Angels Answer Adversity (62/81)

Down 5-4 in the bottom on the ninth, playoff hopes slowly slipping away, the Angels were down to their final two outs. As cliché as it sounds, the Angels were not going to go down without a fight.

With one out in the ninth, Erick Aybar was hit by a pitch then proceeded to steal second. Alberto Callaspo was up next and then walked to put the go-ahead run on first base.

21-year-old rookie phenom, Mike Trout, stepped up to the plate. With the pressure on, Trout quickly found his way into a 0-2 count. Not to be rattled, the undisputed Rookie of the Year showed composure extending far beyond his years and roped a broken bat single, that had more spin than a carnival ride, up the middle for an RBI base hit.

Thanks to Trout's clutch hit, the Angels were now tied at 5-a-piece with runners at the corners and only one out. Angel's veteran, Torii Hunter stepped up to the plate with the game on the line and hit a long fly ball that allowed Callaspo to score from third and the fireworks to explode. The Angels had beaten the Boston Red Sox for the fourth time in 7 days with a final score of 6-5.

The Angels had done it. They did not fold under the pressure of a ninth-inning deficit. With this kind of tenacity, clutch, and a little bit of luck, the Angels have a shot to erase their four and a half game deficit out of the Wild Card with 33 games left.

Angels Stumble Into A Win (11/81)

Didn't get to watch the game tonight, (damn you AT&T U-Verse dispute!) but I was able to follow the final stats during the 8th inning, or as Angels fans like to call it, "please don't use the bullpen~!"

Angels escaped away with this one by beating the Minnesota Twins 4-3 during Rally Monkey Beanie night at Angel Stadium.

Desperate to never use the bullpen again, manager Mike Scioscia let his pitchers pitch throw at least 108 pitches for the fourth straight day trying to get as much mileage from them as possible. It's early in the season, and pitchers need to save their arms for late in the season when it really counts, but the Angels are in win-now mode. Anything less than a 10-run lead is risky to turn over to the bullpen. Actually, don't be surprised if Scioscia allows his starters to throw a complete game if the Angels are ever up to 10 runs at any point in this season.

Torii Power

With offensive threat, Mark Trumbo, getting the night off it was up to Torii Hunter to do the damage to his former team. Hunter drove in 3 runs this evening, including two off a blast that ended up being his 3rd home run in 4 days despite not hitting one for the previous 19 games. Catcher Chris Iannetta also went yard to extended the lead to 4-0, a lead that actually held.

Trouble in the Late Innings? No Surprise.

I think all of us listening to the game were holding our breath when we saw LaTroy Hawkins enter the game when C.J. Wilson got into trouble in the 8th. After giving up 3 runs, Hawkins got the out, and then Scioscia, with his smartest move of the season, brought in Scott Downs to get a four-out save, his second in as many chances. Looks like the Angels have found their new closer.


Final Thoughts:

As much as I'll miss the firing 9th inning power brought in by the cannon arm known as Jordan Walden, I think having Scott Downs close out games is the best thing for the Angels right now. They need a guy who is dependable with the game on the line, and Downs has proven his mettle as an Angel. When you lose late-inning leads, morale takes a hit, and the Angels can't suffer any hits to what is left of the little morale they have left right now.

Walden has been wild since Spring Training, so him losing the job was no surprise, but it is interesting that Angels are shopping for a closer. I think a strong middle relief guy is what they need. Someone who can transition to the late innings, but if this leads to Trumbo getting shipped out for a guy like Grant Belflour, then I will be up in arms against the Angels.

I've got a bad feeling about this search for a new closer business.