The Angels took no prisoners Monday night. They needed a win over Texas to clinch the AL West, and they dominated on both sides of the ball as they win the game and the division 11-0. The offense hit well up and down the order, with Bobby Abreu picking up three hits, missing the cycle by a homer. Ervin Santana pitched a shutout, allowing seven hits and one walk. The Ranger put the ball in play as they only struck out twice, but three double plays erased a high percentage of their base runners.
The season started on a down note for the Angels as three of their top starters were consigned to the disabled list. Nick Adenhart gave the team some hope to overcome the injuries to Lackey, Santana and Escobar with a short shutout in his first start of the season. That hope didn’t last long as Nick died in a car accident after the game. The tragedy would act as an inspiration for the team.
With the pitching in tatters, Bobby Abreu proved to be a great signing as he did something batting coach Mickey Hatcher couldn’t; get the Angels to be more selective at the plate. With his influence, the Angels are ten runs away from scoring the most in team history (1979, 866), and are just a hair behind the 1995 team from a strike-shortened season in runs per game. (1995: 5.52, 2009: 5.49)
Even with the improved offense, the team struggled. Through games of May 30th, they were at .500, 5 1/2 games back. The big change did not come from the starters, but the relievers. Despite getting Lackey and Santana back in the rotation, the starters saw their ERA go from 3.94 to 4.75. It was the bullpen that saw a huge drop after May 30th, from 6.01 to 3.88. With their great offense, that was enough to win.
On offense, the youngsters played very well. Kendry Morales became the first power-hitting first baseman the team developed in a while. Howie Kendrick and Mike Napoli posted good seasons as well. Chone Figgins and Torii Hunter posted their highest OBAs, clearly influenced by Abreu, who may be the team’s MVP.
The team saluted Nick Adenhart at the end of the celebration. Congratulations to the Angels on winning the AL West and an unusual season for them, winning with offense, not pitching.
Posted by David Pinto at 8:57 am | Division Races, Games | Permalink | No Comments
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