Game 43: Dodgers vs Anaheim Angels 8:4

Seems like Willy Aybar is taking golfing lessons in his spare time, isn't he? ;). I could not believe when I woke up from slumber just in time for his game-tying HR, that he was able to virtually golf the baseball from two inches off the ground and into the right field seats! Did it almost one-handed with this awkward stance of his, but oh, so efficiently.

Says Kevin Gregg:

"It was a good pitch. He went down and happened to put
some good wood on it. I'm not complaining about the pitch at all.
I don't think he can hit it again. I like that pitch,
and I'll throw it again if I get in that situation."

I was tuning in and out of the game due to back problems after two friends and myself had moved 14 tons of soil from our church's parking lot into the backyard playpen and garden area currently being the refurbished. First time in my life that I learned I was blue-blooded after I saw the veins on my hands physically sticking out in DEEP BLUE. Well - then again, I'm a Dodgers fan, so I should be bleeding blue, right? ;)

Anyway, back to the game:

(1) We could not get to Gregg early which I advocated, but better late then never. Especially, that Willy was on (pardon the pun), which gives more flesh to my theory that one of the things to look forward to in the Freeway Series would be development of youngsters into Angels Boo-ers (is this a proper word? ;)). First Ethier, now Aybar, to get a trifecta I need Russell Martin to have the best game of his career this afternoon :).

(2) I would not draw too many conclusions on the way Brett Tomko was rocked early in the ballgame. Let's wait for more conclusive evidence. He's been more than good so far which calls for some benefit of the doubt to be given to him.

(3) According to Grady Little, we might see "Aybar to LF" experiment quite soon before Ricky Ledee goes through a series of minor league tests in Triple-A Vegas to see whether he's recovering ok.

(4) I love how Joe Beimel answered the recent criticism of him being the "weak and lucky" link in the bullpen. He struck out the side in the seventh under pretty stressful game conditions.

(5) Derek Lowe and the rest of the Dodgers are looking for a broom this afternoon. Standing between them and a closet below the stairs is RHP Ervin Santana - very hittable during the day games. Draw your own conclusions :).