Series Rewind: Die Another Day – Angels Take Series From Rangers

An Angel series win over the Rangers in which the Halos stave off the official death of their season for a few more days, salvaging some pride in the process.

Game 1 – Angels 7, Rangers 4

Game 2 – Angels 2, Rangers 0

Game 3 – Rangers 2, Angels 1

Los Angeles Angels of AWESOMENESS

• This series pretty much means nothing in the grand scheme of things, but the Halos should still be feeling pretty good about themselves.  If Texas had won two games in this series, the Angels would have been officially mathematically eliminated from post-season contention, but the Halos showed they weren’t ready to roll over just yet.  Even better, they did their part to hasten the downward spiral that the Rangers seem to be going into just in time to set them up for another post-season flameout for that franchise.  I guess it can be fun to play the spoiler sometimes.
• I need a minute here.  It is just so hard to write with all these tears in my eyes.  I know Ian Kinsler got hit hard by a wild Fernando Rodney pitch back on Monday, but it still just has me all broken up.  Seriously, I couldn’t think of a better person for the Halos plunk.  I don’t like a lot of guys on the Rangers, but I really hate that punk ass Kinsler.  I wasn’t kidding though about the tears, I was crying after he got hit.  At first they were tears of joy, but then they were tears of sorrow after it turned out that he as going to be OK.  Geez, Rodney can’t do anything right, can he?
• Four starts for Hank Conger and two shutouts caught, giving him a catcher’s ERA of 1.50 for his young career.  He even capped his fine evening by crushing a ball to right center that missed being a homer by about an inch, giving us our first real taste of the kind of power the kid possesses.  A few more games like that Mike Scioscia might anoint have no choice but to anoint him the 2011 Opening Day starting catcher before the 2010 season is even over.
• Brandon Wood didn’t do much at the plate this series, but he might have done the Angels a favor by making a few nice defensive plays at shortstop.  Wood probably doesn’t have much trade value right now, but he is building some up with his stint at shortstop.  If he can convince some team that he can handle that premium position, they might be more inclined to take a chance on him than they would if he was thought of only as a third baseman.

Los Angeles Angels of FAIL

• What was with Torii pulling up running down the line in the 8th inning for Friday’s game?  That uncharacteristic display of apathy could very well have cost the Angels the game since a run would have scored had he ran hard the whole way down the line.  It sure didn’t look like he was injured or anything, but rather that he just was so disheartened by his inability to come through in the clutch that he just kind of gave up.  If that was really the case, then maybe Scioscia needs to start giving him more days off because he is clearly taking this tough season far too hard right now.
• OK, I give up on the whole Trumbo thing, it clearly isn’t happening.  I don’t know why he can’t get a start, but now there are just 11 games left in the season, leaving the Halos almost no time to get a real evaluation of him, unless they suddenly begin playing him everyday, which seems highly unlikely.
• What makes the Trumbo thing even funnier is that Angels keep dropping like flies due to injuries.  Aybar was lost just before this series, and now it looks like Alberto Callaspo might be done as well after getting hit by a pitch on his ankle Monday night.  That makes it highly likely that the left side of the Angel infield the rest of the season will be composed of Brandon Wood and Kevin Frandsen.  Yikes.
• Did I miss a memo mandating that the Angels must play an extra innings game in every single series?  With Wednesday’s extra inning affair, the Halos have now played in one extra inning game in each of their last five series.  C’mon guys, the season is almost over; quit milking it and just get this thing wrapped up so we can start the Carl Crawford countdown.
• I’m sorry, but I am going to have to go ahead and revoke David Murphy’s 5-for-5 game.  That couldn’t have been more BS.  I don’t think any of his hits even reached the outfield on the fly.  I guess it is better to be lucky than good sometimes.

Halo Hero of the Series

This was easily Ervin Santana’s best outing of the season and one fully deserving of the Halo Hero.  He had a very good Texas lineup looking totally baffled, striking out eight and not allowing an extra-base hit.  But it wasn’t the lack of runs or all the whiffs that won Ervin the award.  It was his ability to go the distance that sealed the deal, if only because it meant one Fernando Rodney free night for Angel fans to suffer through.  Thanks, Ervin.  My stomach ulcer really appreciated the night off.