way than everyone had figured.
- Vote on each series: ALCS: Angels-Yankees | NLCS: Dodgers-Phillies
“I wouldn't call game 1 or 2 good games for either team. CC pitched great. So did Lackey but he didn't get any help from the D. Those mistake were HUGE. It was not Aybar's throw that cost the Angels the game in game 2 it was Izturis. And even then Figgins fumbling the ball long enough for the runner to advance home was the key point to that play. Another key point was Vlad stranding 8, count 'em 8, runners on the base. Fuentes miscue to Rodriguez was also bad. If you watched the game and read the interviews afterwards you will know that he did not intend to locate the ball there. But the series comes back to Anaheim so as an Angels fan I am hoping that the Angels are MENTALLY ready for this game.
” -- mrwright8413
“I think both teams are more than capable of coming back to win ballgames....which is why both managers are getting more gray hairs with the errors that have been committed. While I've been impressed by LAA's pen thus far, I still think NYY has a decided advantage in that category and that helps to squelch the comebacks.
” -- crashdavis162
“While I don't think this is going to be a walk in the park for the Yankees, I still feel you have to give the Yankees the nod. I know the Angels have home field advantage, but their backs are up against the wall now. One more loss, and they'll be through the wall with Montresor on the other side sealing them in.
” -- Queequeg1
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