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September 2008
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Angels: September 2008 ArchivesOne notable move is Gary Matthews Jr. in right field over Juan Rivera. Manager Mike Scioscia said he likes the matchup of Matthews against Red Sox starter Jon Lester, who's a lefty. Matthews Jr. hit .285 this season from the right side of the plate. Angels Starting pitcher
Red Sox Manager Terry Francona won't release his playoff roster until Wednesday morning, but he did say J.D. Drew (back) and Mike Lowell (hip) got through the first portion of their workouts Wednesday without aggravating their injuries. That's an encouraging sign for the Red Sox. If Lowell can't play Wednesday, however, expect Kevin Youkilis to play third base, which would leave first base open for a replacement. David Ortiz will not be that player. "David is our DH," Francona said. "The way the Angels play the game, that wouldn't put our best team on the field." Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell is taking grounders at third base to test an injured right hip that will likely require surgery this offseason. We should know after the workout if he's ready to play in Game 1 on Wednesday. "I'll either keel over if it's really hurt or I'll be ready to play," Lowell said before the workout. "I don't think it'll be any mystery." Welcome to Angel Stadium for the first official workout day of the American League Division Series. The ALDS logo has just been painted on the field. The grounds crew is watering the grass. Looks like we're ready to go. Here's the official schedule for today... 1 p.m. Red Sox Workout Boston ace Josh Beckett will start Game 3 after injuring his right oblique muscle in a bullpen session Friday, The Boston Globe reported. This means Beckett will pitch just once in the ALDS against the Angels. He was slated to pitch Games 1 and 4. Jon Lester will pitch Game 1 against John Lackey. Daisuke Matsuzaka will pitch Game 2 against Ervin Santana. Beckett will start Game 3 against Joe Saunders.
POSITION PLAYERS (15) Notable exclusions: RHP Justin Speier, INF Sean Rodriguez After failing to reach 100 wins the past two nights, the Angels prevailed in their final attempt, defeating the Texas Rangers 7-0 at Angel Stadium. The last American League team to reach 100 wins was the 2004 Yankees. Manager Mike Scioscia said the Angels will have an off-day Monday and a workout Tuesday in preparation for their American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. First order of business, however, is today's regular season finale against the Rangers. A win today will give the Angels 100 for the first time in club history. Manager Mike Scioscia said the Angels' playoff roster will be released after Sunday's game. Stay tuned. Figgins 3B The Angels lost 8-4 on Saturday at Angels Stadium, as the Texas Rangers tagged starter Ervin Santana for eight runs in 5 2/3 innings. With home-field advantage in the playoffs wrapped up and an eye on the bigger picture, the Halos took the defeat in stride -- even if it cost them a chance to set the franchise record with 100 season wins. "Of course we're gonna try to win, but at the same time we're not going to put pressure on ourselves, we're not worried bout the momentum or anything," Angels centerfielder Torii Hunter said. "'Cause the adrenaline is going to flow regardless." Manager Mike Scioscia echoed those thoughts. ""You never like to lose," Scioscia said. "It's not pleasant when teams are taking it to you, but in the bigger picture, where we want to be hopefully a month from now, there's some things that need to be done and some of that is keep these guys sharp." After missing his last start because of a kidney stone, Joe Saunders will take the hill for the Angels tomorrow and try to get that last big regular-season W. -- Mirjam Swanson Torii Hunter said he wasn't sure what to do with himself earlier this sesaon when lingering tightness in his quadriceps muscle kept him out of center field and on the bench for a handful of games. About all he could come up to pass the time was to pester Manager Mike Scioscia, who insisted he rest the injury completely. "I wanted to play every day and he said, 'No, there's time for healing.'" Hunter said. "So I got on his nerves on the bench, I started messing with coaches, he'd be giving signs and I'd tell him, 'Wrong sign.' And he'd tell me go sit down somewhere and leave him alone. So I definitely got on his nerves... "But I didn't know what to do, I never really sat on the bench for no reason. Just sitting down and knowing that you could play was hard, that was hard." -- Mirjam Swanson
Manager Joe Maddon, formerly an Angels bench coach, led his Tampa Bay Rays to their first division title this year, clinched officially when the Red Sox were beaten by the Yankees, two traditional powerhouses that couldn't keep up with the surprising Rays this season. That the Rays excelled in the tough division didn't surprise the Angels skipper. Well, not exactly. "It doesn't surprise me that Joe has created an environment to have them achieve what they aciehved," Mike Scioscia said. "It's just a little astounding that they've done it so quickly -- especially because youre talking about a division with Yankees and Boston and having to grind through that. "That's really remarkable, not that it happened, but that it could happen so quick, that kind of turnaround." The Rays finished 66-96 last season and in last place, 30 games behind Boston. Maddon was the Angels bench coach for most of 10 seasons in Anaheim including the last six under Scioscia. -- Mirjam Swanson
The Angels (99-61) have a chance to notch 100 wins for the first time in franchise history tonight at home against the Texas Rangers (78-82). Here's who the Angels will send up as they take aim at the milestone. Chone Figgins (3B) Ervin Santana (16-6, 3.25) starts for the Angels. Scott Feldman starts (5-8, 5.45) starts for the Rangers. -- Mirjam Swanson Today's game vs. Rangers Storyline: Angels will make their second try for their 100th victory, which would be a franchise record. (They won 99 in 2002, when they made the playoffs as a wild card and won the franchise's only World Series.) However, Mike Scioscia has made it clear he's going to rest people, and that while getting win No. 100 would be nice he's now in a position where he needs to think about Wednesday's playoff opener against Boston and having his regulars at full strength then. Mike Scioscia decided to take the extra day's rest early in next week's Division Series, which means the Angels' first-round matchup with Boston will begin Wednesday at Angel Stadium. They'll play Wednesday and Friday here, with Games 3 and 4 Sunday and Monday in Fenway Park and a potential Game 5 Wednesday at Anaheim. Why Wednesday? "It's probably more related to (their thinking) in-house, what we're looking to do," than any strategical advantage over the Red Sox, Scioscia said. "This way we'll be able to trim our pitching staff." In other words, with just three starting pitchers needed, the Angels could carry an extra position player and potentially leave Jered Weaver or Jon Garland off the first-round roster. If you had to guess, guess Garland. Weaver is going to Tempe Saturday to pitch three innings in an Arizona Instructional League game and get his work in. Garland will not be sent anywhere but will do his normal work. If one of them is needed during the first round, Weaver probably will be the more ready. When this one got out of hand, thanks to a seven-run second inning for Texas, Mike Scioscia cleared his bench, fielding an almost entirely new batting order when he made wholesale changes before the fourth inning. This is what the revised order looked like: Robb Quinlan 1b It hasn't helped. It's Rangers 12, Angels 1 in the ninth. Texas' lineup against right-hander John Lackey: Joaquin Arias 2b The batting order that will go for a club record 100th win and attempt to clinch the best record and home field throughout the playoffs: **Chone Figgins 3b * - lefthanded Rangers lineup to come ... RHP Vicente Padilla (13-8, 4.85 ERA) vs. RHP John Lackey (12-4, 3.25) Top storyline: The Angels can clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win tonight against the Rangers or a loss by Tampa Bay. They're one victory shy of their first 100-win season in club history. Vladimir Guerrero's 2-run home run to left field in the ninth inning -- his second of the night -- gave the Angels a 6-4 win over the Mariners in their final regular season road game of the season. He also had a home run in the sixth, which bounced off Wladimir Balentien's glove in right field and bounced over the wall. Mariners have a one-run lead over the Angels in the bottom of the 5th here at Safeco. They scored two runs in the first inning on three hits. The Angels answered with one in the second. In Minnesota, the Twins beat the White Sox tonight to take a .5-game lead in the American League Central race. The Angels will host a rally on Monday at Angel Stadium to celebrate the season. Rally starts at 6:30 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m. All fans will receive rally towels and bandanas as they enter the event. Parking and admission is free to all fans. Rex Hudler and Steve Physioc will host the event. Torii Hunter, Howie Kendrick, Reggie Willits, Mike Napoli and Jeff Mathis are scheduled to appear. Also, former Angels Tim Salmon and Bobby Grich are scheduled to show. There will be a performance by the band Smashmouth. Angels Mariners LHP Cesar Jimenez (0-2, 3.56 ERA) vs. RHP Dustin Moseley (2-4, 7.15) Top storyline: Moseley earned his 10th starting opportunity of the season because of Joe Saunders' kidney stone. Can he make the most of it and pitch himself onto the postseason roster? Angels Magic Number to clinch the best record in the American League is down to three with four games remaining. Mark Teixeira's home run in the top of the eighth inning gave the Angels a 6-5 lead, which was enough for Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez to bring home. Rodriguez earned his 62nd save of the season. The Angels reduced their Magic Number to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs to three. The Mariner's dropped their 100th game of the season. Vladimir Guerrero's foul line drive to the left field wall was close enough to a home run to warrant the first use of instant replay involving the Angels this season. After Angels Manager Mike Scioscia went out to protest the call, the umpires gathered near the center. Soon, three retreated down the clubhouse tunnel to check the replay. Crew chief Tim Welke returned 2 minutes, 28 seconds later and signaled foul ball. The race toward 100 continues. The Angels scored two in the second inning off of a Torii Hunter double, Erick Aybar single and a passed ball from pitcher Felix Hernandez. The Mariners answered in the bottom half of the second with three straight singles to score Bryan LaHair. Garret Anderson just threw out Miguel Cairo from left field to keep it even. Angels 2, Mariners 2, Top of the 3rd Roof is closed, here are the lineups... Angels Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez (9-11, 3.37) vs. RHP Jon Garland (14-8, 4.79) Top storyline: The race for home-field advantage continues. The Magic Number remains at 4 after the Angels lost to the Mariners and Tampa Bay took both games of a doubleheader against the Orioles on Tuesday. The Angels snapped their five-game winning streak by falling, 9-6, to the Mariners tonight. They led 6-2 but allowed four runs in the sixth and three in the seventh. Kevin Jepsen earned the first loss of his major league career. Under normal circumstances, Joe Saunders would be tonight's starter against the Mariners. But a kidney stone has forced him from the lineup and we have Jered Weaver tonight. Mike Scioscia said before the game that Saunders still hadn't passed his kidney stone. He's not worried...yet. "If we started the playoffs tomorrow, it would be an issue," Scioscia said. "But we're not starting for another week. He'll be able to pitch over the weekend and get back on board." Head trainer Ned Bergert initially told Scioscia that the kidney stone would likely pass within 48 hours. That was Friday. So far, not such luck. Saunders is aligned to throw in the regular season finale Sunday against Texas. Angels Mariners The Padres announced that Wally Joyner has resigned as the club's hitting coach effective immediately. Executive Vice President/General Manager Kevin Towers made the announcement. LHP Ryan Feierabend (1-4, 7.25 ERA) vs. RHP Jered Weaver (11-10, 4.16) Top storyline: Can Vlad Guerrero maintain his .302 average and join Lou Gehrig as the only men to hit 25 home runs and bat .300 for 11 consecutive years? The Mariners have 99 losses. Will this be the night they hit the century mark? The Angels extended their road winning streak to five games and pulled within three wins of 100 on the season. Vladimir Guerrero hit his 25th home run of the year and Francisco Rodriguez earned his 61st save by pitching a scoreless ninth. Angels Mariners Howie Kendrick returns to second base tonight after missing 23 games because of a strained left hamstring. Juan Rivera also returned from an injury to his right hip flexor and will be the designated hitter. Ervin Santana, who went 1-10 on the road in 2007, is 10-2 away from home this season, one of the best road records in Angels history. Here are the Angels pitchers with the best road records, courtesy of Stats LLC. Best Road Record - Angels All-Time (minimum 8 decisions) Luis Sanchez, 1983 7-1 .875 Bartolo Colon, 2005 11-2 .846 Ervin Santana, 2008 10-2 .833 John Lackey, 2005 9-2 .818 Jarrod Washburn, 2002 13-3 .813 LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (4-2, 3.53 ERA) vs. RHP Ervin Santana (15-6, 3.33) Top storyline: The Angels continue their chase for 100 wins and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. LHP Ryan Feierabend (1-4, 7.25 ERA) vs. RHP Jered Weaver (11-10, 4.16) Top storyline: Can Vladimir keep his record above .300 and continue his quest to tie Lou Gehrig as the only two men to hit 25 homers and bat .300 in 11 consecutive seasons. Also, the Angels are three games away from 100 for the season -- a number they've never hit. Will this be the year? Magic Number to clinch the best record in the American League is 4. John Lackey threw 12 strikeouts in six innings as the Angels beat the Rangers, 7-3, on Sunday in Arlington. Sean Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira hit home runs for the Angels, who move on to Seattle with a four-game road winning streak. Angels starter John Lackey just struck out his 10th Rangers hitter in five innings. He had a streak of seven in a row from the first inning through the third. Angels 3, Rangers 0, Top of the 6th
A kidney stone will cause Angels pitcher Joe Saunders to miss his Tuesday start, Manager Mike Scioscia said. He'll be replaced in the rotation by Jered Weaver. Chone Figgins returned to the lineup Sunday after missing time with a bruised elbow. Angels Rangers Garret Anderson propels the Angels to a 7-3 win, going 3-for-4 with a home run and 3 RBI. Francisco Rodriguez earned his 60th save by recording one out in the ninth with runners on the corners. The Angels clinched home-field advantage in the American League Division Series by way of Chicago's 5-2 loss to the Royals. if the Division Series goes to five games, the Angels will host the first two games of the playoffs, play the next two on the road, and host a decisive Game 5. The Angels could have clinched with a win tonight or a Chicago loss. RHP Vicente Padilla (13-7, 4.75 ERA) vs. RHP Dustin Moseley (2-4, 7.36) Top storyline: How will these teams respond one day after scoring 28 combined runs? The Rangers scored nine runs in the third inning, all off of starter Jon Garland. The play-by-play is too exhaustive to list, just know this: the Rangers sent 13 men to the plate in the inning, their most all season. The Angels gave up nine runs and nine hits in an inning for the first time since May 19, 2006 against the Dodgers. Rangers 9, Angels 8 First Kendry Morales, then Mike Napoli. For the second day in a row, those two hit back-to-back home runs. Except yesterday, Brandon Wood followed with a homer to make it back-to-back-to-back. Confused yet? Angels 7, Texas 0, 3rd inning Angels Rangers LHP Matt Harrison (8-3, 5.06 ERA) vs. RHP Jon Garland (14-8, 4.47) Top storyline: Will the injured Angels heal by the end of the road trip? Angels win, but boy was it close at the end. Although they entered the ninth with a 6-0 lead, Francisco Rodriguez put the tying run at first base. He got Emil Brown to ground out to second to end the game. Save No. 59 for Rodriguez. After loading the bases with nobody out in the fourth, Joe Saunders got Cliff Pennington to hit into a double play and then struck out Jack Hannahan to end the inning. Angels 1, A's 0 Pencil Dustin Moseley in as your Saturday starter. His spot start will enable John Lackey to pitch Sunday, which should align him perfectly to start Game 1 of the ALDS. Angels Oakland LHP Josh Outman (1-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. LHP Joe Saunders (15-7, 3.65) Top storyline: Can the Angels avoid the sweep in Oakland? How will Chone Figgins' sore elbow check out in Anaheim? Strange happenings here in Oakland, as the A's beat the Angels, 3-2, by scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Francisco Rodriguez allowed both runs, neither of them earned, when he attempted to field a chopper by Cliff Pennington and threw it into the Angels bullpen in right field. Daric Barton and Jack Hannahan came around to score for the win. Mark Teixeira's home run tied the game in the ninth. Angels A's Chone Figgins and Torii Hunter won't play tonight against the Athletics. Figgins' right elbow is still sore. He'll fly to Anaheim tomorrow to see Dr. Lewis Yocum. Hunter was in the lineup but was scratched a couple hours before the game. Mike Scioscia said Hunter was taking batting practice when a batted ball caromed off the screen and hit him in the right cheek bone. He'll be replaced in center by Gary Matthews Jr. |