Angels can’t hold back Royals
Try the condensed version of Friday at the Big A. It had all the suspense. Skip the first seven innings, proceed directly to the dramatic final innings and the postgame fireworks show.
The Angels, one strike from victory, winced as the Kansas City Royals scored a two-out run to tie the score in the ninth inning and a two-out run to win the game in the 10th inning. Willie Bloomquist, in his lone at-bat, singled home the decisive run to give the Royals a 2-1 victory over the Angels.
Scot Shields gave up that winning run, after closer Brian Fuentes had blown the save in the previous inning. In his postgame analysis, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia wanted to make one thing perfectly clear.
“We didn’t lose this game because of anything that happened on the mound,” Scioscia said. “We just didn’t get anything going offensively.”
The ending was not pretty. In the moments before that game-winning hit, catcher Jeff Mathis made two game-saving catches — as Shields delivered an intentional walk.
In the 10th inning, the Royals had two out, one on and perhaps their best hitter coming to bat in David DeJesus. Bloomquist, waiting on deck, had entered the game as a pinch-runner and had not batted. The Angels ordered Shields to walk DeJesus intentionally.
Ball one was so high that Mathis had to leap to catch it. Ball four was so low that Mathis had to fall to his knees to stop it, with Shields racing in to cover home plate.
Bloomquist then got the game-winning single.
Kansas City closer Joakim Soria retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning. Soria has 21 saves this season — tied for the American League lead — and he has blown two.
Joe Saunders was three outs away from what would have been his third career shutout when all the excitement erupted. Fuentes was one out away from converting what would have been his 10th consecutive save opportunity.
But center fielder Torii Hunter was so far out of position that it cost him any chance to make what would have been the game-winning catch.
Hunter was shaded well into right-center, almost into right field. Mike Aviles turned on an 89-mph fastball and ripped a line drive toward center field, just a bit toward left-center.
If Hunter had been playing a normal center field, he might have had a chance. From so far away, he had no chance. Aviles charged into second base with the double that spoiled Saunders’ shutout.
“I play where I know he’s going to hit the ball 90% of the time,” Hunter said. “Would you play the 90% or the 10%? That’s the 10%.”
Hunter tried to steal a run in the eighth, charging from third base after a ball caromed away from catcher Jason Kendall. Kansas City pitcher Blake Wood broke late to cover the plate, so Hunter thought he would be safe, but Kendall scrambled back and lunged to tag Hunter out.
Saunders had made 106 pitches entering the ninth. He walked Billy Butler on five pitches to start the inning, and he was done. On came Fuentes, who had not given up a hit in 10 days and had not blown a save in six weeks.
“In my mind, I could have finished it,” Saunders said. “I’m pretty mad at myself for walking the guy.”
Clicking on Green Links will take you to a third-party e-commerce site. These sites are not operated by the Los Angeles Times. The Times Editorial staff is not involved in any way with Green Links or with these third-party sites.
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
