Santana's no-hitter only part of a bad day for Rangers
As the Angels were celebrating the franchise's first complete-game no-hitter since Mike Witt was perfect in Texas in 1984, more than just that thread was connecting the Angels and Rangers.
While Ervin Santana was brilliant in Cleveland on Wednesday, the Rangers were striking out on acquiring the Mets' Carlos Beltran.
|
|
| Ervin Santana completes a no-hitter after flirting with one in his previous outing. (AP) |
Holding a 2½-game lead over the Angels in the AL West, the Rangers could have applied some serious trade-deadline-week pressure had they been able to knock off one of those deals.
But now, in a tight race in a fluid week, we saw the continued emergence of what very well could be the Angels' secret weapon.
Everyone knows about Cy Young candidate Jered Weaver (who will engage Justin Verlander in a duel in Detroit on Sunday in one of the best pitching matchups of the year). And Dan Haren is an excellent Tonto to Weaver's Lone Ranger.
But if Santana continues to pitch as he has his past two times out, a solid Angels pitching staff will tighten its grip around the necks of opponents even more.
Only five days before his outing in Cleveland, Santana took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in Baltimore. In four starts over the past month, he's 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA. In his past seven starts, he has compiled a 2.02 ERA.
The Angels need every bit of pitching they can find to support a tepid offense. Hitting coach Mickey Hatcher's guys currently rank 12th in the American League in runs scored and are 10th each in on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
In a perfect world, the Angels would upgrade this week at third base. But neither their world nor the trade-deadline offerings is perfect: The raggedy lot of third basemen who can be had -- so far -- are not much of an upgrade over Alberto Callaspo or Maicer Izturis.
Though owner Arte Moreno have given the green light for general manager Tony Reagins to add payroll in the right deal, that deal now might have to be for bullpen help. Jordan Walden, the rookie All-Star closer, can be very effective. But he also leads the majors with seven blown saves.
| More on Angels at Indians | |||
| Related links | |||
Fantasy videos |
|
| |
Consequently, the Angels are looking for relief help and could turn their attention south, to San Diego's All-Star closer Heath Bell. Having missed on Beltran and having not been inclined to pay Colorado's asking price for Jimenez, the Rangers -- who have been all over the market searching for pitching for a month -- also are aiming for Bell. So, too, are St. Louis and Philadelphia, according to sources.
If they fail to land a bat this week, the Angels are going to have to beat the Rangers on pitching. Texas right now ranks second in the AL in both runs scored and slugging percentage, and third in on-base percentage.
If the Angels can acquire relief help, great.
But whether they do or not, they're going to need Santana to play a pivotal role in these final two months.
Given his recent run, he has proven he has the stuff to do it.
Given his past two outings, taking the no-hitter into the sixth in Baltimore and then throwing the Angels' ninth no-hitter in club history Wednesday, he couldn't be peaking at a better time.
It wasn't until the eighth inning Wednesday, Santana said during a postgame television interview, that he knew he was on the verge of something special because "anybody can [do it] for five, six innings. But after eight innings, things get a little more complicated and more intense."
He credited defensive specialist catcher Bobby Wilson -- he and Wilson were on the same page, Santana said -- and added that he was hitting his spots and staying ahead in the count. Indeed, he had not yet even crossed the 100-pitch barrier when the bottom of the ninth inning began.
Emotions have been especially raw for Santana lately after he returned to his native Dominican Republic last month following the unexpected death of a cousin. He dedicated the no-hitter to the memory of his cousin, calling the day "very special."
Then he had a message for Angels fans: "Thank you for your support, and keep rooting for us. We're going to do better."
How Santana pitches down the stretch, and how things play out in trade talks this week from Anaheim to Texas, will have a lot to do with that.
