ANGELS NOTEBOOK: K-ROD CLOSING IN ON RIGHT FRAME OF MIND TO GET SAVES.Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer BALTIMORE - Francisco Rodriguez's outstanding statistical output - 31 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is in the game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. and a 0.47 ERA - should be enough indication of how well the Angels set-up man is faring. But there's another measure of Rodriguez's dominance, evident during his inning of work Friday. Rodriguez retired Rafael Palmeiro Gibbons was a graduate of Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California. in order. On eight pitches. And as Rodriguez approaches the dominant form he flashed during the 2002 postseason, opposing hitters have just one option - swing early or risk looking foolish later. ``They're smart,'' Rodriguez said Saturday. ``They see my numbers. They watch videos. They know how well I'm pitching. I've been getting ahead with breaking pitches and they've been hacking. I'm just trying to attack them. Of course I don't want to make a mistake. Palmeiro has hit 500 home runs. But Palmeiro swung at the second pitch. Same with Gibbons Famous people named Gibbons include:
Rodriguez's dominance has come against the backdrop of closer Troy Percival's inconsistency. Percival is 10 for 13 in save opportunities, has a 4.26 ERA and has allowed 20 baserunners in 12 2/3 innings, compared to 16 in 19 innings for Rodriguez. Percival blew a three-run lead one inning after Rodriguez's dominant performance Friday and later admitted he should have worked out some mechanical deficiencies earlier. He rallied Saturday, inheriting a two-on situation and a 7-3 lead to get a game-ending double-play grounder from Luis Matos Luis David Matos (born October 30, 1978 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico) is a center fielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the New York Mets organization. He previously played for the Baltimore Orioles between 2000-2006 and briefly for the Washington Nationals in late 2006. to seal a 7-4 victory. Percival credits Lee Smith, the all-time saves leader and his mentor as a rookie in 1995, for his ability to move forward after a horrid outing. Like Smith to Percival, Rodriguez has taken Percival's example to heart, so much so that he now feels ready for the job, especially since he says getting key outs in a set-up role has been perfect on-the-job training. ``I tell you what,'' he said, ``if I need to go out and close a game, I can. I'm ready I'm Ready is the double platinum second release from R&B singer Tevin Campbell. I'm Ready yielded the biggest R&B hit of his career the #1 R&B smash "Can We Talk", and produce 3 more successful hits in "I'm Ready", "Always In My Heart" and "Don't Say Goodbye Girl". for that. But day by day, I'm not going to rush myself.'' Before Saturday's game, Percival was trying to find his old self, viewing videos of his appearances from 1996, when he set a club record for save percentage (36 for 39, .923) and was voted team MVP (Multimedia Video Processor) A high-speed DSP chip from Texas Instruments, introduced in 1994. Officially introduced as the TMS320C80, it combines RISC technology with the functionality of four DSPs on one chip. . He was as dominant then as Rodriguez is now. --Glaus begins shift: Troy Glaus Troy Edward Glaus (born August 3, 1976 in Tarzana, California) is a Major League Baseball player who plays third base for the Toronto Blue Jays. Previously, Glaus played with the Anaheim Angels (1998-2004) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2005). began his move toward first base Saturday when he fielded grounders at first and hit off a tee in Rancho Cucamonga Rancho Cucamonga (răn`chō k  'kəmäng`gə), city (1990 pop. 101,409), San Bernardino co., S Calif. . But it appears more likely there will be a short-term vacancy for him at designated hitter if he's able to play next week. Tim Salmon was still feeling discomfort in his left knee Saturday, according to a club spokesman. Salmon probably will not return on the upcoming homestand, though Scioscia did not rule it out. Gabe Lacques, (626) 962-8811 gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com CAPTION(S): box Box: ANGELS at BALTIMORE - Gabe Lacques |
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