Angels Offense Fires Up in 12-5 Win Over Giants

      Albert Pujols was on fire last night. Bottom of the first inning, right after Mike Trout(AVG .337) doubles on a line drive, Torii Hunter (AVG .274) singles on a bunt ground ball with Pujols on deck. Two men on base as Albert Pujols (AVG .258) steps up to the plate and delivers a 3 run jimmy jack with no outs. With that big fly, Angels are up three-nothing. Next, Mark Trumbo(AVG .326) singles on a ground ball, Howie Kendrick (AVG .265) walks, moving Trumbo to second. Alberto Callaspo (AVG .240) out on a sac fly to advance the runners, Trumbo to third, Kendrick to second, both in scoring position. Erick Aybar (AVG .241) walks with Bourjos on deck. Peter Bourjos (AVG .216) out on a sac fly to left field to score Mark Trumbo. Angels up four-nothing. After a long inning for the Giants, in finally ends when John Hester (AVG .321) grounds into a force out at second base getting Erick Aybar for the third out.

        All of this happening just in the first inning. We can already see that the Angels' offense is heating up. Based on how the Angels have been playing lately, you would think that the fire cooled off. NOPE, you thought wrong. In the bottom of the fourth inning, with the Angels up 5-1, Mark Trumbo steps up to the plate with the bases loaded, giving him a great opportunity, and he takes it. Trumbo triples on a fly ball to right field, scoring John Hester, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, putting the Angels up 8-1. But that is not the end of the inning, with only one out, Howie Kendrick steps up to the plate and hits out on a sac fly to right field scoring Trumbo. Angels up 9-1, 2 outs, then Alberto Callaspo strikes out swinging.

   The Angels don't score again until the bottom of the 8th inning. Peter Bourjos singles on a bunt ground ball to pitcher Clay Hensley. Bourjos then steals second with John Hester batting, Hester flies out. Mike Trout walks as Torii Hunter steps up to the plate with two outs. Hunter singles on a line drive to left field, scoring Bourjos and allowing Trout to advance to third. Angels up 10-5. Clay Hensley then makes a mistake by intentionally walking Albert Pujols with Mark Trumbo on deck. Mark trumbo steps up to the plate with the bases loaded and singles on a line drive to right field, allowing both Trout and Hunter to score and Pujols advances to second. Pinch runner, Andrew Romine replaces Albert Pujols just before Kendrick walks. Alberto Callaspo grounds out to second baseman.

     With the Giants unable to get it together in the top of the 9th inning, Angels take the win for the second game of the series.

The Angels offense was outstanding last night, but lets not forget about the defense that was also presented last night. C.J. Wilson picking up his eighth win of the season. Also, Peter Bourjos showing us why he should start center field more often.

Let us all hope that this fire is still dwelling within the players, allowing the Angels to pick up another W taking this series over the Giants.



Angels Lose 5-3 Jerome Williams Hospitalized

Angels 3  Giants 5

Jerome Williams claimed he felt shortness of breath and was taken to the hospital our prayers are with him and hope he will be back in the rotation soon. 

Here is the Player Recap:

Trout: 1-4 3 Steals 1 BB 2 LOB .323

Hunter 0-3 1 BB 1 SO 2 LOB .271

Pujols 0-2 1 RBI 3 LOB .254

Morales 0-2 1 BB 2 SO 2 LOB .270

Trumbo 1-4 1R (Trumbomb) 1 RBI 1 SO 3 LOB .319

Callaspo 1-4 1R 1 LOB .245

Izturis 1-3 1 BB 1 SO 1 LOB .224

Aybar 2-4 .239

Wilson 0-2 1 RBI 1SO 2 LOB .167 ((MENDOZA LOSER))

a- Kendrick 0-1 1 SO  .267

Hit List: Mark Trumbo

Delivering the only HR for the Angels on a solo TRUMBOMB! 

Sh** List: Bobby Wilson

Mr. Mendoza, Mr. Double Play, whatever you want to call him.. god please hurry back Chris! 

10 Years and More to Come



This is my story of how I became an Angels fan and what it means to me.
I am going to be honest and say that I started off absolutely hating baseball. When I was a little kid, my dad would turn on Angels' games and I would scream and cry because I wanted to watch cartoons. Typical kid, of course. The more and more he put it on, I became more and more interested. By the time I was 8, is when I started to watch and understand the game and declared the Angels as my favorite team.

Growing up, my family is not a family that is into sports. Sports wasn't really a big part of my life until my freshman year of high school. That is when I began truly following baseball. So yes, you can call me a 'new comer' to the Angels Fan Club, but I am a die-hard.  I have stuck with the Angels and ALWAYS supported them win or lose.

I didn't attend my first Angels game until I was 17 years old. Many people have tried to tell me that I am not a "true fan" because I haven't been to games since I was a little kid. But I do not agree with that at all. My love for the Angels just keep growing and growing and will never stop. I have got to be the only girl I know that is this dedicated to baseball and sports.

So I am curious to you all, what are your stories? Will and I have shared ours. It's your turn. And also, what does it mean to you to be a "true fan"?

Why I'm An Angel Fan

Growing up my Great Aunt was always more of a Grandmother than my own and she has always been their to support me, when I went out to support me and played on baseball teams she would always been there to support me 110% along with my my mom.

As long as I've been alive she's always lived off Orangewood in Anaheim only a couple miles from Angels stadium and she took me to games since I was in diapers.  Growing up my fondest memories were of her and going to Angels stadium.

I grew up watching Reggie Jackson, Wally Joyner, Tim Salmon, Jim Abbott my favorites that I remember were Jim Abbott and Wally Joyner, Jim Abbott being my real hero for everything he had to overcome to become a professional baseball pitcher.

Today my Aunt is 79 and while her days of going to the stadium are over I will always fondly look back on those days and the memories we shared at the games.  I guess the reason I'm still a die hard fan after all these years are because of her and what has led me to create Planet Halo.

So, why don't the fellow readers comment with their stories of how they became Angels fans I am sure everyone has their own interesting story.

Hit List, Sh** List

I asked Shawna to fill in for me on the recap last night due to physical exhaustion from a long day in Palm Springs which I thank her but that means you all missed out on the Hit List, Sh** List.  Remember today's rubber match to decide the series winner is at 12:30 local time. Make sure to cheer on your Angels.

Hit List Winner: Ervin Santana, Mark Trumbo (tie)

Ervin Santana responsible for a 1 hitter in last nights shutout and Mark Trumbo's 2-run Trumbomb led the Angels to a victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks to bring the series to 1-1 with a rubber match scheduled at 12:30 local time. 




















Sh** List Winner: Mike Trout, Albert Pujols (tie)

Mike Trout continues his slump at bat with no hits at 4 at bats including one strike outs and leaving 5 on base.  Albert Pujols had no hits with 4 at bats leaving 3 on base.  Usually when Trout has a bad day the Angels lose but thanks to Ervin Santana and Mark Trumbo we were able to get out of the game 2-0.  We can only hope both men end their slumps at bat this afternoon in the rubber match against the Rockies. 

Santana's One Hitter 2-0 Victory Over D-Backs

One-Hitter from Ervin Santana

Tonight, the Angel's tie the series 1-1 vs the D-Backs with Santana's One-Hit Shut Out and a 2-0 win. Santana(4-7)(ERA 5.16) pitched a perfect game for 6 innings. With 2 outs in the top of the 7th inning, Justin Upton singles on a sharp ground ball to center fielder Mike Trout, ending Santana's perfect game. Although Santana ended his journey to a perfect game, he remained strong and confident with his pitches, and continued to strike out and issued no walked until the bottom of the 9th inning with 1 out, Santana walks Miguel Montero. But with Chris Young and Willie Bloomquist striking out immediately after, the D-Backs were unable to drive in a run. Rewarding Santana with a win and a one-hitter.

Well, despite Santana's outstanding performance tonight, the Angel's offense was... a bit off. With 10 hits and only two runs? Something isn't right. Trout, surprisingly, went 0 for 4 with a batting average of .326. Going 0 for 4 along with Trout is..... Guess who? Pujols, with an average of .256. Both Torii Hunter(.275) and Howie Kendrick(.272) went 3 for 4, with Hunter scoring in the first inning on Trumbo's(.322) 2-run homer.

Tomorrow, Garrett Richards gets the start in the final game of the series vs the D-Backs. Let's hope he can follow the path of Santana's outstanding performance tonight, his best of the season yet.



Angels Lose In 0-5 Buttkicking

I'll admit i missed half the game because I was listening to @TheBoxScore podcasts today but after leaving California and living in Arizona for 9 years before returning I wanted to rub a win in their faces it looks tonight like I ate some humble pie.

There was no real reason to explain away our poor performance but when Trout, Hunter, Pujols and Trumbo combine for a total of 0 hits we can see why we lost tonights game.

Let's chalk this one to an off night and expect a better performance tomorrow and hope for a lot more than a 3 hit game.

Oh, and am I the only one who is starting to question the quality of Scioscia's managing abilities?  Till next time readers take the poll on Superstitions and leave comments below.  I'll get into the story of my background with the Angels more tomorrow. 


Hit List Winner: Eric Aybar

Tough one with only 3 people who collected a hit but he's still paying dividends from yesterdays solo blast.











Tonights Sh** List Winner:  Mike Scioscia

 I'm simply believing that Angels are doing well not because of Mike Scioscia but in spite of him.  I'm interested to see what you all think.