Guerrero will be earning $15 million in 2009 while Lackey will be picking up $9 millon.

Anderson will be earning a $3 million buyout after the club declined his $14 million option.

The Angels also announced that 34-year-old outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. will have surgery Tuesday to repair the patella tendon in his left knee, and catcher Mike Napoli will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder

As much sucess as the Red Sox have had against the Angels in the postseason; particularly John Lackey, nobody in the ballpark had that losing feeling last night at the beginning of the night. The Angels aren’t pushing the panic button yet after their 4-1 loss to last year’s champs at Angel Stadium last night, but there are some things to think about. The lineup that looks so much more dominant than last years’ in comparison managed only one run against the Red Sox farm system of pitchers: Jon Lester, Justin Masterson, and Jonathan Papelbon. Jacoby Ellsbury made perhaps a game-saving catch and also collected 3 hits, and Jed Lowrie, although he made an error, also made a couple of nice plays in  the field. Overall, the young Red Sox overmatched the Halos and the team has a day off to think about it.

“It’s only one game,” Vladimir Guerrero said through a translator. “We have to keep our heads up and go forward, play the game the way we can.”

Vladdy’s baserunning blunder would cost the Angels late in the ballgame, but let’s start from the very beginning.

The pitching matchup of this game was set to be a good one: Jon Lester against our own John Lackey. Lester was making the start in this game as the Sox’ injury-plagued ace Josh Beckett, is set to pitch in Game 3 at Fenway Park. John Lackey had struggled big time against the Red Sox in the past postseasons, and was not planning on getting blown out on this one. In the first inning, Jacoby Ellsbury would lead off the game with a booming double, but Lackey got 3 ground balls to retire the side. The Angels would also strand baserunners in the first, as Jon Lester would get out of trouble despite allowing 2 hits and a walk. After an uneventful next couple of innings, Jon Lester would blink first. With Garret Anderson on second and Vladimir Guerrero on first, Torii Hunter would drive in Anderson with a single to left field. Lackey’s postseason start against the Red Sox had so far been very succesful. When you have a small lead though, and you make one mistake, you’re going to be in trouble. Lackey had struck out Jason Bay twice with curveballs, making Bay look foolish each time.

“You can’t throw the same pitch every time,” Lackey said. “This is the big leagues.”

With 2 outs in the sixth and Kevin Youkillis aboard on first, Jason Bay recieved a fat fastball and absolutely crushed it, shattering the noise of the then-excited Angels fans. The only ones you could hear were the Red Sox fans. Yes, they were here too.

Although Lackey gave up the 2-run homer to Jason Bay, this is all he would allow, as he pitched 6 2/3 innings almost matching what Jon Lester was able to do for his team, the Red Sox.

“Lackey pitched his butt off,” Hunter said. “We had a lot of opportunities and didn’t capitalize. You’ve got to give Lester credit. He was nasty. He made pitches when he needed them.”

As it turns out, this is all Jon Lester and his bullpen needed to finish the rest of the game. Of course, they got a little help from Vladimir Guerrero. It could have been a combination of things, such as Jacoby Ellsbury’s outstanding diving grab to begin this 8th inning that Angel fans would like to forget. However, Vlad’s baserunning blunder proved crucial, as the Angels were still only down by a run at the time. Guererro singled with one out in the inning. The next batter, Torii Hunter, lifted a fly ball that landed behind a diving Kevin Youkillis in short right field. Guerrero, thinking he had time to get past second base, ran through a stop sign. He was out at third, and it wasn’t even close.

“It was behind me, and I didn’t know if the ball was going to drop or not,” Guerrero said. “If I had taken off and run hard all the way, I might have been doubled off. I kept running.”

Guerrero also went on to say, “I feel bad, but it’s over now, and we have to go on.”

The Red Sox would go on to score 2 runs in the 9th inning, on RBI singles by Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz. If the Angels had any chance against all-star closer Jonathan Pabelbon down one run in the bottom of the 9th, the hopes of that were dashed when the Red Sox had their way against Scot Shields.

Overall, a very disappointing first game of the ALDS for the Angels. Daisuke Matzuzaka will go for the Red Sox on Friday night as the Angels will counter with Ervin Santana. Here are the final stats for Game One:

Angels:

Figgins: 0-5, 3 K

Anderson/Teixeira/Guerrero: 2-4 each

Hunter: 2-3, RBI

Napoli: 0-4, 3 K

Lackey: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO

Shields: IP, 4 H, 2 ER

Red Sox:

Ellsbury: 3-5, RBI, 2 SB

Pedroia: 0-3, 2 BB

Ortiz: 1-5, RBI

Youkillis: 1-4, RBI

Drew/Lowell: 0-4 each

Bay: 2-run homer

Lester: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, (0 ER) BB, 7 SO

Pabelbon: IP, H, 3 SO

It’s a great day,” said first-year Angels general manager Tony Reagins. Reagins was crucial in getting the team to where they are today, acquiring Jon Garland and Torii Hunter in the offseason and Mark Teixeira in July.

On a team with stars such as Garland, Hunter, and Teixeira–it was Robb Quinlan and Dustin Moseley who emerged as heroes in the clinching game. Quinlan had a clutch 2-run single in the 3-run 6th inning that put the Angels ahead for good.  Moseley allowed 2 early runs but kept the game close pitching into the 6th inning.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Moseley, a part-time starter the past two seasons, said. “The team camaraderie at times I’ve been here, what a great group of guys. Hopefully, great things can happen this season. Clinching the division so early shows the talent and commitment here.”

The fans are all a great inspiration to me,” Chone Figgins said. “It’s a great thing to get so many to come out to support us.”

“It hasn’t been easy, by any means,” a relieved manager Mike Scioscia said. “This team has pulled together and done the job all year long.”

The amazing thing was that in this clinching game, the Angels had a team out on the field that consisted of many backup players. Mark Teixeira, Chone Figgins, Torii Hunter, Erick Aybar, and Howie Kendrick all were out of the lineup. The Angels had an all-backup infield: Quinlan at third, rookies Brandon Wood and Sean Rodriguez  at shortstop and second, respectively, and Kendry Morales behind Moseley and the relief staff.

Speaking of relief, Francisco Rodriguez closed out this 4-2 win over the Yankees, earning save             number 56. By the way, that’s one away from tying Bobby Thigpen’s single season saves record. K-Rod should tie, break, and pad this record before the season ends. This is one of the two goals the Angels need to accomplish before October. This is one, and the other is trying for the AL’s best record, which would give them a home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Jered Weaver had something to say about that.

“This is goal No. 1, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us,” Jered Weaver said. “We still have guys that need to get healthy and back on track. We know we can play much better as a club right now. We just want to get rolling into the postseason.”

Then there is the goal the Angels would like to reach during the month of October.

In a battle of lefties, Joe Saunders beat John Danks. Saunders was brilliant through 7 1/3 innings, giving up only two runs. John Danks managed 5 1/3 innings, also giving up 2 runs. Paul Konerko and Toby Hall had hit solo homers against Saunders for the Whit Sox this afternoon. The Angels used the small ball, with RBI’s from Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter. So, the Angels would need to break the tie to get the lead for Francisco Rodriguez. They were able to, with a run in the 8th against Horacio Ramirez. Rodriguez, trying to redeem himself for blowing the save the previous night, was able to close it out. This inning included a couple of strikeouts. K-Rod is only 2 saves away from tying the single-season record, which is 57. Let’s see what the team had to say about K-Rod and this game:

Mike Scioscia: “That’s essential to what a closer needs to do. That page gets heavy — like cement. Time after time after a tough night he’s come back and been terrific.”

K-Rod: “I feel like I have 10,000 pounds on my shoulders. To break the record and clinch [the American League West title], take those 10,000 pounds off my shoulders on the same day … that would be nice.”

The Angels inched closer to clinching the AL West today, with their win. The team’s magic number is now 3.

Game 1: The first one was a fun one–for White Sox fans. The South Siders pounded their way to a 10-2 victory, much to the delight of the home crowd. Starter Dustin Moseley was hit very hard, giving up 4 runs in only 1 1/3 innings pitched. The Sox scored 2 runs in the 1st and 2 in the second. A 2-run single from Ken Griffey Jr. and a 2-run home run from Juan Uribe gave Chicago its 4-0 lead. It didn’t get any better for the Angels. Darren Oliver came in and gave up 3 more runs in the third. This included another home run by Juan Uribe, and a solo home run by Paul Konerko. The White Sox hitting the long ball shouldn’t come as a surprise–they lead baseball in the catagory. The Angels were buried, and Chicago lefty Mark Buehrle was outstanding, shutting out them through 6 innings. The Angels would plate a pair of runs in the 7th, but it was ALL White Sox on this night.

Game 2: This game was more even, but the end result was still disappointing. In the longest September game ever that featured two first-place clubs, the White Sox won on a walk-off blast by Jim Thome in the 15th to send Chicago home happy. The Angels jumped out to an early lead in the 1st against Gavin Floyd. They would enjoy it until the bottom of the 2nd, when John Lackey gave up 2 runs. A home run by, of all people, Chone Figgins would even up the score in the 3rd. With the score 2-2, the Angels scored 3 times in the 6th. Home runs by Juan Rivera and Mike Napoli really gave the team a boost of confidence. Unfortunately, the White Sox chipped away by doing what they do best–hitting the long ball. Paul Konerko’s solo shot in the 6th brought them to within 2 runs in the 6th. Then, with Lackey still in the game, Nick Swisher clutched up with a man aboard to tie the game. The home run was Swisher’s 24th. John Lackey and Gavin Floyd each gave up 5 runs in 7 innings. Nobody would score until the 9th, when rookie Brandon Wood would go deep–a clutch home run at the time for the Angels. Nobody would expect it, but K-Rod would blow the save in the bottom of that inning, sending the two teams to extra innings. Running out of pitchers, the Angels used Justin Speier, who had pitched in the last 3 games. Jim Thome crushed one of Speier’s fastballs well into the seats in right to win the game for the White Sox, 7-6 in 15 innings. The homer by Thome was no. 30 for the season, and no. 537 for his career, passing the great Mickey Mantle. The Angels couldn’t lower their magic number on this day, and would try to avoid the sweep on Sunday afternoon.  

(For Game 3, see my next post)

Torii Hunter delivered the Angels an early lead against Chris Lampert, who was making just his second career start. Hunter’s double drove in a pair, and the team with the major’s best road record was looking strong again. Miguel Cabrera drove in a run during the bottom of that inning to cut the Angels’ lead in half. Torii Hunter drove in his third run of the game to get that run back in the 3rd inning, but just like that, RBI doubles by Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera knotted up the game.

“After the third inning,” Mike Scioscia said, “that’s when Joe really got aggressive. That was good to see.”

Indeed, Saunders did. He ended up pitching 6 1/3 innings and at the time of his departure, had a 4-3 lead. That was until, Miguel Cabrera, a thorn in the Angels side all night, stepped up to the plate against Scot Shields in the 8th inning. Cabrera’s opposite-field drive with 2 outs knotted up the game, and the two teams headed into the 9th tied up.

The Angels wasted no time. A single and a steal of second base from Chone Figgins, a ground ball by Garett Anderson, and a sac fly by Mark Teixeira put them in front. By the way, the steal by Figgins was No. 30 of the season, who became the fourth player in the Majors to reach that total over the past five seasons.

*K-Rod Watch: K-Rod was the man again in the bottom of the 9th, earning his 54th save of the season. Not only that, but this save was the 200th of his fabulous career, a career that has still a long way to go.

Game One: The Angels came back to beat the Rangers 7-5 even after Texas had jumped on Jon Garland for 4 runs in the top of the first. Milton Bradley and Chris Davis homered for the Rangers. The Halos exploded for a 5-run 8th against the Rangers bullpen; this inning included a clutch, bases-clearing double from Juan Rivera.

“We saw the Rally Monkey come out,” Rivera said through a translator. “I knew something would happen then.”

Francisco Rodriguez got his 51st save in this one. Mark Teixeira also homered in the winner. 

Game 2: This one was more of a pitcher’s duel. Ervin Santana was incredibly strong on the mound, allowing only one run over 8 innings in the Angels 3-1 victory. Garett Anderson, who batted second for the first time in 9 years, launched a 2-run shot as the Angels put up a 3-spot in the 6th inning. Torii Hunter might have saved the game though. With the tying run at the plate and Ervin Santana still going strong in the 7th, Marlon Byrd drove a shot toward the wall in center field. Hunter went up and over the wall to bring back what would have been the tying home run. Hunter saved the game, but K-Rod got credit for the actual save. 3-1 Angels final.

Game 3: On Saturday night, the Angels squeaked by the Rangers for their third win in a row over their rivals from Texas. Jered Weaver pitched a good game, but unfortunately went only 5 innings and recieved a no decision for his effort. Scott Feldman pitched well for the Rangers, but gave up all 4 of the Angels runs and lost. The Halos played small ball and just got by as they won, 4-3. Torii Hunter, who has had an amazing series defensively, took away another go-ahead homer, as Hank Blalock was robbed. The sellout crowd watched Francisco Rodriguez get another save, his 53rd, 4 away from tying the single-season record.

Their offense has come back down to earth recently, and after losing 2 out of 3 to the Rays in Tampa, the team came home to face the Minnesota Twins, and were promptly torn apart in the first 2 games. The athletic Twins did everything better in the first 2 games; here is the summary.

The first game was a lot more fun to watch than the 2nd game; we’ll get to that other one later. It was a duel between John Lackey and Scott Baker, and Baker blinked first. A mistake to Mark Teixeira was hammered into the seats, and the Angels had a 1-0 lead. Lackey was sharp until the fifth, until he gave up the tying run. After that, it was all zeros. Both starters pitched a strong 8 innings, giving up 1 run each. Then it was battle of the bullpens, and they dueled the two teams into extras. It was Justin Speier that gave up the go-ahead run in the 12th inning. A triple and an RBI single did the job for Minnesota. If there’s anyone who has been better than Francisco Rodriguez this year, it is Joe Nathan. Coming in with the one-run lead, Nathan set the Angels down 1-2-3 to get his 35th save. His ERA is 0.98.

WOW.

Game 2 was a lot different from game 1, as the Angels looked tired from the previous night’s extra inning affair. After getting only 5 hits the night before, the team was blanked by outstanding left-hander Glen Perkins, and Minnesota exploded for runs. The final score was 9-0 Twins.

Joe Saunders had a very rare rough outing for the Angels, and the defense behind him wasn’t too good either. After making 2 errors the previous night, the Angels made 2 more. For the Twins, Delmon Young and Denard Span had big offense games, with Young driving in 3 runs and Span driving in 4. The explosion was capped off by a 5-run 6th inning that knocked Joe Saunders out of the ballgame.

These are the dog days of summer, and the Angels, who looked so strong just a week ago, have lost 4 out of their last 6 ballgames. They are also averaging only 3.1 runs per game in their last nine. Not a lot to worry about however; they are still 15 games above Texas, the closest AL West competitor. It would still be important for the team to clinch home field for the entire playoffs.

Especially the way those Rays play at home.

To hold down a team as hot as the Angels, you have to be good. Cliff Lee proved he was last night, just like he has this whole year. Lee went the distance, and got a little help from the Angels’ Jose Arredondo, who had a rare bad relief appearence. Arredondo came in after Jered Weaver exited the game in the 6th inning and gave up the Angels’ small lead.

Lee came in seeking his 17th win, but the Angels got to him in the first. An RBI single by Mark Teixeira put them on the board, and it was up to Jered Weaver to hold the Tribe down. The Indians tied the score in the 4th inning, on an RBI double by Jhonny Peralta. Then Juan Rivera did something barely anyone has done against Cliff Lee all year. He took him deep….the home run by Rivera was only the 8th that he has allowed all year, and things looked pretty good for the Angels. The 2-1 lead held up until the 5th, when with one out, Weaver was removed after giving up a double. With the tying run at second base, Jose Arredondo was brought in. Arredondo had barely struggled at all since being brought up in May, until this night at Progressive Field. A walk, a wild pitch, an RBI single, and 2 more walks, including one to bring the go-ahead run home really hurt Arredondo, who was removed in favor of Justin Speier. The Indians had grabbed the lead for their ace lefty.

“It was just a bad day,” Arredondo said. “It’s over already and I’ll get them tomorrow.”

“This guy has pitched so well,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “We’ll just turn the page on this one. He’s an important part of our bullpen and he’ll bounce back.”

The one-run lead was all Cliff Lee needed to finish the job. He got big double plays in the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th innings from his defense.

Cliff Lee: 9 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (17-2)

Jered Weaver: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K

The Angels used a 4-run 5th inning to grab the lead, and a 3-run 8th inning to pad that lead. The result was 7 unanswered runs and a 7-3 Halos win. They continued to swing the heavy lumber, as 3 more Angels went deep. It started with a 3-run Mariners 4th. The M’s got RBI’s from Raul Ibanez, Adrian Beltre, and Jose Lopez. Jarrod Washburn, a man who has been rumored to be involved in a post-deadline deal, was starting for the Mariners. The crafty lefty was solid until the 5th inning, and most of the damage done in that inning wasn’t even his fault. Juan Rivera broke up Washburn’s shutout with a solo shot to lead off the inning. On top of the home run, Yuniesky Betancourt was eaten up on a ground ball from Jeff Mathis. The home run and the error must have shook Washburn up, as the Angels plated 3 more runs in the inning. This included a 2-run jolt from Vladimir Guerrero, who feels good.

“This is the best I’ve felt all season,” Guerrero said through a translator.

The Angels were not done. After Jon Garland finished another quality start, the team erupted for 3 more insurance runs in the 8th. Garret Anderson hit his 13th home run in this inning, a 2-run shot against Mark Lowe. Francisco Rodriguez got the save with 2 runners aboard in the 9th, giving him 46 saves for the year.