A's Snap Angels Winning Streak (68/81)

We all knew the Angels weren't going to go undefeated for the rest of the season, but for a few times over the past two weeks, it sure looked like it. Dan Haren threw a solid game, but the Angels lineup was cooled down by Oakland rookie, Jarrod Parker, while Haren took the 3-1 loss.

The Angels have been playing out of their minds recently, doing everything they can to make the playoffs. After last night's loss, they are still only 1.5 games out of the Wild Card in a race that might very well end with four teams tied for the Wild Card. MLB will have their hands full with 3 one-game playoffs if that happens, and it won't be pretty. At the very least, the end of this season is shaping up to be just as exciting as last.

Playoff Atmosphere at the Big A (65/81)

As slim as the Angels chances are of making the postseason thanks to Oakland, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay all playing out of their minds right now, the Angels increased their chances astronomically with a walk-off, two-out single by Alberto Callaspo to beat the Detroit Tigers in a game that might as well have been the one game Wild Card playoff.

The Detroit Tigers, with their nightmare-inducing lineup and their flame-throwing starting pitchers, are THE scariest matchup in baseball right now. You never know when their team will explode for 10 runs a game (one of the biggest reasons their still in the Wild Card race), and it takes some skilled pitching to navigate those treacherous waters. Then Ervin Santana gave up 2 home runs.

Santana, who gave up solo home runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings, had Angels fans throwing up expletives early as Santana had blown an early 2-run lead. After that second home run though, Santana became a different person.

Santana kept the ball low, zeroed in on batters, then proceeded to tame the Tigers by striking out 10 batters in 6 2/3 innings. Despite giving up 34 long balls in the season, Santana has been throwing terrific in the last 8 games as he tries to carry his Angels team to the playoffs and earn himself a new contract in the process. In the last 8 games, Santana is 7-1 and has given up no more than 5 hits a game. Yeah, the guy has still given up home runs (11), but he's lowered his ERA from an ugly 6.00 to a less ugly, but still ugly 5.20 in the process. It shows improvement and the Angels are going to need improvement from every one of their starting pitchers down the stretch, especially with Jered Weaver going down for an undisclosed amount of time with shoulder tendinitis.

Every game from here on out is going to have a playoff atmosphere around it. Scioscia showed it last night by using 4 pitchers in 4 batters to face the matchups despite having a tie game. Angels have to do everything they can to win, and over the past two weeks, they've sure been living up to that.

Boston Swept Out The Door (63, 64/81)

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. For years, the Boston Red Sox have been a perennial playoff contender and a pain in the Angels backside. After their late season collapse last year, followed by the removal of their long-time manager and excommunication of half their roster, the Red Sox are a shell of their former selves.

The latest addition to the Red Sox, soft-hitting first baseman, James Loney, above, stares longingly at a team going in the opposite direction. Just one week ago, he was part of another playoff contending Los Angeles team (Dodgers) and now resides near the cellar of the AL East.

Thanks to their last two sweeps against the Red Sox in less than 2 weeks, the Angels are making that desperate push to reach the final AL Wild Card spot. Unfortunately for them, as the Angels have won, so has every other team in contention.

In the last ten games, while the Angels have gone 7-3, the Oakland A's have gone 9-1, the Detroit Tigers 6-4, and the only team with a losing record that had the top WC spot locked in a few days ago is the Tampa Bay Rays with 4-6. It may be a game of inches, but the Angels are slowly starting to gain ground.

Angels sWEPT (59, 60, 61/81)

Like most Angels fans, I spent the whole weekend in denial and trying to figure out what is wrong with the Angels. How could a team with so much talent fall into such a deep spiral?

The Angels got swept in four games by the Tampa Bay Rays this past weekend, a team that the Angels are racing against for the second AL Wild Card spot. The thing that has been so frustrating about their 7-13 run through August is that there is no excuses. Angels no longer have anyone on the disabled list and no one on the team seems to be going under a prolonged slump, so what's wrong?

The Angels have averaged 5.25 runs a game for the month of August, but Angels pitchers have also given up 6.85 runs per game during that same period. August has easily been the Angel's worst month, but compared to May (their best month when they went 18-11) they only averaged 3.75 runs per game, but pitchers only gave up 3.34 runs per game. The pattern here seems to be that good early season pitching was able to carry a struggling offense, but a good offense at the end of the season has done nothing to make up for the pitcher's failures.

I think everyone is asking at this point, what is wrong with the pitchers? They're healthy, but lacking confidence. They're trying to do too much and over-thinking their pitches. The past month has resulted in too many walks and too many balls left over the plate that have turned into home runs. For crying out loud, the Angel's most consistent pitcher over the last few weeks has been none other than fat face, Ervin Santana, although he might have an explanation for that. What is different with the pitchers now that wasn't there back in May and June? I don't think anyone outside of the Angels clubhouse can answer that one, and I would bet money that they can't answer it either.