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2009 MLB American League West Notebook
Remember when we told you a couple of weeks ago that if Oakland was going to try and make a move in the American League West June was the month to do it because of the great record it has owned over the years.
But the equalizer is a team’s ability. And the A’s are who they are. They’re just a very average to below average ballclub. The A’s have not have not been hitting all season. Their defense is poor and their young pitching is going through some painful experiences.
Oakland’s defense has committed eight errors in the last seven games, while the offense is batting .217 for the month. That’s the lowest batting average in the big leagues.
And thus, you have a team that sitting firmly in last place in the division.
SEATTLE
Closer David Aardsma may be the best finisher that you do not know about. Aardsma began the weekend with 12 saves in 13 opportunities.
He leads all American League relievers in ERA at 1.72 and has not allowed an earned run in 20 of his last 21 appearances. In that stretch, he is 2-1 with nine saves and a 1.29 ERA. Aardsma also has the second lowest opponent’s batting average in the league at .167.
But that stretch has enabled the Mariners to keep the lowest ERA in the AL at a 2.84.
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LOS ANGELES
The Angels started to close in on first-place Texas thanks to a six-game winning streak in which there were consecutive three-game sweeps of San Francisco and San Diego.
And the fact that the ballclub is doing this with some holes in the lineup and very below average pitching is a tribute to the great job manager Mike Scioscia does year after year with this team.
Outfielder Vladimir Guerrero may never get it together from a power standpoint since he is stuck on one home run this year. Guerrero is hitting .289 but has become a singles hitter. Plus, second baseman Howie Kendrick was shipped back to Triple A Salt Lake because of substandard performance. He was hitting only .231.
TEXAS
Manager Ron Washington is in a real pickle with closer Frank Francisco. Francisco is currently spending his second stint on the disabled list with a shoulder problem.
He also was sidelined because of biceps tendonitis. With Francisco, his problem is being able to pitch on consecutive days. He did it three times in April and once in May when he actually pitched in three consecutive games.
However, he has not been the same since that stint in terms of his durability. When he comes off the DL, the Rangers are going to have to be careful to bring him back slowly.
By Kevin Lonnquist
MLBcenter.com Staff Writer
> View all of the 2008 MLB team previews from Pro Baseball Fans
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