Angels

Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports-related bat-guano crazy stuff, we present a guy who's all up in Dan Brown's...ah... stuff. This Blog's got nothin'. Gaze in awe.

Bob Melvin has little to explain about Oakland's losses the past two days: Four hits in two games is not going to amount to much. Jarrod Parker had his strongest outing yet for the Athletics in a 3-1, 11-inning defeat to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, yet he didn't get enough support from the offense. "We're not stringing hits together and getting guys on base," Melvin said. "We have to swing the bats better. We're going to face a lot of good pitchers. There's no excuse.

With the teams' aces pitching in other games, Albert Pujols teed off. Pujols hit his fourth homer and Trevor Bell pitched into the fifth inning in a bid to earn the Angels' No. 5 starter role, leading Los Angeles to a 6-5 victory over the Texas Rangers Sunday. "That was a 2-iron," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. Both managers chose to keep their aces from facing a division rival. Instead, the Rangers' Yu Darvish gave up four runs and six hits in five innings in an intrasquad game.

Tommy Milone scattered five hits over seven innings and Kila Ka'aihue drove in the go-ahead run, leading the pesky Oakland Athletics past the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 on Monday night. Milone (6-3) struck out three, walked one and never allowed the anemic Angels offense to get going. The lefty's only blemish was an RBI double by Mike Trout in the fifth that landed between two Oakland players. Kurt Suzuki drove in a run on a double-play groundout in the second and Ka'aihue's RBI single in the third snapped Jerome Williams' four-game winning streak.

Franklin Gutierrez hit a three-run homer and the Cleveland Indians rebounded from a tough loss to beat the Tigers, 11-8, last night in Detroit. The Indians overcame homers by Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez, and Marcus Thames to tie the series at a game apiece and increase their AL Central lead to 1 1/2 games over Detroit, a night after dropping a 2-1 pitchers' duel. The Tigers rallied for two runs in the ninth when Jensen Lewis allowed four hits, including RBI singles by Placido Polanco and Ordonez with one out. Joe Borowski relieved with two on and retired Guillen before striking out Ivan Rodriguez on a...

ANAHEIM, Calif. - I am having a moment with John Lackey. Lackey has just made his last regular-season start of 2009, and he has been coy about which game he will pitch against the Red Sox. Standing in front of his locker while his teammates pack and dress for a final weekend in Oakland, the big righty handles all questions professionally, occasionally smiling and making a joke. But there’s an edge to the proceedings because there’s a guy from Boston in the group. Me. And he knows.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Torii Hunter wants to position himself as a here-and-now guy. “Last year was last year,’’ he says. “I don’t want to talk about last year. You can if you want, but I don’t give a damn about last year.’’ And he’s only been through one of these. There are some guys here who’ve been through three. First of all, forget about 1986. In this context, that really was ancient history, something now relegated to ESPN Classic. Don Baylor and Donnie Moore have nothing to do with anything happening in 2009.

C.J. Wilson parked his car and laughed while signing autographs for faceless fans who handed bats, balls and cards to the pitcher from the other side of a brick wall. An early rite of spring training complete, Wilson, one of the Angels' new big-ticket additions, headed to the clubhouse. "You're the man, C.J.," one fan yelled to the left-hander, who signed a $77.5 million contract in December. "Word," Wilson said. He's the man for one day, and one day only. On Monday, Albert Pujols arrives.

The Angels considered themselves a playoff team all along, even while they spent the summer playing catch up. Now they're one win away. Bartolo Colon dominated in seven sharp innings while pitching on three days' rest for the third time in his career, and No. 9 hitter Alfredo Amezaga had a grand slam that led Anaheim over the Athletics, 10-0, last night in Oakland, Calif. If the A's win today, everything will come down to the series finale tomorrow on the last day of the regular season.

Melvin Mora homered and drove in three runs, Rodrigo Lopez pitched seven strong innings, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Angels, 6-1, yesterday at Anaheim, Calif. The victory was Baltimore's ninth in 10 games, and ended Bartolo Colon's six-game winning streak. The loss knocked Anaheim out of first place in the wild-card standings. The Angels are now a game behind the Red Sox. Lopez (10-7) won for the fourth time in his last five road starts, allowing a run and five hits while striking out five and walking one. Mora homered in the first inning against Colon and added a two-run...

The Los Angeles Angels are showing no signs of putting their slow start behind them. Jerome Williams and two relievers allowed only two runs and six hits Monday night, but the Angels wasted another solid pitching performance in a 2-1 loss to the Oakland Athletics. "There are a number of guys who aren't swinging the bat to their capabilities," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We're in such a hole that we're not going to make it up in one or two days. It's that pitch-by-pitch grind we have to work toward.

Paul Brannigan, the untrained actor who stars in Ken Loach's latest movie, has gone from being unemployed in a rough Glasgow neighborhood to nude scenes with Scarlett Johansson. But he still doesn't have a job. That says something for the veracity of "The Angels' Share," a rare dram of comedy from Loach that raises issues of youth unemployment and urban violence in a Scottish caper tale. Brannigan carries the film as Robbie, a troubled lad who discovers he has a nose for fine whiskey.

Add another chapter to the Los Angeles Angels' frustrating start. Pitcher Clayton Richard scored the winning run from first base on an error by fill-in left fielder Howie Kendrick with two outs in the 13th inning and the San Diego Padres beat the Angels 3-2 on Sunday in an unusual extra-inning game. By taking two of three from the Angels, the Padres had their first winning homestand of the season, going 3-2 against the Dodgers and Angels. It was just their third series win in 14 this season.

Dan Haren and the Los Angeles Angels are struggling. Haren lost his fourth straight start Saturday night as the Angels were defeated 3-2 by the San Diego Padres. Alexi Amarista scored San Diego's first two runs against his former team and then doubled in the go-ahead run off Haren in the seventh inning. "I'm better than this," said Haren, who has lost seven of nine decisions dating to last year. "I feel good, health-wise, at least from two starts ago. I thought I looked better as the game went on. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to win...

Pitcher Clayton Richard scored the winning run from first base on an error by fill-in left fielder Howie Kendrick with two outs in the 13th inning and the San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Sunday in an unusual extra-inning game. By taking two of three from the Angels, the Padres had their first winning homestand of the season, going 3-2 against the Dodgers and Angels. It was just their third series win in 14 this season. Richard, scheduled to start Monday night at St. Louis, got a pinch-hit single to left with two outs in the 13th off David...

Alexi Amarista scored San Diego's first two runs against his former team and then doubled in the go-ahead run off Dan Haren in the seventh inning to lead the Padres to a 3-2 victory against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night. Amarista, who was on the Angels' opening day roster, started his third straight game for the Padres at second base. He replaced Orlando Hudson, who was waived on Thursday as part of a shakeup of the middle infield. Amarista and shortstop Everth Cabrera, who has replaced the injured Jason Bartlett, were recalled from Triple-A...

Jered Weaver pitched like the ace he is and Jordan Walden preserved the victory, looking very much like the closer the Angels need. Weaver won his second consecutive start, Torii Hunter and Alberto Callaspo both had two RBIs, and Los Angeles beat the winless Tampa Bay Rays, 5-3, last night in St. Petersburg, Fla. “Jered did what you want a guy to do, continue to the pound the zone,’’ Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Make your pitches.’’ The defending AL East champion Rays fell to 0-4. Manny Ramirez was hitless in four at-bats with three strikeouts and is 1 for 16 overall, and Johnny...

ANGEL STADIUM, ANAHEIM, Calif. - This was Nixon’s ballpark. No, not Trot, you silly. Richard Nixon. Tricky Dick. The awkward man with the sweaty upper lip. The guy who strolled the beach wearing wing tips. Thirty years ago, when the Angels made their first run in the playoffs (vs. the Orioles), Nixon was the ball club’s First Fan. The president-in-exile’s San Clemente home was only 35 miles from the venue then known as Anaheim Stadium. Nixon was a friend of Angels owner Gene Autry.

Jeff Suppan and the San Diego Padres were no match for Jered Weaver and the Los Angeles Angels. Weaver and two relievers combined on a three-hitter, Mike Trout had an RBI triple among his three hits and the Angels beat the Padres 4-2 in their first regular-season visit to Petco Park. Albert Pujols singled, walked and scored twice in his first game in an NL ballpark since leaving St. Louis and signing a $240 million, 10-year contract with the Angels on Dec. 10. Suppan (2-2)