This is Halo Hell. And it’s just about frozen over.
The terrible weather, the Yankees, the magnificent Mariano Rivera, Mr. A-Rod-tober all were too much to handle for the common-sense-challenged Angels. Now it’s back to Southern California for the sloppy AL West winners, down 2-0 in the best-of-seven ALCS after this morning’s 4-3, 13-inning loss to the Yankees at wet and wild Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees won it when pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston Jr. singled to center off Ervin Santana. He was sacrificed to second. After an intentional walk to Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera hit a ground ball to the left of second baseman Maicer Izturis. Izturis caught the ball, but then made a ridiculous throw back to second, instead of just flipping the ball to first for the easy out.
PHOTOS: YANKEES BEAT ANGELS IN FIVE-HOUR GAME 2
He threw the ball away. It wasn’t even close. Hairston scored as the ball rolled into left field and Yankee Stadium went crazy. It was 1:07 in the morning.
The Angels’ minds must stop working after midnight. Izturis made a terrible decision but he didn’t see it that way.
“I tried to be aggressive, but that’s the stuff that happens in baseball,” he said. “That’s the way I am, I’m aggressive but sadly it cost us the game.”
And quite possibly the series.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who usually protects his players, said it wasn’t a good decision.
“I think he was trying to make a little too much of that play,” he said. “You’re not going to turn two. If we get an out on any base we’re in good shape. It’s a way out of the inning. Izzy just tried to do too much.”
The Angels have just themselves to blame in so many ways. They left 16 men on base and committed two errors. That’s five errors in two games. That’s not going to win anything.
Their decision-making is dreadful.
After the Angels scored in the top of the 11th to take a 3-2 lead, Alex Rodriguez drilled a leadoff homer to right off Brian Fuentes off an 0-2 pitch. Fuentes should have kept the ball far out of the strike zone but put the fastball on a silver platter for Rodriguez. He said he was trying to elevate the pitch.
He elevated it all right, right into the first row of the right field seats.
But that’s the Angels this series. They have not thought about the game. They battled the Yankees every step of the way last night, but in the end they gave it away. Just as they gave the first game away. Just as the Twins gave two games away in the ALDS with basic base-running mistakes.
The Yankees are playing solid baseball. Their opponents are trying to do too much, and it has cost them dearly.
The problem for the Angels is that they have been lacking in all phases of the game. Vladamir Guerrero, who once was so feared, left eight men on base.
In the first two games of the series, the Angels have not been able to get their offense going. That has put tremendous pressure on their defense.
The Angels showed some of the same flaws that popped up, so to speak, in Game 1 when the cold slowed them down. Shortstop Eric Aybar, who misplayed Hideki Matsui’s popup in the 4-1 Game 1 loss, never touched second base on what should have been a Jorge Posada double-play ball in the 10th, but the Yankees couldn’t take advantage.
On Robinson Cano’s RBI triple in the second, second baseman Izturis dropped Torii Hunter’s relay throw. Izturis was all bundled up for the cold, wearing one of those head scarves.
Before the game Scioscia said he had faith in his players.
“I expect us to play a lot better,” he said. “I do, and I think we will tonight.”
He was wrong.
The Angels are in an 0-2 hole. They can’t hit in the clutch and they can’t field in the clutch. They are in Halo Hell.