The Angels Fall to the Astros

The Angels throw the game in the last inning with Street leading the way. Yeah so that pretty much sums up the game! The Angels didn't do the best this game but they held the hot Astros until the 9th inning. It was pretty fun to watch because my team was winning, right? Well first off the Angels pitching was fantastic! To hold off a team that is doing as well as the Astros is down right amazing. However, it all came to an end in the 9th inning. It was Houston Street coming up to pitch and boom the first batter up gets on base, then the second batter is on, then all of a sudden the Astros score three runs and the Angels are down 3-2. I mean it was pretty defeating, emotionally, to see that happen.

Houston Street Blows the Save! Thanks LA Times for the Image

What lead up to this loss? First off, even though the Angels were leading the game the whole way, they didn't produce nearly enough runs and their offense was pretty dormant. Yes, two runs seemed to be enough this game but usually this wouldn't be enough. When you are facing a team that has been doing as well as the Astros, it is mandatory that you produce many runs to keep your team out in front. The Angels scored two runs and then seemed to shut down. This ended up in the long run hurting the Angels and they lost to the Astros.

The Astros also played really well this game. It was never lopsided, there was never a point in the game where you just turned off the TV and walked away. No, actually the game was the complete opposite. I was almost analyzing the TV it seemed like. Like the Angels, the Astros put up a good fight and also had fantastic pitching. The Astros offense was nonexistent until the very end. I have no clue what it was but all of a sudden the Astros seemed to ignite and they put up some nice hits.

Astros Offense Sparks in the 9th! Courtesy of Galv News for the Pic

The Angels and Astros are well matched and so far have had great games to watch. I look forward to the many more games that these two teams will play and hope that they remain close.

Players to Watch in the American League

Hey guys, what's up? Today I am going to talk about different players who should be watched closely in the American League. Now I am not only going to talk about people who are famous and amazing at the game, but also people who are building up or have been struggling and are coming back.

First off we have Jered Weaver! Jered Weaver is a starting pitcher for the Angels who at one point was arguably one of the best pitchers in baseball. This year Weaver has been doing really poorly and he publicly admits it. The Angels Manager Mike Scioscia has also acknowledged the fact that Jered has been doing poorly. However, despite the statistics, I think Jered Weaver will come back and during the second half of the season be that unstoppable pitcher he once was. Every player in the MLB struggles at one point or another. The reason I am focusing on Weaver is because once he becomes the leader he once was, the Angels will follow and start to do well again.

Angels Pitcher Jered Weaver! Courtesy of ESPN for the Pic!

Next is Jose Altuve. While everyone knows that Jose is one of the best players in the MLB offensively and defensively, I am looking at him in a different way. So far this year the Astros have been doing really well. Many people question why. The answer to this is Jose Altuve. As long as he can continue to stay hot, I believe the Astros will also stay hot. Altuve is one of the top hitters and is easily a gold glove shortstop. Despite his height of 5' 6", he still manages to do really well. 

Jose Altuve leads the Red Hot Astros! Thanks Wiki for the Image!

Another player that you should be watching out for is Kole Calhoun. Kole is a starting outfielder for the Angels and bats leadoff. Flying under the radar, Kole is a solid hitter and fielder. So far this year, Kole has come in clutch in many different situations and continues to impress. Many argue that Mike Trout over shadows Kole Calhoun which may be true given that Mike Trout is amazing. However, Kole also is a very impressive ball player and is still young. This year and the years to come will really show what Kole Calhoun is about.

Kole Makes the Catch!!! Awesome Pic by Japan Times

Thanks for reading this guys! Let me know what you think and if you have any questions make sure to leave a comment!

Happy New Years, Braves?

Happy New Years guys! Hope everyone had a wonderful time! I sure didn't. One of my resolutions is to start posting more often for you people out there that aren't actually there. Today, I am starting up the prediction series. I have already reviewed the Diamondbacks and today we get to look at the Atlanta Braves.

First off, the Atlanta Braves finished 3rd in their division going under .500. However, they did start off strong and did well for the first part of the season. This season the Braves traded Jayson Heyward who was arguably their best player. He had lots of power when on offense and an outstanding outfielder. Did this one decision ruin their team?

I think it did not, but it will be tough for them to go anywhere in their division. However, the Braves have made positive trades this year. They have acquired Alberto Callapso for one year. With Alberto I think this year they can use him to their advantage and do well. Also, the Braves have good pitching and if they can continue to have good defense and pitching they have a chance.

Thanks to Calltothepen for the Image

I think in the 2015 season, the Braves will either win their division or come in second. I think they will make it close and be a competitive team. Will they win the World Series? I don't think so, but you never know. The Braves continue to surprise and they may do well in the post season.

But for me, I think that they will make the playoffs but lose in the first round. Sorry Braves fans, 2015 is not the year!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas

Today is Christmas! It has been a great break for me and I have been getting lots of skiing in this break. Today I was given new skis from the old jolly man. I got to take my new skis out for some runs and it was great! The Holidays always seem to be a great time of year.

I may not post for a couple of days because I am going camping in the Uintah mountains and will not have service to post. I am posting this now to talk about the Holidays. In my last post I asked if anyone was doing anything for the Holidays. For anyone reading this, maybe you could comment if you are going to be doing anything or if you have done something you want to talk about. I will respond no matter what.

Courtesy of Pinterest for this image

I will not be analyzing a team today, but I will talk about what I am going to be doing a little more in depth. So, I have already analyzed and predicted the Arizona Diamondbacks and will continue to talk about teams. I was wondering if you guys would like to see it by division or alphabetically. I have started alphabetically, but I can very much switch over.

Doing it by division would make it easier for you guys to understand because I would create a bracket type prediction. As in I would tell what place each team would place in their division. It would be more organized. However, I could also do it alphabetically if that's what you guys would like to see. Let me know what would be better! Hope you guys have a good Holiday season!

World Series Game 2 - What to Expect?

For all of the Royal fans out there I honestly feel bad about last nights game. I couldn't bear to watch the game anymore and tuned out in the 8th inning. I could't have been more wrong. It's one thing that I didn't want the Giants to win but it's another thing when a team gets blown away. I like close games not blowouts!

Well, I'm going to forget about the last game after this and hopefully see the Royals pick up a win tonight. First things first, Shields was definitely not on his game last night. Early in the game giving up that three run home run to Pence was devastating. I know it's hard to come back from a blow that big but COME ON! The Royals let it slip out of their hands and let it get away from them. This happens all the time in sports, but the next step the Royals need to take is to forget about everything that happened and start over.

There is a reason why the World Series is the best out of seven games. This is to see which team is really better? I know the people that may happen to be reading this blog happen to want the Giants to win the World Series and what I'm going to say to that is..... keep it going. Last night the Giants had it going for them all and I thought it was a good performance. However, I've seen it many times and wouldn't be surprised if the Giants get a little cocky and start to fall behind. It's happens all the time to many different teams.

My predictions for this game is that the Royals will win in a close battle. You all probably think I'm stupid and what I have to say to that is... MAYBE. I really think that the Royals showed potential in game one and that they can pick up the slack and win today. I know it will be tough and the Giants are arguable better. But when it comes down to it I want the Royals to win and I feel like they will win!

GO ROYALS!    

Image courtesy of Mccovey Chronicles 

World Series Game 1

I am back! Sorry I haven't posted in a while but I was in the mountains deer hunting and didn't have any internet service to post another blog. While I was gone, there has been a lot happening in baseball. For starters, I finally get to start watching the World Series! The Royals are taking on the San Francisco Giants. Both of these teams are very competitive and I can't wait to find out who will win.

Image courtesy of MLB

I personally am rooting for the Kansas City Royals team because I like to root for the underdogs and the Giants have won a lot. When's the last time you've seen the Royals in the World Series? Exactly, you never do. Anyways, the Giants and Royals are two very different teams that play very differently.

The Royals as I have talked about earlier are about speed and small ball. They are not the team that will have the most home runs or the most extra base hits. Instead, they are the team I love to watch because they keep the game going at a fast pace and they know how to win games without big hits. The Royals are so contrast to the Giants that it makes me so excited for the 2014 World Series.

On the other hand there is the Giants. The Giants have a huge postseason career. In the past five years they have been to three world series. They have lots of power hitters including Pablo Sandoval and Morse. These two guys aren't even the start of the Giants lineup. I think that the Giants have a winning team but will have to compete hard to win this one. They have an all star bull pen with Bumgarner leading the way. He is one of my favorites to watch!

Pablo Sandoval Leads the Giants Bats. Thanks Yahoo Sports for the Pic!

I predict that the Royals will win the 2014 World Series title because I believe they have the drive, motivation, and most importantly the team to win it. For the Giants, they are a good team but I think they won't win this one. There's only one thing that we can all do to know. WATCH the games! The first game is today and you won't want to miss it!

The Underdogs

As I play baseball daily and love the sport, I also watch every game that I can. I like to keep track of how teams are doing and if it is significant. Growing up in Southern California I was born an Angels fan. Thinking this would be a great season for them, the Kansas City Royals showed me other wise.

Recently, the Kansas City Royals won their spot in the playoffs and had to pass the Angels in their first series. I was very happy because I thought it was a for sure win for my team. However, I was proven vey wrong. The Royals went on to winning the series 3-0 shutting the Angels out from any win. HOW was this possible? The Royals are one of the underdog teams that no one thought would ever make it this far. The last time they even qualified for the playoffs was in 1985! This is why I love sports. Anytime a team that isn't recognized as a contender can show up and amaze.

The Royals don't have much power in their lineup but their speed is incredible. On normal singles, they are stretching their hits out to doubles. Everyone in their lineup is a threat to steal. They are one of the more fun teams to watch play baseball because they keep the game going fast pace. The Kansas City Royals are showing everyone that they can contend for a World Series title.

The next team they will have to face to make it to the World Series is the Orioles. Two teams in the ALDS that aren't seen there ever! It is going to be a great matchup. I strongly recommend that if you can you tune into this baseball game, you should. Both teams are considered underdogs because it has been many years since either teams have won anything major. Try to make it family time. Whatever you need to do to watch this game; it'll be worth it. The Royals vs. Orioles will be one of the most exciting, memorable games out there.

The Kansas City Royals Lead Baseball with 153 Team Stolen Bases Image courtesy to Espn

The Royals are Making A Run For Their Best Postseason Appearance

Thanks to Royals Baseball for the Awesome Image!

Orioles Clinch the AL East

Hello, my name is Nick. The Orioles are the first team that has clinched their division and has insured themselves a spot in the playoffs. Recently, they defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 on Tuesday September 16, 2014. This win was historic for the Orioles because it was the first time they have clinched their division in over 15 years.

This historical game was led by the pitching of the Orioles. They had an outstanding bull pen that turned off the (usually very offensive) Blue Jays. The Orioles have only won three world series, all of which, have been won a while ago. Is this the year that the Orioles go to the World Series? As the Orioles are the first team to clinch their division, many say that this is finally their year to shine. However, this year there are many teams that are doing very well.

The Orioles have the team to win the World Series. With Manny Machado leading the infield and power hitter Adam Jones leading the outfield, there is no doubt that the Orioles can win. To win the world series you need the following three things: Pitching, Offense, and Defense. These may seem simple but many teams are missing one, if not more components.  As long as the Orioles can stay healthy and their pitching stays strong, the Orioles have a very good future ahead of them.

Manny Machado Leads the Infield
Thanks to Baltimore Sports for the Image

Adam Jones Hits a Homerun
Image courtesy to CBS Sports