Mentor’s effect is still felt
Ervin Santana will start the Angels’ third game of the season tonight against Minnesota, following Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders.
It’s a fitting trio of pitchers to open the season — all of them having been mentored in a way by departed ace John Lackey.
“It’s totally different (than a few years ago) when John had to lead three young guys,” said Weaver. “For me, Saunders and Santana, he set a tone. Now we all know what it’s like. We all know what a playoff atmosphere is like. There’s nobody holding anybody’s hands anymore.”
The Angels stuck with their first night batting order.
Jeff Mathis was behind the plate again, having earned the lead spot at catcher over slugger Mike Napoli with his defensive skills. It didn’t hurt that his first at-bat of the season was a home run Monday. He hit safely again Tuesday.
Click here to read the full article – By GREGG PATTON of The Press-Enterprise
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Angels are stuck with Matthews
It is the one deal the Angels simply can’t avoid this offseason, the one acquisition that never has been more obvious than it is today.
We’re talking, of course, about the signing of Gary Matthews Jr.
No, not again, but the first time, which, much like the undying TV career of Tim McCarver, has turned out to be more than enough for everyone.
Painfully more.
No matter what the Angels do or don’t do during the next two months, Matthews and the $23 million they still owe him will keep getting in the way. With each passing day, his signing becomes more and more a case of subtraction through addition.
By winning the 2002 World Series, former General Manager Bill Stoneman left a legacy with the Angels. By acquiring Matthews, he left an odor.
Click here to read the full article – By JEFF MILLER of THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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Morales proving value day after day
After winning the American League Player of the Month honors after setting the Angels’ club record with 33 RBIs in August, first baseman Kendry Morales suddenly fell into a rut in early September.
The switch-hitter went into a 3-for-28 skid and all of the talk about being a legitimate American League Most Valuable Player candidate began to lose a bit of its steam.
Morales was even held out of the Angels’ starting lineup on Monday to get a day of rest and to clear his head of his recent slump.
But Morales was still called on to pinch-hit in the seventh inning against the Yankees and he delivered a towering home run to right field off reliever Brian Bruney in the Angels’ 5-2 win.
And then he followed that up with a 4-for-4 performance with a walk the next day, and he was swinging the bat like he did just a few weeks earlier. Morales even singled in his first at-bat on Wednesday to reach base safely in seven straight plate appearances over three days.
Click here to read the full article – By Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com
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Santana’s progress key to Angels
Even though his club’s magic number to clinch the American League West is just six with nearly two weeks left in the regular season, Angels manager Mike Scioscia still isn’t quite ready to talk about the postseason.
Scioscia simply won’t talk about potential postseason matchups or his possible postseason rotation until the day his team officially clinches a division title for the fifth time in six years.
“We’re not popping the champagne yet,” Scioscia said. “We’ve got to get there, and we’ve got our work cut out for us to reach our first goal. Right now, we have tough games all the way through, so we have to keep focused on where we’re going.”
Click here to read the full article – By Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com
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Angels gear up for showdown in Arlington
When it comes to defense, Torii Hunter speaks with a certain authority. Eight consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Awards provide that, as does an errorless streak spanning 264 regular-season games, dating back to Aug. 31, 2007.
When Hunter — the club’s unofficial captain — exhorts his Angels teammates to tighten the screws, straighten up and fly right, you assume they’ll respond.
“As a team, us, we need to play a lot better,” Hunter said as the Angels were preparing for a three-game American League West showdown against Texas at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. “We need to play the game we know how to play.
“Don’t try to do too much. Don’t get caught up in the hype. Just play the game. We’ve been making mistakes that aren’t like us. We’ll clean it up. We’re going to be better.”
Click here to read the full article – By Lyle Spencer of MLB.com
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Abreu has made Angels more patient
It’s no secret that the Angels were a free-swinging bunch in 2008. Their 3.65 pitches seen per plate appearance was the lowest mark in the American League and the club drew the third-fewest walks in the league. It translated to an offense that scored just the 11th-most runs in the AL last year.
But this season, it’s all changed as the team’s 3.88 pitches seen per plate appearance is the fourth-best mark in the league and it is currently sixth in the league in walks. And of course, it’s well-known that the Angels have led the Majors in runs most of the season and currently trail just the Yankees in that category.
The strange thing, however, is that the Angels’ lineup hasn’t changed much since last season.
Click here to read the full article – By Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com
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Active Hunter up for Clemente Award
Center fielder Torii Hunter is the Angels’ nominee for the 2009 Roberto Clemente Award.
The award recognizes the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team. It is named in honor of the former Pirates outfielder, whose spirit and goodwill will always be remembered. Clemente died in a plane crash while attempting to transport relief supplies to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua on Dec. 31, 1972.
Click here to read the full article – By Lyle Spencer of MLB.com
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John Lackey earns 100th victory with Angels
These are the glory days for the Angels. They used to go decades without a playoff appearance. Now they go to the playoffs just about every year.
When fans look back upon this era of excellence, John Lackey figures to be the starting pitcher who comes to mind. He earned his 100th win for the Angels on Sunday, joining Chuck Finley, Nolan Ryan, Frank Tanana and Mike Witt in that distinguished club.
“It’s a big deal,” Lackey said. “The list is pretty short of guys who have done it in this uniform. Those are some pretty big names. It’s cool to be in the same sentence with those guys.”
Click here to read the full article – By BILL SHAIKIN of Los Angeles Times
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Saunders hopes rest pays off
Over the last few years, starting pitching has been one of the main reasons the Angels have been so competitive in the American League West.
After all, from 2006 to 2008, the Angels’ starting pitchers ranked second in both the American League and the Majors with an averaged ERA of 4.17. And that was a major reason why the club won the division in both 2007 and 2008.
But this year has been about the offense for the Angels, with the club leading the Majors in runs scored, while the starting pitching hasn’t been as strong.
Click here to read the full article – By Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com
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Lackey sets sights on win No. 100
Chuck Finley, Nolan Ryan, Mike Witt and Frank Tanana. It’s an exclusive club — Angels pitchers with 100 or more victories — and John Lackey is on the verge of joining.
With a victory in the series finale against the Indians, Lackey will reach triple digits in wins in his career: 100, on the nose.
“It puts me in a certain class in the time I’ve been here, especially with the time I’ve missed the last two years,” Lackey said. “It means I’ve been out there, for the most part, and productive.”
Lackey has absorbed only 68 losses with his 99 wins, and his career ERA is 3.80 across 1,443 innings since making his Major League debut during the 2002 World Series championship run.
Click here to read the full article – By Lyle Spencer of MLB.com
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