Angels Overcome Struggles to Stay in Hunt for October (VIDEO)

A couple of weekends ago, when Huston Street blew a save, with the Astros scoring 5 runs in the top of 9th inning, I'd pretty much given up on the Angels. I didn't even turn on the television a couple of nights when Anaheim was at Seattle.

So imagine my pleasant surprise at the heart these guys had during this week's series against the Astros, and before that, the Twins. The team is 1 1/2 games behind Houston in the wildcard race, and 4 games behind the Rangers for the lead in the American League West. The last home stand, the first week of October, is against Texas, so it should be exiting all the way down to the wire.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Angels overcome distractions, slumps and struggles to stay in playoff hunt":

The Angels haven't exactly thrived in this season of tumult, which began with Josh Hamilton's substance-abuse relapse, banishment and trade to Texas, included General Manager Jerry Dipoto's abrupt resignation July 1 and a brutal August in which they went 10-19 and averaged fewer than three runs a game.

They are 78-74, the mediocre record a reflection of the struggles of several pitchers and players they were counting on and injuries to pitcher C.J. Wilson, third baseman David Freese, second baseman Johnny Giavotella and first baseman Albert Pujols.

But they've survived, and with 10 games left they are 1 1/2 games behind Houston for the second American League wild-card spot entering Friday night's game against Seattle in Anaheim.

"These guys have filtered out every distraction and just came in and played ball," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "We're definitely proud of that. There's a lot of veteran leadership in there, and the coaching staff has been incredible in keeping these guys where they need to be."

That the Angels are still alive is a testament to their resolve, the talents of high-end performers such as Mike Trout, Kole Calhoun, Erick Aybar, Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney and Huston Street and the maturation of rookies Carlos Perez and Trevor Gott.

And it helps that the other wild-card challengers — Houston, Minnesota, Baltimore and Cleveland — are every bit as flawed as the Angels, with holes in their lineups, rotations and bullpens that make them susceptible to uneven play.

But as the Kansas City Royals proved again last October, it doesn't matter how you get to the postseason.

"Anything can happen then," Freese said. "You look back on the season and wish you did this or that early on; it's just human nature to do that. But when you're in a position to get in, that's all you can ask for."

The Angels are 13-8 in September and coming off two pressure-packed, one-run wins in Houston that imbued them with the confidence and mettle to win playoff-like games. They're heating up at the right time.

Keep reading.

Blue Jays Rout #Angels 12-5, Sweep Series

Following-up, "#Angels Fall Out of Contention in American League West."

So, the Angels got off to an exiting start on Sunday, scoring 5 runs on the bottom of the first, and looking like their pre-All Star game selves. But it wasn't to be.

At LAT, "Angels' promising start fades quickly in Toronto rout":

After Sunday's 12-5 shellacking administered by the Toronto Blue Jays, the Angels did not open their clubhouse for about 30 minutes after the final out, an unusually long delay.

Before anyone went in or out, there were problems to work through.

"We talked about a couple things," Manager Mike Scioscia said.

There was a lot to talk about. Sunday was the Angels' fourth loss in a row, a stretch in which they've been outscored 44-12. Even for the high-octane Blue Jays, the weekend was unprecedented: Never before has Toronto scored 36 runs in a three-game series.

In the field, the Angels committed two more errors, making six on the series. The offense finally asserted itself, then shrunk back over the final 25 outs. For good measure, there was a base-running gaffe.

The Angels have slid to third place in the American League West, 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Houston Astros, and 1 1/2 behind the Texas Rangers in the wild card.

Facing that, the team held its closed-door post-mortem. But the problem, said Scioscia, is not one of work ethic or confidence.

"I'm not going to comment on what was said and what we're trying to accomplish," Scioscia said. "But there's no doubt that the confidence that this team has, has to show up on the field."

"The leadership in there is fine," Scioscia added.

Afterward, at his locker, first baseman Albert Pujols declined to speak about the meeting.

"That's not your guys' business," he said.

He declined to speak about any building frustration.

"Frustration? Why?" he said. "It's a tough weekend. Now you're going to put words in my mouth? I'm done talking."

Little could be said that the Angels' play didn't say already. Sunday's start did actually inspire hope. In their first trip through the lineup, the Angels batted 1.000. They tagged knuckleballer R.A. Dickey for five runs in the first inning, powered in part by a run-scoring single from C.J. Cron, a run-scoring double from Caleb Cowart and a run-scoring triple from Mike Trout. They led 5-1.

The Blue Jays would lead by the third inning.

Right-hander Garrett Richards gave up runs in the first four innings. For the first three, the Blue Jays mostly singled him into submission, but in the fourth, Jose Bautista blasted a home run so far that Richards already had the next baseball and had returned to the rubber by the time it landed, some 440 feet away...

More at that top link.

#Angels Fall Out of Contention in American League West

Well, I'm calling it: Unless the Angels turn things around right now, starting today, and throughout this week, they're done. They're 4 1/2 games out of first place, behind the Houston Astros, and they're three games back in the wild card race. It's dire and depressing, consider how the Angels were the best in baseball before the All-Star break.

The Toronto Blue Jays destroyed the Halos last night in a 15-3 killer rout at Anaheim Stadium. If it'd been a boxing match the ref would have stopped the fight, so says Kevin Baxter at the Los Angeles Times, "Angels' awful August gets no better":

With the Houston Astros threatening to turn the American League West race into a rout, this is probably as good a time as any to assess the Angels’ situation.

Spoiler alert: It’s not a good one.

After Saturday’s 15-3 shellacking by the Toronto Blue Jays, the defending division champions trail Houston by 4 1/2 games, their biggest deficit since July 3. And with Texas beating Detroit earlier in the day, the Angels aren’t even in position to claim a wild-card playoff berth since the Rangers have passed them in both the division standings and in the battle for the second and final consolation invitation to the postseason.

And that left fuses a little short in the Angels dugout. After giving up two hits in a scoreless -- and largely meaningless -- ninth inning, reliever Huston Street lit his, screaming at everything and everyone in the Angel dugout.

“I hate losing. I hate losing like this,” Street said after regaining his composure. ”Sometimes you just have to get in people’s . . . .

“This is frustrating. There needs to be a sense of urgency. Guys need to feel that. And I wanted people to at least hear or feel it. Because it’s time.”

That’s what one brutal month can do to your season -- and your closer’s temper. On July 23, the Angels woke up with a two-game division lead and a record that was 14 games over .500.

On Sunday they woke up in third place for the first time since June, tied for the fewest wins in the league this month and fading faster than Chris Christie’s presidential hopes.

“I’ll be concerned when we’re eliminated,” Street said. “That doesn’t change the fact that you get mad. We’re better than what we’re playing. We’re making silly mistakes, silly errors, silly decisions with the baseball.

“We’re a better baseball team than this. You have to hate to lose. It’s sickening really.”

Saturday’s game was a good CliffsNotes version of how things have gone lately for the Angels, who have endured three separate three-game losing streaks in August.

On the mound, they had rookie left-hander Andrew Heaney, arguably their best starter since the All-Star break. He lasted just 3 1/3 innings, the shortest start of his Angel career.

On one pitch in the third inning to Josh Donaldson, Heaney gave up more runs -- three -- than he had surrendered in nine of his previous 10 starts. And by the time he left the game one out into Toronto’s seven-run fourth inning, he had been tagged for a career-worst eight runs.

That helped the Blue Jays take a 10-0 lead before the Angels had their second hit. Toronto would go on to set season highs for runs and hits (20). If the game had been a title fight, the referee would have stopped it. Not only have Angels been defenseless lately, giving up 32 runs in their last three games, but they’ve been punchless this month as well: Their .213/.272/.344 slashline is the worst in baseball in August.

Manager Mike Scioscia tried to shake the team from its lethargy by shaking up his batting order, moving Kole Calhoun, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols up one place each and batting David Murphy (seven home runs, 34 runs batted in) cleanup.

But Scioscia admitted it would take more than that to turn around the team.

“We need to just take this one step at a time and get simple with a lot of the things we’re doing. And hopefully get back into our game,” he said.

Keep reading.

Yay! The #Angels Finally Win One!

Well, I wasn't optimistic last night when the Angels went up 2-1 after a C.J. Cron solo home run in the seventh inning. Frankly, Huston "Blown Save" Street makes me nervous, but he was able to nail it down for the win last night.

Okay, here comes Huston 'Blown Save' Street. Let's see if we can avoid another cluster tonight. #Angels

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 18, 2015

Yay! #Angels finally win one!

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) August 18, 2015

At the O.C. Register, "C.J. Cron hits key homer in Angels' much-needed 2-1 win over White Sox."

And watch, at MLB, "8/17/15: Cron hits go-ahead homer to give Angels win."

#Angels Have Lost 17 of Last 23 Games, and Went 1-6 on Latest Road Trip

It's depressing.

The Angels were the hottest time in baseball before the All-Star break. Now it looks like they're heading into an epic post-All Star break collapse.

Last night Kole Calhoun hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning, but Huston "Blown Save" Street" couldn't close the deal. Former Angel Kendrys Morales hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth.

Angel Manager Mike Scioscia needs to do something --- anything! --- to get this team back on track. This is ridiculous.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Angels fall to Royals, 4-3, in 10 innings, finish trip 1-6."

Manager Mike Scioscia Says Angels Can Turn Things Around After Losing 9 of Last 10 Games

They better turn things around.

It's looking like one of the worst post-All Star Game meltdowns in history.

At the O.C. Register, "Scioscia believes Angels can 'turn the page' on current streak."

And watch, from MLB, "8/2/15: Andre Ethier leads Dodgers to sweep Angels in walk-off win."

Mike Trout Hits Grand Slam Into 'Trout Net' in 13-7 Win Over Rangers at Angel Stadium (VIDEO)

Folks are starting to describe Mike Trout with words like "magical" and "historic."

He's still only 23-years-old.

At Bleacher Report, "Mike Trout Crushes Grand Slam, Ball Lands in Fan's 'Trout Net'."

And at the O.C. Register, "Angels star Mike Trout's grand slam caught in the 'Trout Net'":

ANAHEIM – Just when we all might think that Mike Trout’s heroics can’t possibly get any more spectacular, the Angels’ reigning AL MVP did something magical Sunday once again.

In the sixth inning of the Angels victory over the Texas Rangers, Trout blasted Spencer Patton’s 93 mph, down-and-in fastball into the Angel Stadium bleachers in right center field for a grand slam.

But this was a grand slam dunk, the home run landing in the 2-foot-diameter netted basket of the “Trout Net” sign held high by Angels fan Jonathan Plaza, who was standing in the second row of the stands in Section 240.

Trout’s grand slam, the third of his career, gave the Angels an six-run lead en route to a 13-7 victory. It was Trout’s second home run of his 4-for-4 day, and his league-leading 31st of the season.

Just before Trout came to the plate with the bases loaded, Plaza, 25, of Santa Ana, borrowed back his homemade net sign from the young fans standing in the row in front of him.

“I said, ‘Let me have it back because I have a hunch something’s going to happen,’” Plaza recalled. “Then Trout hit it. I saw the ball. It was going deep. I jumped up with the sign and I caught it.”

This was the first home run Plaza has ever caught, but not the first baseball Trout has been sending his way.

Plaza and his son, Alexander, who turns 4 in September, have made their Trout Net a ballpark fixture since this season’s home opener. That was the first day they came with their sign, a red-netted ring topped by the white letters “Trout Net,” with Trout’s number, “27,” and photos of a diving Trout around the rim.

Alexander first held up the sign at the opener and several other home games. Trout has spotted the sign and made a habit of trying to lob baseballs into the net during warmups. Right fielder Kole Calhoun has also taken aim at the Trout Net.

Earlier this season, Trout posted a photo of Alexander with the Trout Net and the message, “I see you out there bud!” on Instagram.

"Magical."

See what I mean?

More at that top link.

And at the Los Angeles Times, "Mike Trout's grand slam leads Angels in 13-7 win over the Rangers."

After Awkward Exit, Josh Hamilton at Peace with the #Angels

From Helene Elliot, at the Los Angeles Times, "Rangers' Josh Hamilton is at peace, says he's not at odds with Angels":

#Angels lose, fall back into first-place tie with #Astros. Runs scored tonight: Josh Hamilton 2, Angels 2.

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) July 25, 2015

Josh Hamilton: "They booed me when I’m here, they boo me when I’m not here."

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) July 25, 2015

Josh Hamilton: booed in Texas in '13, Anaheim tonight. Albert Pujols would be "shocked" if he were booed in St Louis: http://t.co/ARNKPVOm7b

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) July 25, 2015

In explaining how #Angels wanted him far from team, Josh Hamilton dropped a Timbuktu reference: http://t.co/wmLYbMtiHg via @helenenothelen

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) July 25, 2015

Outfielder Josh Hamilton said he has found a sense of serenity in Texas, now that his brief and troubled stay as an Angel is behind him and he has been allowed to see his daughters since he filed for divorce from their mother. "I think that's been my biggest peace," he said, "to be able to focus on just my girls and baseball."

It's unlikely that his new tranquillity was greatly disturbed Friday in his first visit to Anaheim since the Angels traded him back to the Rangers in late April. Making his seventh straight start after recovering from hamstring and groin injuries, he was booed when he caught a fly ball in the first inning, drew jeers and cheers when he struck out swinging in the second inning, and triggered a similarly mixed reaction when he lined a double off the right-field fence in the fifth. "I wasn't dreading it," he said before Friday's game. "I'm not dreading it now."

There wasn't much to dread, really. The intensity of fans' emotions flared and faded quickly, perhaps signaling that like Hamilton — who hit only 31 home runs in two seasons with the Angels and experienced a substance abuse relapse last winter but escaped a suspension — they've moved on to a better emotional place.

"I hope it has worked out for him," Angels reliever Huston Street said. "I hope he's in a good place. More than anything, everybody in here wanted him to recover personally. Baseball aside, I think that was everybody's first priority."

Hamilton is batting .250 in 22 games after going two for four and scoring twice Friday. He has three home runs and eight runs batted in. He said he's feeling fine physically and mentally and is more comfortable in the batter's box since he has been playing consistently. He said he's happy being back with the Rangers, who lost him to the Angels on a five-year, $125-million free-agent deal, on which the Angels are still paying more than $60 million of the $80-plus-million that remained when they traded him back to Texas in April.

"Any time you spend time in a place, there's some sweat and work. It always means something coming back," he said during an informal pregame news conference in the Rangers' dugout. "But for a lot of years I played on this side against the Angels and went over there and played for a couple and back over here now. It feels normal to be on this side over here."

His path back there wasn't smooth. He said he had the blessing of then-Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto to undergo shoulder surgery in early February, even though it meant he wouldn't be ready for spring training. He went to Houston to rehab and await instructions on when to rejoin the team, not knowing the Angels didn't even designate a locker for him at their spring training facility in Tempe, Ariz.

"And as it got about a couple weeks before spring training, we asked when do they want me to show up and rehab and all that stuff," Hamilton said, referring to him and his agent, Mike Moye. "They said, 'Well, we don't want you to show up in the spring. You can rehab in Dallas, you can rehab in Houston, you can rehab in Timbuktu, just don't come.'"

That response, Hamilton said, left him "probably a little bit kind of scared, I guess you'd say, and fearful maybe as far as certainty and what was going on because after that there was no contact."

An Angels spokesman said Friday the club would have no comment. Dipoto did not return a message left by Times baseball writer Bill Shaikin...

I was angry at Hamilton's play as an Angel, but when I read up on him, and found out about his family troubles and lost promise, I became sympathetic. And then even more so when I saw how the Angels management trashed him and threw him aside like a used up cheeseburger wrapper. I can see why he has so much good will flowing his way now.

More.

And see, "Angels fall to Rangers and into tie with Astros for AL West lead."

#Angels Get Seven Runs in 2nd Inning in 11-1 Rout of #RedSox in Anaheim

Another one of those high-scoring days for the Angels.

At Los Angeles Times, "Angels power their way to 11-1 win over Red Sox in first game of doubleheader":

The Angels scored seven runs in a span of eight pitches in the second inning en route to an 11-1 blowout of the Boston Red Sox in the first game of a doubleheader in Angel Stadium on Monday.

All-Star left-hander Hector Santiago survived a 31-pitch first inning and made it through five laborious innings, allowing one run and eight hits, walking one and equaling his career-high with 10 strikeouts to improve to 7-4 with a 2.30 earned-run average, third-best in the American League.

Santiago threw 114 pitches, 77 for strikes, and worked his way out of two jams, striking out David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez with two on to end the first inning and whiffing Ryan Hanigan and Mookie Betts with the bases loaded to end the fourth.

Santiago has 108 strikeouts and 35 walks and has held opponents to a .153 average (11 for 72) with runners in scoring position this season.

Erick Aybar sparked the second-inning rally with a single to left field off Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez and took second on C.J. Cron’s one-out walk. Chris Iannetta singled to left to score Aybar.

Daniel Robertson followed with a first-pitch, run-scoring double over the head of Ramirez, the Boston left fielder who misplayed the ball badly. Johnny Giavotella hit a first-pitch, two-run single to center, and Kole Calhoun hit a first-pitch, two-run homer to right-center for a 6-0 lead.

Mike Trout’s two-pitch at-bat resulted in a line-out to third base, but Albert Pujols drove a 1-and-0 pitch over the wall in left-center for his 27th homer of the season and 547th of his career, moving the Angels slugger to within one of Mike Schmidt for 15th place on baseball’s all-time list.

The homer, which gave the Angels a 7-0 lead, was also Pujols’ 1,136th extra-base hit, tying him for 12th place with Ty Cobb on the all-time list.

The Red Sox snapped a 21-inning scoreless streak to start their four-game series in Anaheim when David Ortiz and Pablo Sandoval singled in the top of the fourth, and Mike Napoli hit an RBI single to center to make it 7-1.

But Sandoval’s fielding error at third base paved the way for the Angels to score four unearned runs off reliever Noe Ramirez in the bottom of the fourth. Aybar hit an RBI single and David Freese crushed a three-run homer to center that traveled an estimated 452 feet, the second-longest of his career.

The Angels, who have won 14 of 17 games and are 10-3 in July, can complete a four-game sweep of the Red Sox with a win in the second game Monday night.

Anaheim Angels Deploy Helicopter to Help Dry Playing Field Ahead of Today's Double-Header

At the Angels' Twitter feed, "Pulling out all the stops to prepare the field for today's doubleheader #AtTheBigA."

And from Mike DiGiovanna, "Heard #Angels had helicopter over OF this morning to help dry grass."

Heh, watch this Vine, "There is a helicopter in the outfield..."

And ICYMI, from yesterday's Los Angeles Times, "Angels' home game against Boston Red Sox is rained out, and that's rare."

Rained Out in Anaheim for the First Time Since 1995

Well, this is interesting.

You could see how hard it was raining on ESPN. Some brave fans were just hanging out sopping wet. Heh, ridiculous

At the O.C. Register, "Angels rained out at home for the first time in 20 years":

ANAHEIM – Mike Scioscia, the longest tenured manager in the majors, has seen plenty, but he hadn’t seen this.

The Angels had a home game postponed by rain on Sunday night, the first time since June 16, 1995, five years before Scioscia took over.

The teams will play a split-admission doubleheader on Monday, with the first game at 2 p.m. and the second at 7 p.m. It will be the first doubleheader at Angel Stadium since 2003, when they made up a game that had been rained out in Kansas City.

The last time the Angels made up a home rainout with a doubleheader was Aug. 5, 1988, against the Chicago White Sox.

The rare July storm delayed the 5 p.m. start of the game for about 2 ½ hours before it finally called. The grounds crew had spent about 45 minutes in the outfield, but they couldn’t clear enough of the standing water.

“Unfortunately you never really know how your drainage system works until you get enough water,” Scioscia said. “There is so much standing water in that outfield it has nowhere to go… The field was unplayable with no way to remedy it.”

Both teams will simply move Sunday’s scheduled starters to Monday’s first game, with Hector Santiago starting for the Angels against Boston’s Eduardo Rodriguez...

More.

Kole Calhoun Homers Twice, Garrett Richards Pitches Shutout, as Angels Blank Red Sox 3-0 at Angel Stadium

So I go down to get another beer in the third inning and Kole Calhoun blasts a home run as soon as I get in line. I'm like, "What the heck, heh?" But it was all cool because as soon as he gets up again he hit another blast to the right field seats in the fifth.

See Mike DiGiovanna, at the Los Angeles Times, "Garrett Richards goes the distance in Angels' 3-0 win over Red Sox." And also Jeff Fletcher, at the O.C. Register, "Angels' Garrett Richards throws 2-hit shutout; Kole Calhoun hits 2 homers."

Garrett Richards was spectacular. Before I knew it it was two outs and the bottom of the ninth and everybody starts standing at two strikes. I'm all, this is sweet!

We left home a little before 5:00pm, and it was starting to clear up. It rained pretty good for most of the early afternoon. You can see the tropical clouds over the Santa Ana mountains at the photo. We had some drizzle during the game, but nothing bothersome at all. Kinda fun, actually.

.@lamblock You can see the tropical weather we're having for #RedSox at #Angels. cc. @RSMcCain @Angels pic.twitter.com/hTEEtIgVct

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 19, 2015

In the beer line. #RedSox at #Angels. @lamblock pic.twitter.com/n4LqRhPX1S

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 19, 2015

Fantastic effort by Garrett Richards in 2-hit shutout of Red Sox courtesy of Kole Calhoun's 2 HRs for still surging #Angels

— Lyle Spencer (@LyleMSpencer) July 19, 2015

Everyone: It's not a complete game shutout. It's just a shutout. You can't pitch a shutout if you don't pitch a complete game. That is all

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) July 19, 2015

Angels' Garrett Richards throws 2-hit shutout; Kole Calhoun hits 2 homers http://t.co/olmRwhagDj

— Jeff Fletcher (@JeffFletcherOCR) July 19, 2015

Mike Trout Smashes 9th Inning Walk-Off Home Run in Angels' 1-0 Victory Over Red Sox

At MLB on YouTube, "7/17/15: Trout's walk-off blast lifts Angels to win."

And at the O.C. Register, "Final: Mike Trout's walk-off homer leads Angels to victory over Red Sox."

It was a pitchers' duel between Boston’s Wade Miley and Angels ace C.J. Wilson. I'm doodling around on my blog and my wife exclaims, "C'mon Trout!" And right as I look up he smashed the ball over the center-field fence. I scream at my wife, "Yeah, honey! Way to send the vibes out to Anaheim Stadium," as we both erupt in laughter.

We're heading out to the park tonight to catch Game 2 of the four-game series. Fireworks are scheduled for afterwords. We usually attend on the 4th of July, but the Angels were away to Arlington this year against the Rangers.

Check my on Twitter feed tonight and I'll probably post a couple of photos from the game.

Angels' Mike Trout is MVP Again as AL Wins All-Star Game 6-3

Pretty sweet.

At the O.C. Register:

CINCINNATI — The All-Star Game is designed to be so much of a spectacle that the baseball part of it is accordingly overlooked. There are hours of pregame festivities, dozens of celebrities introduced, before the annual showcase ever begins.

Angels center fielder Mike Trout minimized all of that with the second swing of Tuesday’s game, when he took a 94-mph fastball from National League starter Zack Greinke to the opposite field, just over the outfield wall for a leadoff home run.

“Driving balls like that is pretty impressive,” Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw said. “He’s the best, in my opinion.”

Kershaw was the loser in the American League’s 6-3 victory over the National League in the 86th iteration of the All-Star Game. Afterward, Trout was named the game’s MVP for the second consecutive season.

No major leaguer ever had been so honored.

It was Trout’s fourth All-Star appearance. In the first at-bat of his first one, he singled. In the first at-bat of his second one, he doubled, and in his third one, he tripled. Tuesday’s homer completed the thoroughly unusual feat, never before matched — never before thought of, probably.

Before the game, Angels teammate Albert Pujols joked with him: “Go up there first-pitch swinging and hit it opposite field.”

Trout said he would, so he kind of called his shot. But, as Pujols said, “he actually waited until five pitches in.”

Also at Deadspin, "Mike Trout, American League Win All-Star Game 6-3."

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Angels Surge in the Power Rankings!

The Angels scored over 30 runs in their sweep of the Rangers this weekend. It was astonishing. And folks are noticing.

At Sports Illustrated, "Power Rankings: Pirates up to No. 2, Angels, Cubs move into top 10":

Power Rankings: Angels soar into top 10, slumping Reds plummet. http://t.co/ApD1seNw0p pic.twitter.com/D61V55cCnL

— SI MLB (@si_mlb) July 6, 2015

It's been a dramatic turnaround for the Angels, who have ripped off wins in seven of their last eight games to pull to within three games of the Astros in the AL West and into first place in the wild card race. Despite the exit of general manager Jerry Dipoto after a reported power struggle with manager Mike Scioscia, Los Angeles went 5–1 last week, taking two of three from the Yankees in Anaheim before sweeping the Rangers in Texas.

It's been the offense carrying the Angels of late, especially against the Rangers. Los Angeles hitters battered Texas hurlers to the tune of 33 runs in three games, including a 13–0 rout on Saturday. The Angels' lineup is slowly showing signs of life beyond Mike Trout (a team-high 174 OPS+) and Albert Pujols (leading the club with 25 homers): Kole Calhoun tore opposing pitchers apart last week and has hit .308/.321/.654 in his last seven games, while Erick Aybar has hit a sterling .478 in his last 23 at-bats. Now the Angels need to get David Freese, C.J. Cron and Matt Joyce going as well.

Angels Beat the Rangers 13-0

My boys are on a roll.

At the O.C. Register, "Santiago, Angels dominate Rangers in 13-0 triumph":

ARLINGTON, Texas – Hector Santiago had let two of the first four men he faced reach base, and he was up to 18 pitches already, facing a 2-0 count to the Texas Rangers’ hottest hitter, Mitch Moreland.

The left-hander stepped off the mound. He picked up some dirt, rubbed it along it his right forearm to gain some grip in the muggy conditions, and bore down. The next two pitches he delivered were splendid, sinkers right on the outside corner, one on top of the other, each leaving Moreland no choice but to take them for a called strike.

That didn’t get him out of the jam — Moreland fouled off the next four offerings in a row — but it showed Santiago had settled in. Finally, on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, he threw another of the same sinker, Moreland grounded into an out, and the Rangers’ offense went kaput for the night.

In the latest of an improbable string of dominant starts that seem poised to send him to next week’s All-Star Game, Santiago finished seven scoreless innings as the Angels backed him with a torrent of offense in a 13-0 Independence Day rout of Texas.

For much of the night, it seemed the Angels could not stop scoring. They put up three runs in the second, one apiece in the third and fourth, six in the sixth and two in the eighth. Everybody had a hit except Mike Trout. Erick Aybar and C.J. Cron had three each, with six runs driven in by Cron alone. He homered, as did Kole Calhoun.

The Angels reached base 24 times in all, notching a season-high 17 hits. They went down in order only once. When batting with runners in scoring position, they recorded as many hits as outs.

In his first two at-bats, Erick Aybar singled and then doubled, stretching his hit streak to seven consecutive at-bats after his 5-for-5 day Friday. With a walk on Wednesday, Aybar had reached base in eight straight trips to the plate — half the all-time major-league record, held by Ted Williams. Bobby Grich owns the Angel record at 12, set in 1984. Aybar did eventually make an out.

Santiago struck out three and walked one in his seven innings, throwing 104 times. He used all his pitches, even the screwball, relying repeatedly on his improved breaking balls.

“He had really good life on his fastball,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “He moved it around, mixed in a couple changeups, a couple breaking balls, really pitched ahead in the count most of the night.”

Erick Aybar Goes 5-5 as #Angels Rout #Rangers 8-2 at Arlington

Hella game last night.

Hopefully the Angels will keep it up, especially considering all the dissension in the clubhouse.

.@Erickaybar had himself a night with his first career five-hit game in an #Angels win. http://t.co/HoixR5bd0t pic.twitter.com/S83BhyG8fP

— Angels (@Angels) July 4, 2015

Arte Moreno's #Angels Have Become the Object of National Ridicule

A brutal commentary, form Bill Plaschke, at the Los Angeles Times, "Angels' Arte Moreno took Mike Scioscia's side, let Jerry Dipoto walk":

Call it the most expensive beer discount in baseball history.

On that fateful May afternoon in 2003 when Arte Moreno was introduced as the third owner in Angels history, he immediately won friends by reducing the price of his stadium's $8.50 bleacher beer.

"I can do that, can't I?" he charmingly asked at the time.

He can, and he did, and everyone loved him for it. Yet in the dozen years since then, Angels fans have paid a steep price for embracing the man whose tenure has been marked not by cheaper booze, but by chaos and dysfunction.

Moreno bought a team that had just won a World Series, yet he has not been to a World Series since, and has mostly made his mark with misguided decisions often based on impulsive emotions marked by anger.

Moreno enraged the Anaheim faithful by adding the name "Los Angeles" to the team name, even though Los Angeles still barely pays attention. He has attempted to bully the city of Anaheim into a better stadium deal at taxpayer expense. He signed Albert Pujols to a 10-year, $240-million contract that prevented the improvement of his roster in other areas and, even with Pujols' big numbers this year, will never be worth the money. He threw away $60 million to angrily dump Josh Hamilton, an admitted alcohol and drug addict, for briefly succumbing to his illness.

And now, in a move Wednesday that was stunning even for what has become The Not-so-Happiest Place on Earth, Moreno allowed a cultural rift between tradition-bound Manager Mike Scioscia and analytics-minded General Manager Jerry Dipoto to escalate into Dipoto's departure in the middle of a potential playoff season.

That's right, the baseball boss of a team that last season finished with the best record in baseball, and this season was 41-37 and only four games out of first place in the American League West, just packed up and bolted this week with three months left on the schedule and one month until the trading deadline.

And Moreno, who has long supported Scioscia, did nothing substantial to stop him.

Seriously? When is the last time this has happened in baseball? In a sport of old-school values and rituals in which warring front-office factions often hunker down for the good of the team, Dipoto's departure was stunning. But then again, this is how it happens with Moreno's Angels, an organization he runs with such impetuousness it has become the object of national ridicule...

Angels baseball is my main break from the national cultural insanity. It's a bummer that Arte Moreno has to constantly remind people that he's kinda insane himself.

I just want these guys to win. They've got so much talent and promise. They probably would've swept the Yankees had it not been for the controversy yesterday, which needless to say was a major distraction.

Continue reading, in any case.

Great Baseball Game Last Night at Anaheim Stadium

Last night's game reminded me of the Athletics' 2014 wildcard game against the Kansas City Royals, which saw five lead changes before the Royals went on to beat the A's 9-8 in the 12th inning.

The Angels' Cole Calhoun was the star, with a dramatic 8th-inning home run to take the lead.

At LAT, "Kole Calhoun delivers on his bobblehead night in 5-4 win over A's."

And at MLB on YouTube, "6/12/15: Trout, Calhoun homer late as Halos top A's."

Albert Pujols Homers Twice, Mike Trout and David Freese Also Go Yard, in #Angels 7-3 Victory Over Tampa Bay

The boys are on fire, finally.

At the O.C. Register, "Final: Trout and Pujols homer to lead Angels over Rays, 7-3."

#HaloRecap: #Angels keep their bats hot with home runs from @PujolsFive, @MikeTrout & @Freeser6 in tonight's victory! pic.twitter.com/BrIQeyHrh0

— Angels (@Angels) June 2, 2015