Thank Raul for keeping this one alive. And thank Matt Shoemaker for a loss.
Final Score in Anaheim (Game 2):Mets 7 Angels 6
WP: John LannanLP: Matt Shoemaker
Like yesterday's game, runs starting coming early. Albert Pujols had a line drive to left field in the first inning to bring Collin Cowgill in to score. After Lucas Duda hit a home run in the second, things stayed quiet for innings three and four. But Chris Iannetta and Cowgill answered with solo home runs in the fifth and sixth innings to give left field some action tonight, respectively.
Jered Weaver managed the Mets well until... well, the seventh inning. A Juan Lagares single brought Curtis Granderson, who had no fan contact tonight, home and that left Duda on second when Anthony Recker lined a ball to Mike Trout. Unfortunately, Trout could not make the play and both Duda and Lagares made it home. At one point in the seventh inning, Recker The Catcher stole a base! The Mets' seventh inning jolt gave them a 4-3 lead. Weaver finished the game by allowing just three hits over 6.2 IP, but he did leave with four earned runs.
Who made their return tonight for the ninth inning? Dane De La Rosa. DDLR had the velocity of a mule (compared to last year). He allowed a hit and a walk and recorded just one out that not even he could induce. So Mike Scioscia pulled him in favor of Kevin Jepsen. Jepsen walked his first batter which loaded up the bases with Mets. Then Omar Quintanilla lined the ball to center field and brought in two runs. But it did not stop there! Jepsen grazed a batter's jersey and proceeded to another bases loaded situation!
So the Halos came to bat in the ninth inning down by three runs, 6-3. Albert, Howie Kendrick, and David Freese started the final inning against Jose Valverde. Three up, two down. Papa Grande was bringing his pre-2012 stuff until Freese got a single and Erick Aybar was walked. With two outs, Raul Ibanez trotted to the plate and BOOM! A three run home run tied this ballgame up. We are heading to extras.....
We will pick this one up in the twelfth because it was quiet until then. Matt Shoemaker had bases loaded with two outs and.. he.. struck 'em out! But in the top of the thirteenth, Anthony Recker did launched a ball into left field to give the Mets a lead. And when the bottom of the thirteenth came, it finished with Mike Trout lining the ball to Ike Davis at first base. Had Ike not nabbed it, Pujols was coming to the plate.
That's all, folks. I leave you with this:
Jered Weaver on his hook: "I was pretty confident I was going to get the next hitter out. Scioscia didn't have that same confidence."
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) April 13, 2014