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Robinson exposes the Angels as cheaters!
Frank Robinson, the Nationals manager, won this game. It was one of the most memorable games that I have ever watched.
The Nats are getting hammered 3-1 in the 7th inning after beging destroyed 11-1 the night before. The Nats' ace, Livan Hernandez, had been chased from the game a couple innings earlier and the club is lethargic.
What better time for a little manager gamesmanship? How about accusing the opposing pitcher of cheating?
After the opposing pitcher is thrown out (Robinson used to handle discipline for the league and the pitcher thinks he's going to put one over on Robinson?), there's a bench and bullpen-clearing incident that features the managers almost coming to blows. The normally docile Angels fans are about ready to throw stuff on the field.
One inning later, Guillen, a former Angels player who had been basically kicked off the team a couple months ago, as boos rained down on him, delivers a 2 run shot to tie the game. The Nats then put on 3 more to ice the game.
What a game!
The Nats are getting hammered 3-1 in the 7th inning after beging destroyed 11-1 the night before. The Nats' ace, Livan Hernandez, had been chased from the game a couple innings earlier and the club is lethargic.
What better time for a little manager gamesmanship? How about accusing the opposing pitcher of cheating?
After the opposing pitcher is thrown out (Robinson used to handle discipline for the league and the pitcher thinks he's going to put one over on Robinson?), there's a bench and bullpen-clearing incident that features the managers almost coming to blows. The normally docile Angels fans are about ready to throw stuff on the field.
One inning later, Guillen, a former Angels player who had been basically kicked off the team a couple months ago, as boos rained down on him, delivers a 2 run shot to tie the game. The Nats then put on 3 more to ice the game.
What a game!
Confrontation mars Angels' loss
Scioscia and Robinson have a heated exchange after Donnelly is ejected in the seventh inning.
By Elliott Teaford
Daily Breeze
Angels reliever Brendan Donnelly was ejected and his glove was confiscated by the umpires during a wild seventh inning that featured a bench- and bullpen-clearing confrontation Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.
Manager Mike Scioscia nearly came to blows with 69-year-old Washington Nationals manager Frank Robinson after Donnelly's ejection for having pine tar on his glove.
Washington right fielder Jose Guillen then had his revenge against his former team, hitting the game-tying two-run homer that sparked a four-run eighth as the Nationals rallied for a 6-3 victory that had a sellout crowd of 43,874 seething.
Whether Guillen tipped off Robinson that Donnelly had something illegal in his glove was not immediately clear. Robinson said he was tipped off by recent videotapes that Donnelly had pine tar on his glove. Robinson also told reporters Donnelly had sandpaper in his glove, a charge umpire crew chief Dale Scott refuted.
"He got rid of sandpaper on his pitching hand," Robinson said.
Scott said Donnelly was ejected for violating rule 8.02(b), barring pitchers from using foreign substances.
"We don't know anything about sandpaper," Scott told pool reporters. "Donnelly didn't put up much resistance. It was definitely pine tar, and there was a lot of it."
Donnelly and Scioscia both said pine tar is used by pitchers to improve their grip in sweaty situations, and Scioscia said pine tar "does not affect the flight of the ball." When asked if there were legitimate uses for pine tar, Scott said: "I have no knowledge of that. Pine tar is not allowed."
"People think pine tar is loading up the ball" Donnelly said. "It's to keep your fingers dry. I'm on the fat side. I'm trying not to sweat."
Donnelly and Scioscia were both upset when informed of Robinson's sandpaper accusation, Scioscia terming it "absolutely ridiculous."
"That's just a (expletive) lie, a ... lie," Donnelly said.
What's unmistakably clear is that there are still lingering bad feelings between the Angels and Guillen, who was suspended for the final eight games of last season plus the playoffs after an on-field tirade Sept. 25. Guillen was traded to Washington on Nov. 19.
Guillen came to bat twice after Donnelly's ejection, homering off Scot Shields to give the Nationals a 4-3 lead in the eighth and flying out against Joel Peralta in the ninth. Neither Shields (5-4) nor Peralta came close to hitting Guillen.
"He might have had some knowledge," Scioscia said when asked if Guillen tipped off Robinson. "I don't know if Jose went and told him."
The teams played without incident in Monday's opener of the three-game interleague series, when the Angels took the fight out of the Nationals with a comprehensive 11-1 thumping that ended Washington's 10-game winning streak.
There was nothing to indicate anything would change in the early innings Tuesday. The Angels took a 3-1 lead in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Darin Erstad and a run-scoring double by Vladimir Guerrero.
Rookie right-hander Ervin Santana started the seventh, but left after walking Junior Spivey and getting Brian Schneider to hit into a force play.
Things got interesting quickly.
Donnelly replaced Santana, but before he could throw a pitch Robinson asked the umpiring crew to check the right-hander's glove.
The umpires found a foreign substance, confiscated the glove and ejected Donnelly. Scioscia was summoned from the dugout and the situation was explained to him while Robinson stood just off the first-base line.
On his way back to the dugout, Scioscia took a detour in Robinson's direction and delivered a few choice words before turning away.
Scioscia told Robinson, according to both managers, that he was going to "undress all his pitchers."
Robinson gave chase and, moments later, the benches and bullpens had cleared as players and coaches ran to intercede.
Soon enough, Guillen had to be hustled away from the scrum. Cooler heads prevailed and no punches were thrown.
"(Scioscia) didn't show any respect to Frank," Guillen said. "You talk about respect and leadership, I don't think he showed any right there. He came out like he wanted to punch Frank. Frank's a 75-year-old man, Mike's 40-something.
"It's a good thing nothing happened."
Did Guillen ply his new club with inside information on Donnelly?
"Don't go there," Guillen said. "I don't know anything. It's not my business."
Shields avoided further trouble in the seventh, but Guillen got him in the eighth with a game-tying two-run homer. Shields screamed an obscenity into his glove as Guillen circled the bases and was greeted by his joyous teammates in the dugout, and also by thunderous boos from Angels fans.
Runs and hits were tougher to come by Tuesday against Washington starter Livan Hernandez than Monday against Esteban Loaiza. The Angels had nothing to show for five hits against Hernandez through four scoreless innings, one night after pounding Loaiza and two relievers for 11 runs on a season-best 20 hits.
It was to be expected since Hernandez had won eight consecutive decisions dating to an April 19 loss to the Florida Marlins.
But if the Angels have proved anything this season it's that long winning streaks do no faze them. They ended the 17-game winning streak of Minnesota Twins starter Johan Santana on May 1, they ended the eight-game streak of Chicago White Sox starter Jon Garland on May 23 and they ended the Nationals' 10-game streak Monday.
As he had in defeating Garland and the White Sox in his last start, Santana appeared as poised and efficient as a 10-year veteran. He retired the first eight batters he faced before giving up an infield single to Cristian Guzman.
Robinson's gamesmanship overshadowed a second straight standout performance by Santana, who gave up one run on four hits with seven strikeouts in 6 innings. He received a standing ovation when Donnelly replaced him.
But all that was soon forgotten as the game turned in a different direction.
Scioscia and Robinson have a heated exchange after Donnelly is ejected in the seventh inning.
By Elliott Teaford
Daily Breeze
Angels reliever Brendan Donnelly was ejected and his glove was confiscated by the umpires during a wild seventh inning that featured a bench- and bullpen-clearing confrontation Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.
Manager Mike Scioscia nearly came to blows with 69-year-old Washington Nationals manager Frank Robinson after Donnelly's ejection for having pine tar on his glove.
Washington right fielder Jose Guillen then had his revenge against his former team, hitting the game-tying two-run homer that sparked a four-run eighth as the Nationals rallied for a 6-3 victory that had a sellout crowd of 43,874 seething.
Whether Guillen tipped off Robinson that Donnelly had something illegal in his glove was not immediately clear. Robinson said he was tipped off by recent videotapes that Donnelly had pine tar on his glove. Robinson also told reporters Donnelly had sandpaper in his glove, a charge umpire crew chief Dale Scott refuted.
"He got rid of sandpaper on his pitching hand," Robinson said.
Scott said Donnelly was ejected for violating rule 8.02(b), barring pitchers from using foreign substances.
"We don't know anything about sandpaper," Scott told pool reporters. "Donnelly didn't put up much resistance. It was definitely pine tar, and there was a lot of it."
Donnelly and Scioscia both said pine tar is used by pitchers to improve their grip in sweaty situations, and Scioscia said pine tar "does not affect the flight of the ball." When asked if there were legitimate uses for pine tar, Scott said: "I have no knowledge of that. Pine tar is not allowed."
"People think pine tar is loading up the ball" Donnelly said. "It's to keep your fingers dry. I'm on the fat side. I'm trying not to sweat."
Donnelly and Scioscia were both upset when informed of Robinson's sandpaper accusation, Scioscia terming it "absolutely ridiculous."
"That's just a (expletive) lie, a ... lie," Donnelly said.
What's unmistakably clear is that there are still lingering bad feelings between the Angels and Guillen, who was suspended for the final eight games of last season plus the playoffs after an on-field tirade Sept. 25. Guillen was traded to Washington on Nov. 19.
Guillen came to bat twice after Donnelly's ejection, homering off Scot Shields to give the Nationals a 4-3 lead in the eighth and flying out against Joel Peralta in the ninth. Neither Shields (5-4) nor Peralta came close to hitting Guillen.
"He might have had some knowledge," Scioscia said when asked if Guillen tipped off Robinson. "I don't know if Jose went and told him."
The teams played without incident in Monday's opener of the three-game interleague series, when the Angels took the fight out of the Nationals with a comprehensive 11-1 thumping that ended Washington's 10-game winning streak.
There was nothing to indicate anything would change in the early innings Tuesday. The Angels took a 3-1 lead in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Darin Erstad and a run-scoring double by Vladimir Guerrero.
Rookie right-hander Ervin Santana started the seventh, but left after walking Junior Spivey and getting Brian Schneider to hit into a force play.
Things got interesting quickly.
Donnelly replaced Santana, but before he could throw a pitch Robinson asked the umpiring crew to check the right-hander's glove.
The umpires found a foreign substance, confiscated the glove and ejected Donnelly. Scioscia was summoned from the dugout and the situation was explained to him while Robinson stood just off the first-base line.
On his way back to the dugout, Scioscia took a detour in Robinson's direction and delivered a few choice words before turning away.
Scioscia told Robinson, according to both managers, that he was going to "undress all his pitchers."
Robinson gave chase and, moments later, the benches and bullpens had cleared as players and coaches ran to intercede.
Soon enough, Guillen had to be hustled away from the scrum. Cooler heads prevailed and no punches were thrown.
"(Scioscia) didn't show any respect to Frank," Guillen said. "You talk about respect and leadership, I don't think he showed any right there. He came out like he wanted to punch Frank. Frank's a 75-year-old man, Mike's 40-something.
"It's a good thing nothing happened."
Did Guillen ply his new club with inside information on Donnelly?
"Don't go there," Guillen said. "I don't know anything. It's not my business."
Shields avoided further trouble in the seventh, but Guillen got him in the eighth with a game-tying two-run homer. Shields screamed an obscenity into his glove as Guillen circled the bases and was greeted by his joyous teammates in the dugout, and also by thunderous boos from Angels fans.
Runs and hits were tougher to come by Tuesday against Washington starter Livan Hernandez than Monday against Esteban Loaiza. The Angels had nothing to show for five hits against Hernandez through four scoreless innings, one night after pounding Loaiza and two relievers for 11 runs on a season-best 20 hits.
It was to be expected since Hernandez had won eight consecutive decisions dating to an April 19 loss to the Florida Marlins.
But if the Angels have proved anything this season it's that long winning streaks do no faze them. They ended the 17-game winning streak of Minnesota Twins starter Johan Santana on May 1, they ended the eight-game streak of Chicago White Sox starter Jon Garland on May 23 and they ended the Nationals' 10-game streak Monday.
As he had in defeating Garland and the White Sox in his last start, Santana appeared as poised and efficient as a 10-year veteran. He retired the first eight batters he faced before giving up an infield single to Cristian Guzman.
Robinson's gamesmanship overshadowed a second straight standout performance by Santana, who gave up one run on four hits with seven strikeouts in 6 innings. He received a standing ovation when Donnelly replaced him.
But all that was soon forgotten as the game turned in a different direction.
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