The Dan Haren Treatment is a term used in baseball for when a Los Angeles Angels pitcher pitches well enough to win the game, but the offense gives him anywhere between 0-2 runs of support, causing the pitcher to get the loss or no decision.
As you can see from the wikipedia entry, this is a totally real thing, and you should all take it very seriously. Today, Joel Pineiro (in his first start this season after coming off the DL) tossed 7 innings, had just 1 run on 4 hits, and ended up with the no decision. If not for a "clutch" RBI ground-out by Kendrick in the top of the 9th, poor Joel would have ended up with the loss. Pineiro's only mistake (other than pitching for a team that refuses to hit consistently?)? A lead-off home run to Matt Joyce in the top of the 5th.
Otherwise, Pineiro was brilliant, giving Angels fans a ton of hope that we actually have a solid pitching rotation past our 1-2 punch of Weaver and Haren. There were a few situations where guys like Bourjos, Amarista and Conger could have come up big and gotten the Halos the lead, but they aren't going to be able to do it all season. I think its time for our 2-3-4 hitters to put up or shut up. Abreu, Hunter and Wells went a combined 1-12 with 12 strikeouts and a run. Pathetic. These are the guys who should already have 5 or 6 homers with 15 RBI (at least). Instead, they are grounding into double plays or just striking out.
If the Angels hope to contend for a Western division title this year, they had better stop giving guys like Haren and Pineiro the Dan Haren Treatment.
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Fact: I started writing this in the top of the 10th, knowing full well Fernando Rodney (or someone else) would blow it in the bottom of the frame, giving us yet another extra inning loss....
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