I wasn’t able to get Saturday’s game in until now, so I’ll just do that one with Sunday’s game.

After putting on a absolute show in the first game of the series with The Nation, The Angels took Game 2 with some timely hitting and of course, strong pitching. Josh Beckett was incredibly tough as usual, and was backed by Kevin Youkilis’ 17th home run in the second inning. It would stay 2-0 Boston until the 7th, and that’s when things would get dramatic. Vladimir Guerrero crushed a Beckett fastball into the bullpen in left field to put the Angels on the board. This would cut the Sox lead in half. The Angels were wearing Beckett out, and the next two hitters, Torii Hunter and Garret Anderson singled. After Reggie Willits bunted the runners over, Beckett intentionally walked Howie Kendrick. Then on a 1-0 count, pinch-hitter Erick Aybar tripled down the right field line to clear the bases and send Angel Stadium into a frenzy. They had gotten to Josh Beckett, and he would be done after he finished the 8th inning. A relief for Joe Saunders, who had pitched so well and was on his way to a loss. For Beckett, his hitters couldn’t bail him out against a tough Angels bullpen, and he was charged with his 6th loss of the season. K-Rod earned his 39th save. Halos win 4-2. 

Saunders: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, SO

Guerrero: HR (16)

Beckett: 8 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, BB, 6 SO   

 Now for Game 2.

The Angels, as you probably just read, took the first two over the Red Sox in the series. The Clutch hitting would continue for the Halos as America would watch them beat Boston for the second straight night on National TV as they took the game 5-3. The Angels took the lead early, when Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter hit back to back home runs against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in the 2nd. The Red Sox would tie it with 2 of their own the next half inning. From that point, Jon Garland dueled with Tim Wakefield to keep the game tied, and it was–until the 7th inning. With Coco Crisp on second base, Vlad Guerrero dropped Jacoby Ellsbury’s line drive, allowing the go-ahead run to score. The Halos were not ready to give up. Knocking Wakefield out of the game, they scored 3 runs in the 8th inning. Howie Kendrick’s run-scoring single against Wakefield would tie the score, and Casey Kotchman’s game winning two-bagger down the right field line against Manny Delcarmen would almost guarentee a win. Yeah, that’s how GOOD Francisco Rodriguez has been this year, and he showed it. Coming into the game in the top of the 9th, K-Rod struck out the side for his 40th save of the season. Nobody has been better.

At the end of the year, we may be calling Rodriguez the all-time saves holder for a single season. Better than Mariano Rivera, better than Trevor Hoffman. And he’s only 26. …..Okay I’m rambling, but this guy at least needs some Cy Young consideration, especially if the Angels go deep into October. If they take care of business against the Red Sox in October like they this weekend, then this team just might.

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Juan Rivera hit a two run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning off of Athletics relief pitcher Keith Foulke and the Los Angeles Angels went on to beat the Oakland Athletics by the score of 7-4.  With the victory the Angels took two out of three games from the A’s and improved their season record to 51-34.

Rivera’s home run put the Angels in the lead for good and then the Angels got two more insurance runs with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings.  Erick Aybar had a solo home run in the seventh and Reggie Willits had a rbi sac fly in the eighth inning. Casey Kotchman also recorded an rbi in the game and now has 40 on the season.

Joe Saunders improved his record to 12-4 on the year after picking up the victory.  Saunders pitched 6 1/3 innings and gave up six hits and four runs.  Two of the four runs were earned and charged to Saunders who now has a 3.04 era.

Jose Arredondo, Scot Shields, and Francisco Rodriguez all did good out of the bullpen. K-rod grabbed his 34th save in the game as he continues to have a marvelous first half of the season.

The Angels will now be off on Thursday and will begin a series with the Toronto Blue Jays on friday.

Angels Blog

Ervin Santana and the Los Angeles Angels blanked the Kansay City Royals on Monday night as the Angels went onto beat the Royals 4-0.  Santana pitched a complete game and only gave up four hits to improve his season record to 6-0.  The Angels are now 21-13 on the season after winning Monday night.

It was a great performance by Santana and the Angels.  Sure a lot of you are probably thinking, well it was only against the Royals.  But the Royals are actually pretty decent this year and Santana shut them down the entire night.

Casey Kotchman got things started for the Angels in the ninth inning when he had a RBI single that scored Erick Aybar.  Garrett Anderson then hit a two run home run followed by a solo home run by Brandon Wood.  Sure the Angels struggled at the plate until the ninth inning, but give the team credit for scoring when they needed too.

Angels Blog

The Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics were tied 6-6 heading into the sixth inning but that was when the Athletics poured it on with eight runs in the inning.  The Angels couldn’t quite come back from that defecit as they lost to the A’s 15-8 on Thursday night.

Dustin Moseley pitched two innings of relief and took the loss for the Angels.  Seven hits and five runs in didn’t quite get the job done lol.  Starting pitcher Nick Adenhart only lasted two innings as he gave up three hits and five runs.  Darren O’Day also struggled as he only recorded two outs while giving up four hits and four runs.  Chris Bootcheck gave up another un in his 3.1 innings of action.  As you can see, the Angels pitching straff dropped the ball in the game and they all pretty threw the ball poorly.

Erick Aybar hit his first home run of the season when he hit a three run home run in the second inning.  Mike Napoli also had a solo home run in the fourth inning.  Besides Aybar’s three RBI, Napoli’s two RBI,  Mike Brown had two RBI and Gary Matthews Jr. had one RBI.

The Angels usually win the game when they score eight runs, but not when your pitching staff gives up 15 runs like on Thursday night.  The Angels will now play a three game series against the Baltimore Orioles.

Angels Blog

The Boston Red Sox sure made it intersting in the ninth inning when David Ortiz hit a two run home run but the Los Angeles Angels were able to hold on and defeat the Red Sox 7-5.

Joe Saunders pitched six inning to pick up the victory as he improved to 4-0 on the season.  Saunders gave up seven hits and three earned runs, but did enough to pick up the victory.  Scot Shields pitched tried to pitch the final two innings but after serving up a home run to Big Papi, he was replaced by Francisco Rodriguez who closed the door on the Red Sox.  Rodriguez picked up his ninth save of the season by recording the last out.

Gary Matthews Jr., led the Angles at the plate as he went 3-5 with three RBI.  Mike Napoli connected for his fifth home run and picked on one RBI.  Chone Figgins, Maicer Izturis, and Erick Aybar each had one RBI as well for the Angels.

With the win, the Angels record now stands at 14-9.

Angels Blog

Garrett Anderson had three RBI to lead the Los Angeles Angels past the Kansas City Royals by the score of 5-3 on Thursday night.  Anderson was 2-4 in the game with a bases loaded triple in the third inning.

Erick Aybar and Gary Matthews Jr. both had one RBI as well.

Starting pitcher Jon Garland pitched a good game for the Angels.  Garland pitched 6.1 innings and only allowed two earned runs on seven hits.  He did walk three batters however.  Francisco Rodriguez picked up the win which was his sixth of the season.  Rodriguez did give up three hits and one earned run in the ninth inning.

Angels Blog