Los Angeles Angels Jump All Over San Francisco Giants, 11-4

Mar 13, 2014; Surprise, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants pitcher Ryan Vogelsong (32) throws during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Vogelsong (9.00 ERA, 19 innings) got hit hard yet once again,  giving up four earned runs on eight hits and two walks, in four plus innings today at Tempe Diablo Stadium, as the Los Angeles Angels went on to beat the San Francisco Giants, 11-4, under warm, sunny skies.  Josh Hamilton had two doubles and Chris Iannetta hit a solo home run, to help the Angels win their sixth in a row, bringing their record to 15-10-2.

Tyler Skaggs started and pitched five and one-third innings, giving up two runs, one of them earned, on seven hits and three walks.  A quartet of Angels pitchers threw the final three and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs, one of them a solo home run off the bat of Tyler Colvin, served up by  Kevin Jepsen.  Santiago Casilla fared no better than Vogelsong, giving up four runs in the seventh, but only on one hit.  The problem stemmed from the three walks and a hit batsman, before the single by Grant Green.   Daryl Maday came in to finally retire the side, but not before balking home Roberto Lopez, and allowing a ground-rule double to bring in the final run of the inning.  Casilla was charged with all four runs, bringing his ERA to 8.10.

Brandon Crawford, leading off the third for the Giants, doubled to right.  Joaquin Arias followed with a soft line drive, again to right, moving Crawford to third.  Michael Morse then grounded into a force, scoring Crawford for the game’s first run.  Arias was out at second, but Morse himself was safe at first, on a missed throw by Pujols, who was charged with an error.  Brandon Belt walked and Hunter Pence singled, loading the bases for Sandoval, who hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Morse, before Sanchez grounded out to second baseman Howie Kendrick, for the final out of the inning.  Crawford is the player who hit the home run that ignited the eight-run inning in yesterday’s game and he added a triple later on, indicating that he is reaching his stride.

In the bottom of the fourth, with one out, Josh Hamilton doubled to center; one out later, Raul Ibanez singled Hamilton home and then advanced to third on Howie Kendrick’s single.  After Chris Iannetta walked, J.B. Shuck doubled home both Kendrick and Iannetta.  Kole Calhoun grounded out to second to end the inning.

Though the Giants put two on in the fifth, on a Michael Morse double and a walk to Belt, they left them stranded on two consecutive popups by Sandoval and Sanchez in the infield.  In the bottom of the fifth, the Angels struck again when Erick Aybar doubled to open up the inning and Pujols singled him to third.  Up stepped Hamilton, who drilled his second double of the game, this one scoring Aybar.  On came J. Gutierrez in relief of Vogelsong, and he did an admirable job, getting out of the inning with no further damage, thus helping out Vogelsong who was responsible for the two runners left on base.

Four Giants, Arias, Pence, Morse and Crawford had two hits apiece in the losing effort, while Juan Perez went 0-4 and Tyler Colvin had two hits, including a homer, leaving Perez batting .293 and Colvin .207.  Giants pitching was rough to say the least, with Ryan Vogelsong making eyebrows soar higher than his own ERA.  I think Bruce Bochy ought to be getting concerned about now, with Vogelsong’s rough spring, but what do I know?  The club breaks camp the day after tomorrow and begins the season a week from today, ready or not, Ryan Vogelsong.