SB Nation - Maicer Izturis

Trade Target: Maicer Izturis

Slyde — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:19:20 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Is Maicer Izturis the potential answer to the Reds 2010 needs at shortstop?

Ed Price at MLB Fanhouse is reporting this morning that the Angels could move infielder Maicer Izturis in a deal this off-season. The 29-year old Izturis is a switch-hitter who has played a mix of 2B, SS, and 3B in his big league career and he's played all 3 fairly well defensively. Offensively, he's a career .278/.343/.393 hitter, though his power has been slightly more developed over the last couple of seasons (he slugged .434 in 2009). He shows decent, though not great patience (8.7% career walk rate), but he's only struck out in 11% of his plate appearances. Since we know that he would bat 2nd for the Reds, it's nice to know that he gets on base at a good rate and that he handles the bat pretty well to be able to do the things that Dusty would ask him to do while batting 2nd.

His hitting projections for 2010 look solidly average (only have these two systems for Izturis so far):

Projection	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA
Bill James	.283	.348	.392	.329
CHONE	.279	.346	.394	.331

Compare that to Paul Janish:

Projection	AVG	OBP	SLG	wOBA
Bill James	.223	.301	.319	.276
CHONE	.237	.311	.350	.298
ZiPS	.239	.310	.340

Janish's best projection still puts him about 15 runs offensively behind Izturis over 600 PA. CHONE rates them both as +5 defensively, so an acquisition of Izturis would likely bring the Reds about a win and a half in 2010.

I think Izturis is definitely somebody the Reds should pursue. One-and-a-half WAR is not a huge amount, but Izturis will likely not make more than $2.5-3 million next season, so it would definitely be a cost-effective upgrade. The question is what will the Reds have to give up. Price says in his article that the Angels are looking for a corner outfielder and bullpen help. I'm not sure if they'd have any interest in Jonny Gomes, and he's probably the most viable candidate as an outfield centerpiece to a deal.

That means the Reds probably need to go the relief route. Arthur Rhodes could be a potential candidate for dealing, and the money/contract situation would be similar (both players are free agents after 2010). Given Rhodes' age, I think the Reds should be willing to give him up in a deal since he's a definite risk to have a big dropoff any day now. I'd also consider Daniel Ray Herrera or Jared Burton available as part of a package. And of course, if the Angels wanted to take Francisco Cordero's contract, I'm sure the Reds would even be willing to chip in a couple million to make it worth the effort.

What do you think? Should the Reds pursue Izturis? Do they have a package of players to get it done?

(h/t nycredsfan)

A Postseason To Remember: NLCS Game 3 Preview, Dodgers vs. Phillies, Sunday 10/18, 7:07 CT

Al — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:00:20 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

Um, Maicer? Wrong decision.

Browse more photos »

Regardless of how this postseason ends up (please, not the Yankees winning, please), we have already had more than our share of exciting, close games, with controversial umpiring calls, clutch hitting by various players, and misplays at the worst possible time.

There's absolutely no doubt that Maicer Izturis made the wrong decision late last night (if you missed it, it was shortly after midnight Chicago time) in trying to turn a double play with Yankees on first and second and one out in the 13th inning. It had been raining for a while, conditions were poor, and the ball was likely wet when Izturis, trying for a throw to 2B, flung the ball in the general direction of short left field, where Chone Figgins picked it up with no chance to get Jerry Hairston Jr., who scored the winning run.

Jerry Hairston. Winning run. In a league championship series game. Yes, the same Jerry Hairston who, as one of Dusty Baker's "horses" in 2006, hit an Aaron-Miles-like .207/.253/.244 in 82 at-bats before being exiled to Texas (for Phil Nevin), where he hit a not-much-better .206/.270/.253 in 88 AB. And now, he's two wins from being in the World Series.

Anyway, had Izturis made the proper choice and thrown to first for an easy out, the Yankees would have had runners on second and third with two out and Jorge Posada at bat -- the game had a chance, at least, to go to the 14th inning. Nevertheless, even with the crushing loss, the Angels will have a shot at evening up the series at home starting tomorrow. Many teams have come back from 0-2 deficits to win a seven-game series.

Meanwhile, if you liked watching baseball with players wearing hats with earflaps and rain pouring down, you'll love tonight's forecast for the Philadelphia area. I'm guessing many people here won't be watching the game tonight, instead tuned to some other game in some other sport on some other channel.

Dodgers at Phillies, 7:07 pm CDT. Series tied 1-1. TV: TBS. Announcers: Chip Caray, Buck Martinez and Ron Darling.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

SB Nation game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Dodgers site True Blue LA and Phillies site The Good Phight.

Dream Weaver Makes It 2 - 0: Saturday Halolinks

WiHaloFan — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:54:07 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Browse more photos »

Angels dominate wall to wall for 2-0 series lead -- latimes.com
Jered Weaver threw 7 1/3 brilliant innings, giving up one run and two hits. A pair of gnats, 5-foot-8, 170-pound Maicer Izturis and 5-10, 170-pound Erick Aybar, delivered a pair of humongous hits. The bullpen, a soft spot for a good chunk of the season, held firm.

Angels thump Red Sox, take huge series lead - OCRegister.com
"Game tied, 1-1, I knew he was going to be very careful with the way he pitched to me," Guerrero said. "Those breaking balls he threw me off the plate, I knew I could not open my (strike) zone too much. "That has been his pattern against me in the past and he did it again tonight. … I wasn’t looking for a walk but I knew the situation in the game – it called for me to get on base."

Weaver throws strong as Angels down BoSox in Game 2 - CBSSports.com
Weaver was comprehensively better than Beckett in just his second career postseason start. He allowed just four Boston baserunners and struck out seven while matching Lackey's 7 1/3 innings in Los Angeles' streak-snapping shutout victory in Game 1. "We want it," Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said. "I mean, I can't say we want it more than those guys, but we definitely want it. I'm pretty sure they want it, too. It's just not working out for them. We've just got to keep putting the pressure on them and stay hungry. You've got to kick somebody when they're down, and that's what we're doing."

Team Reports - CBSSports.com
Rather than travel immediately after Friday's game or early Saturday morning, the Angels elected to work out briefly in Anaheim on Saturday morning then travel to Boston. Manager Mike Scioscia said the adjustment was made because the Angels worked out late at night in Boston on the day before Game 3 last year. This year's travel decision was compounded by the early start time for Game 3 -- noon EDT Sunday in Boston.

Video highlights from last night's game:

MLB Tonight on Weaver's strong start - MLB.com
MLB Tonight breaks down Jered Weaver's excellent start in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Red Sox

Aybar plates two on triple in seventh - MLB.com
Erick Aybar skies a triple over Jacoby Ellsbury's head, plating two runs to push the Halos to a 4-1 lead in the seventh

MLB.com looks at Angels' rally - MLB.com
Jim Duquette breaks down how the Angels used team speed to score three runs in the seventh inning to take a 2-0 ALDS lead

Izturis, Aybar discuss the Angels winning Game 2 - MLB.com
Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar discuss the Angels big win over the Red Sox in Game 2 of the 2009 ALDS

Weaver's gem puts Angels in control - angelsbaseball.com
Outdueling Josh Beckett in a 4-1 triumph on Friday night, Jered Weaver pitched brilliantly in his second career postseason start, and the Angels manufactured a three-run seventh inning to move one win away from the American League Championship Series -- and leave the Red Sox on the precipice.

Angels stay on a roll in role reversal - Yahoo! Sports
So they move the whole thing to Fenway Park, for brunch on Sunday, the Angels – and not the Red Sox – running downhill, feeling like this might work, in fact almost sure of it.

Halos pushing all the right buttons - MLB.com
Every aspect of the Angels' game has been on in this American League Division Series. The starting pitching has been superb, the hitting has been timely, the defense has made the necessary plays regardless of difficulty, the baserunning has been every bit as aggressive and effective as usual. These were the Angels, from their own perspective, the way they ought to be. It was very impressive for the rest of us and very gratifying for the Angels themselves.

With 2-0 lead, Angels have Red Sox on the run - Stan McNeal - Sporting News
Though Guerrero's hit looked like a hit-and-run, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said it was a run-and-hit. Guerrero didn't have to swing. "Sometimes a run-and-hit looks like a perfect hit-and-run," Scioscia said. "My intention was to swing the bat and it happened to go to right field," Guerrero said. He was being a bit modest, according to Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher. "I was kidding him and said, 'Was that your first hit-and-run?'. He goes, 'What are you talking about?'" Hatcher said. "Really, I've seen him probably 50 times that when he's hitting and he sees a runner go, he hits a ground ball that way. He just does it. He knows how to get that direction."

Angels strike the right chord with precision -- latimes.com
It seems fairly clear now that the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who have been off-key so often in recent postseason play, are now producing sweet music.

Bobby Abreu: 'I don't want to go nowhere else' | Angels Unplugged | Los Angeles Times
"I want to come back. I don't want to go nowhere else. I want to stay with the Angels."

The feeling's mutual.

Umpires' foul play spoiling exciting postseason - Jon Heyman - SI.com
Some of the Twins contingent were apoplectic about umpire Phil Cuzzi's blown call in left field which deprived Joe Mauer of a ground-rule double in the 11th inning. Mauer's fly ball into the corner ticked Melky Cabrera's glove while he was still in fair territory, then landed a few inches inside the line before bouncing over the wall. But Cuzzi incorrectly ruled it foul, and while Mauer singled, the Twins failed to score in that half inning before the Yankees sent them home a 4-3 loser in Game 2 on Mark Teixiera's walk-off homer.

MLB Postseason Clubs Make Extra $$$, But How Much Depends - Biz of Baseball
With the 2009 postseason getting underway, interest in the added revenues that each of the teams that advanced could garner increases. Today, two stories reference research published earlier this year that looked at the added average gate revenue clubs make when making the postseason.

October 10 - BR Bullpen
Events, births and deaths that occurred on October 10.
1982 - The Milwaukee Brewers complete their comeback from a 2-0 ALCS deficit by edging the California Angels 4 - 3 to earn their first-ever trip to the World Series. Angels outfielder Fred Lynn bats .611 for the Series and is named MVP in a losing cause.
2005 - Rookie Ervin Santana pitched 5 1/3 strong innings in his postseason debut, Garret Anderson hit a home run and drove in two runs, and Adam Kennedy hit a go-ahead two-run triple, to lead the Angels over New York, 5 - 3, in the decisive Game 5 of their AL playoff series.

Poll

Have you watched any of the other play off games?

I've watched every game

95 votes

I've watched some of the other games

256 votes

What other play off games?

48 votes

399 votes | Poll has closed

Playoff Teams Defense Analysis - How They Got There and What to Expect - American League Edition

Jeff Zimmerman (TucsonRoyal) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:32:12 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

2 months ago: Los Angeles Angels center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. catches a fly ball in front of a mural honoring Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009, during practice in preparation for the team's upcoming playoff baseball game in Anaheim, Calif. Adenhart died in a car accident last April. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Browse more photos »

A couple days ago I publish the look at the defensive stats of the teams that made the playoffs in the National League. Now it is time for the American League. For this analysis, I will be using UZR data from from Fangraphs.com. I computed the numbers a few days ago and waited for the season to end. Fangraphs updates their numbers on Monday so these UZR are not from this Monday but the Monday before that.

First, here are the totals of all the AL teams in the playoffs:

As it can be seen, the Angel's defense this season was the best of the four teams with them saving about 30 more runs than the Yankees and Red Sox and about 45 more runs than the Twins.

Besides the team totals, the UZR can be broken down to individual positions. Here is a comparison of each of the 4 teams by position totals.

None of these team were great in the field and shows by the variations from position to position.

Even though these graphs show how a team did during the season, it doesn't show what to except in the post season. For example, the Angels missed Tori Hunter for a while due to injury and the players that replaced him might explain the low ranking in CF for the Angels (actually Tori had a pretty bad year in CF). For each team, I went ahead and calculated the true UZR value of each player projected to start in the playoffs.

For those that need to know, it was a 5-4-3-2 weighted average of seasonally regressed values to 125 games with no final age adjustment. For example, Derek Jeter had a 6.4 UZR for 2009, but taking into account his previous seasons his true talent level is near -1.7 UZR.

So here is a look at each team's 2009 numbers and the true talent level of the players expected to play during the post season (I will add more as needed - when injuries happen or if I happened to miss someone).

Minnesota Twins (2009 UZR Results and True Current UZR Seasonal Talent Levels)

Pos	Name	UZR
1B	Justin Morneau	0.67
1B	Michael Cuddyer	-0.13
2B	Nick Punto	0.81
2B	Alexi Casilla	-2.73
3B	Matt Tolbert	-0.03
3B	Joe Crede	7.44
3B	Brendan Harris	-1.2
SS	Nick Punto	2.59
SS	Orlando Cabrera	-0.11
LF	Delmon Young	-10.2
LF	Denard Span	2.12
CF	Carlos Gomez	7.6
CF	Denard Span	-0.72
RF	Jason Kubel	-1.39
RF	Michael Cuddyer	-7
RF	Denard Span	1.82

LA Angels (2009 UZR Results and True Current UZR Seasonal Talent Levels)

Pos	Name	UZR
1B	Kendry Morales	3.0
2B	Howie Kendrick	1.8
2B	Maicer Izturis	1.5
3B	Chone Figgins	6.6
SS	Erick Aybar	3.7
SS	Maicer Izturis	1.0
LF	Juan Rivera	5.9
CF	Gary Matthews Jr.	-5.4
CF	Torii Hunter	-6.0
RF	Bobby Abreu	-11.3
RF	Gary Matthews Jr.	-1.0

New York Yankees (2009 UZR Results and True Current UZR Seasonal Talent Levels)

Pos	Name	UZR
1B	Mark Teixeira	1.5
2B	Robinson Cano	-1.9
3B	Alex Rodriguez	-3.7
SS	Derek Jeter	-1.7
LF	Johnny Damon	-2.4
CF	Melky Cabrera	-1.5
CF	Brett Gardner	3.2
RF	Nick Swisher	2.1
RF	Eric Hinske	0.6
RF	Melky Cabrera	-0.3

Boston Red Sox (2009 UZR Results and True Current UZR Seasonal Talent Levels)

Pos	Name	UZR
1B	Victor Martinez	-0.1
1B	Kevin Youkilis	3.2
1B	Casey Kotchman	4.5
2B	Dustin Pedroia	6.9
3B	Mike Lowell	2.3
3B	Kevin Youkilis	-0.1
SS	Alex Gonzalez	4.5
SS	Nick Green	-2.0
SS	Jed Lowrie	4.2
LF	Jason Bay	-9.6
CF	Jacoby Ellsbury	-6.7
RF	Rocco Baldelli	-0.6
RF	J.D. Drew	4.6

--------------------------------------------------------------------

First, thanks to Justin for supplying the graphics and let me know if any players might be seeing playing time in the first 2 rounds. I am not going to go through all possible lineups once the DH is added and removed in the World Series until two teams qualify.

TUESDAY HALOLINKS: A.L. West Championship Edition

WiHaloFan — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:29:55 -0000

More photos » by Chris Pizzello - AP

Browse more photos »

Up next for Angels: Tuesday vs. Texas -- latimes.com
Scott Kazmir vs. Scott Feldman

AL West title is sweet, and bittersweet, for Angels -- latimes.com
They clinch fifth division championship in six years with 11-0 rout of Texas, then start the celebration -- but only after an emotional remembrance of the late Nick Adenhart.

Santana's seven-hit shutout gives Angels another AL West title - CBSSports.com
Ervin Santana pitched a seven-hitter for his fourth career shutout, while Maicer Izturis had three hits and two RBI to wrap up the Angels' fifth division crown in six years. Los Angeles (92-64) will open at home in the best-of-5 first round next week -- most likely against Boston, a familiar nemesis. The Red Sox need one victory or a Texas loss to earn the AL wild card. About 10 minutes into their clubhouse celebration, the players grabbed Adenhart's jersey and gave it a dousing. The Angels have taken Adenhart's jersey on every road trip and kept his locker intact in memory, and reliever Kevin Jepsen brought the shirt back to the clubhouse from the dugout for the celebration. "We remembered Nick before we started," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We've played the whole year with heavy hearts. But it was never about us, and it isn't about us. It's all about supporting Nick's family in any small way, and we're going to bring Nick's memory forward."

Game Wrapup - angelsbaseball.com
Behind an early offensive outburst that included a trio of three-run innings, the Angels sewed up their third straight AL West title. Ervin Santana went the distance and he got plenty of offensive help -- Kendry Morales homered and Bobby Abreu and Maicer Izturis each had three hits.

Rangers-Angels Preview - FOX Sports on MSN
The Angels are expected to counter with Scott Kazmir (9-9, 5.06), who helped Tampa Bay win the AL pennant last season. He's had mostly tough luck since being traded to Los Angeles on Aug. 28, going 1-2 with a 2.01 ERA in five starts. He suffered the loss in a 3-2 defeat Wednesday against visiting New York while receiving two runs for the fourth straight start from the majors' best-hitting team. Kazmir has a good chance at rebounding if the Angels can give him enough runs. He's 6-1 with a 2.05 ERA in 10 career starts against Texas - 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA in three this season.

Video highlight's from last night's game:

Angels clinch AL West crown with 11-0 win - MLB.com
Daily Recap: The Angels clinch the AL West crown with a 11-0 win over the Rangers

Figgins fields, seals the division - MLB.com
Chone Figgins fields the grounder to third and fires to first for the final out of the game, sealing the AL West for the Angels

How they got there: 2009 Angels - MLB.com
MLB.com takes an in-depth look at how the Angels made the 2009 postseason

Angel Highlight Videos - MLB.com
There were a bunch of videos at MLB.com, too many to list. Here's the link to the page that has them all.

Nick Adenhart was on everyone's mind...

Angels play for Nick Adenhart's memory -- latimes.com
The Angels clinched another American League West championship with an 11-0 victory over the Texas Rangers on Monday night, their fifth division title in six years, and the one player who wasn't there to live it, to feel it, was the one player who seemed to be everywhere in Angel Stadium."We took him onto the field, and not just on the center-field wall," Bulger said. "He's in our hearts right now. He's been a huge part of this season and will continue to be in the postseason."

Adenhart loss, leadership strength make season 'pretty special' - OCRegister.com
"You look back on that now and all that we went through as a team – it means a lot more," Mathis said. "We were in the same situation last year (winning the division). But the things that happened this year with Nick and everything, it feels like it’s pretty special."

Angels celebrate Adenhart after emotional clincher - Yahoo! Sports
With fewer wins and more scars than last season’s 100-victory club, the Angels are back in the playoffs for the sixth time in eight years. Outfielder Torii Hunter(notes) believes everything the Angels have endured in the past year, particularly pitcher Nick Adenhart’s(notes) tragic death, only made them stronger for this October. "We overcame a lot of obstacles, a lot more than anybody expected," Hunter said. "I definitely feel we haven’t played our best yet, and this year is different. But if you want to put your money on Boston, go ahead, do it. We believe in ourselves."

Title comes with heavy heart for Halos - angelsbaseball.com
So while the club will not soon forget both the memories of Adenhart and Gomez, Moreno said the next challenge will be to win the World Series in their honor this season. "Our goal is to a win a championship and we still haven't accomplished what we want to do," Moreno said. "We still have a lot of work to do."

Angels Win the West : baseballmusings.com
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.

After up-and-down season, Angels face next hurdle -- beating Red Sox - CBSSports.com Baseball
"It's going to be a different scene now," Torii Hunter promised. "I have a lot of respect for Boston. But I think it's different. I think we're a different ballclub. We're playing to win. "We have a different energy. I wouldn't bank on the past."

Buster Olney blog -- Velocity and speed are distinct, and one series will prove it - ESPN

Some evaluators are intrigued by the matchup. "The Angels have to win the home games," said one evaluator, who has seen them play in the last week. If the Red Sox win one game out there to start the series, it's over -- and to be honest, I don't think the Angels will win a game. I'm really surprised, because when you look at the numbers, you'd think that the Angels have a good lineup, but they have a lot of guys who can be pitched to. They have a bunch of rug rats.

Olney's blog on ESPN is in the Insider section.

Postseason becoming habit for Halos - angelsbaseball.com
It's getting to be a habit. The Angels are returning to postseason play, having wrapped up their third consecutive American League West title by flattening their persistent pursuer, Texas, 11-0, on Monday night.

" Blog Archive " The War Between the Stats
The odd thing about this war, though, is that the general baseball public seems largely unaware of its existence. Most fans who attend, watch or listen to games are perfectly content with their knowledge of batting and earned run average, wins and losses and runs batted in. If they’ve even heard of VORP, most would try to catch one with a net. No, this war is being fought largely on the Internet, and has only recently begun to leak into broadcast booths. ESPN, despite its employment of a handful of unenlightened blabbermouths, feature OPS now as a part of their Sunday night telecasts.

September 29 - BR Bullpen
Events, births and deaths that occurred on September 29.

Poll

There's been some things written about pouring alcohol on Adenhart's jersey during last night's celebration. Do you think it was appropriate?

Yes, he's part of the team and should be included in the celebration

560 votes

No, under the circumstances it wasn't very cool.

55 votes

Undecided

36 votes

651 votes | Poll has closed

Angels Hold On, Beat Oakland: Magic Number Now Two

rghan — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:23:41 -0000

Joe Saunders likely nailed down the fourth spot in the Halos' playoff rotation, going six solid innings. Four singles - only one hit with authority - and a walk chased him in the seventh, but all in all, it was a decent outing for the Colonel.

Kendry Morales hit the 100 RBI milestone with an RBI single in the first inning, and then tacked on 2 more with a monster blast in the third. He also started a crucial double play with a man in scoring position, helping to bail Saunders out of what could have been a nasty third inning.

Mike Napoli and Maicer Izturis made significant contributions with both the glove and the bat. On a close play at home in the third, Big Mike blocked the plate perfectly to deny an early run to the A's. He added a homerun to lead off the Halos' half of the fourth. Izturis initiated the Halos' second crucial double play of the afternoon, feeding the ball to Aybar quickly enough to get speedster Rajai Davis at first. In the ninth, he mashed a 2-run insurance double that felt like the difference-maker.

The bullpen recorded two holds and a save, with Oliver, Jepsen and Fuentes making things interesting enough to keep fans in their seats and in front of their televisions, while still making Saunder's fine start hold up.

To round out a perfect Sunday afternoon, Joe Maddon's Rays stunned the Texas Rangers with a ninth inning comeback, reducing the Halos' magic number to two. The Rangers come to town tomorrow, so the Halos could be celebrating at home as early as next evening.

Poll

And the panther is...

Joe Saunders - You can't really hold his 7th inning bad luck against him, can you?

70 votes

Kendry Morales - Bam Bam goes yard, notches 3 RBI's, starts a crucial DP

320 votes

Kevin Jepsen - He found the strikezone

10 votes

Maicer Izturis - RISP God

33 votes

433 votes | Poll has closed

Playoff Atmosphere in Anaheim Sees Rare Angels Loss to Yankees

Rev Halofan — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 05:47:21 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

As bummed as Ervin was, at least he was not listening to the Salted Vanila platitudes of Rodger Lodge in the Angels broadcasting booth. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Browse more photos »

Final Score in Anaheim: Yankees 6, Angels 5 - with the Texas Loss, the Angels Magic Number is now 5. The earliest the Angels can clinch the division is Friday night at home against Oakland, Rob Neyer's preseason choice to win the AL West.

Kendry Morales - the smart, affordable alternative to Mark Teixeira - went 4 for 4, Chone Figgins went 3 for 5 with a rare HR, and the Angels capitalized on some Yankee mistakes to elbow their way back into a 5-0 game. Tied late, though, the good guys fell short of taking the lead despite ample opportunities presented by an overmatched Yankees squad running on road trip fumes and looking nothing like a division winner.

A few unfortunate Bronx home runs tarnished an above average Ervin Santana start, but the Angels erased a 5-0 lead. Angels pitching struck out 9 Yankees total in the game. Just when all of the momentum had landed in their corner, though, the middle of the Halo lineup wilted. Torii Hunter went 0 for 5 (although he did make an amazing diving catch in CF to rub a little of tonight's tarnish away), but our Karisma Kid looks pretty gassed coming down the stretch. Hunter left 4 men on base tonight.

Each Angel RBI came off the bat of a different Angel: Figgy's solo HR, a Gary Matthews pinch-hit single, a Vladimir Guerrero single, a Bobby Abreu bases loaded Walk and a Maicer Izturis single to tie the game in the 8th inning. So much for leaving your Isolated Power in the locker room.

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Poll

Blame of the Game (BESIDES RODGER LODGE):

Torii Hunter

117 votes

Ervin Santana

165 votes

282 votes | Poll has closed

SATURDAY HALOLINKS: Scott Kazmir's First Win

WiHaloFan — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:05:13 -0000

More photos » by Mike Fuentes - AP

Browse more photos »

Up next for Angels: Saturday at Texas -- latimes.com
Jered Weaver vs. Scott Feldman

Angels deliver near-knockout blow to punchless Rangers -- latimes.com
Scott Kazmir threw six shutout innings for his first win as an Angel, and setup man Kevin Jepsen survived a harrowing eighth, as the Angels held on for a 2-0 victory over the Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington on night.

Kazmir throws six scoreless innings to earn first win in Angels uniform - CBSSports.com
"Any time you're with a new team, you want to show what you're made of. This was the perfect example. There was something I wanted to prove," said Kazmir, whose former team has already been eliminated from postseason contention. "It's always exciting to get your first one with your new team, especially a team that's trying to get a playoff spot."

Angels-Rangers Preview - FOX Sports on MSN
Having already set a career high for wins, Weaver is the only member of Los Angeles' rotation from the beginning of the season that has not missed a scheduled start. "He's been so good, so consistent," teammate Torii Hunter told the Angels' official Web site. "I don't know where we'd be without Jered Weaver." Weaver is 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 13 starts against Texas, and 2-1 with 30 strikeouts and a 4.88 ERA in four this season.

Video highlights from last night's game:

Kazmir shuts down the Rangers - angelsbaseball.com
Daily Recap: Scott Kazmir picked up his first win since joining the Angels in an August trade by tossing six shutout frames

Vlad's homer gives Halos a two-run cushion - angelsbaseball.com
09.18.09: Vladimir Guerrero pulls it over the left-field wall to lead off the third, pushing the Angels to a 2-0 lead over the Rangers

Hunter's bloop hit scores the first run - angelsbaseball.com
09.18.09: Torii Hunter's bloop single drops between three fielders and Maicer Izturis scores from second as the first run of the game

Izturis turns two to get Kazmir out of third - MLB.com
09.18.09: Maicer Izturis gloves the grounder, steps on the bag and fires to first for the inning-ending double play in the third

Rivera saves an extra-base hit in eighth - angelsbaseball.com
09.18.09: Juan Rivera snares Hank Blalock's hard-hit liner for the first out of the eighth inning

Hunter's miscue ends long errorless streak - angelsbaseball.com
09.18.09: Torii Hunter misfires on Ian Kinsler's single in the eighth, the outfielder's first error since Aug. 31, 2007, a 264-game streak

Team Reports - CBSSports.com
OF Torii Hunter was charged with an error on a wild throw in the eighth inning Friday. It was his first error in a regular-season game since August 31, 2007, a span of 264 errorless games.

Angels coaches will be fined for Boston incident - OCRegister.com
Within the article, there was this: With a runner on first and one out in the eighth inning Friday, Rangers leadoff man Ian Kinsler lined a single into the right-center field gap. Angels center fielder Torii Hunter cut the ball off, spun and threw wildly. The ball landed on the infield grass between third base and the pitcher's mound, allowing Kinsler to advance to second. It was Hunter's first error as an Angel, his first in 264 games dating to Aug. 31, 2007 with the Minnesota Twins.

Angels catchers wonder about ump's frame of reference -- latimes.com
Framing pitches is a common practice for catchers -- "You try to catch the ball the best way you can to give the umpires the best look," Napoli said. "It happens all game. Not just on one pitch."

The Angels Are in the Wrong...Wait, What? - Bleacher Report
The Angels have some very justified reasons to complain, and the umpires are getting an investigation going against Los Angeles? They blew several calls late in the game that the Red Sox eventually won, and now they're trying to make the Angels look like some demons who verbally tortured the "poow wittle umpiowes?"

John Lackey: Free Agent at the End of the Season - Bleacher Report
So I look at John Lackey's free agency like this: it will be a struggle between two sides. One side will see Lackey the ace, who is the only legit No. 1 starter on this year's market, while the other side will see risk and a bad contract waiting to happen.

Reliable Weaver nearing 200 innings - angelsbaseball.com
He already has delivered more innings than in any of his three previous seasons, and by going six rounds in the middle game of the Angels' American League West showdown with the Rangers on Saturday, Weaver will reach a number he'd underlined: 200. "There's a lot that goes into throwing 200 innings," Weaver said. "That's something I'd really like to do."

Morales a testament to scout's legacy - angelsbaseball.com
The late Preston Gomez was one of baseball's most respected talent evaluators, with good reason. Gomez, in his role as consultant to Angels general manager Tony Reagins, was bullish on Kendry Morales, a young switch-hitter with power searching for a role, a position, since signing in 2004 after his 13th attempt to escape his homeland was a success.

American League division series tickets to go on sale Wednesday - Angels Unplugged - Los Angeles Times
Tickets for American League division series playoff games at Angel Stadium will go on sale Wednesday beginning at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available only through the Angels website (www.angelsbaseball.com) and through Ticketmaster's phone lines, (714) 663-9000. There will be no tickets available for sale at Angel Stadium or at any Ticketmaster Ticket Center. Fans will be limited to a maximum of four tickets per game, per household, for a possible total of three home games in Anaheim.

September 19 - BR Bullpen
Events, births and deaths that occurred on September 19.
1963 - At Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, 476 lonely fans watch the Angels and Orioles game. The Angels win, 7-2, behind Bo Belinsky.
1973 - The Angels down the Rangers 6-2 and 9-4 at Arlington Stadium. Frank Robinson homers in the 32nd different park of his ML career - a record.
1986 - White Sox pitcher Joe Cowley, who had been demoted to the minors earlier in the season, pitches an ugly no-hitter against the Angels. Cowley walks seven batters and allows a sacrifice fly as Chicago wins 7-1. For Cowley, this win is his high note, as he won't record another big league victory, going 0-4 with the Phils in 1987.

Angels Magic Number: 9

Poll

Game 1 in Anaheim against the Red Sox. The starting pitcher is...

John Lackey

568 votes

Jered Weaver

84 votes

Scott Kazmir

141 votes

Ervin Santana

5 votes

Joe Saunders

15 votes

813 votes | Poll has closed

Rangers Can't Move Thru Kazmir or Angels

Rev Halofan — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 03:06:10 -0000

More photos » by Mike Fuentes - AP

3 months ago: Los Angeles Angels' Vladimir Guerrero trots home after a home run against the Texas Rangers in a baseball game during the third inning in Arlington, Texas, on Friday, Sept. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)

Browse more photos »

Final Score in Arlington: Angels 2, Rangers

It took Scott Kazmir 3 weeks and 4 starts as an Angel to get his first win with a Halo. His first W lowered the Angels' Magic Number to 9 to win the American League West.

The 6 hits the Angels managed on Friday night were enough. One was a solo HR by Vladimir Guerrero to lead off the 3rd inning. The other was a bloop single by Torii Hunter in the 1st inning that scored Maicer Izturis. Guerrero was in the middle of that, having extended the 1st inning by striking out but reaching first base on a Wild Pitch.

Kazmir allowed 6 hits in 6 IP, striking out 5 Rangers. If there was one blemish, his pitch count of 104 was a little high. Jason Bulger pitched a hitless inning of relief, Kevin Jepsen got into some trouble, lowlighted by a rare Torii Hunter throwing error, but an Andruw Jones fly to the warning track with the bases loaded was pretty much the end of the Rangers' season. Brian Fuentes got his 43rd Save of the season, the 5th most single season in Franchise History.

If there was one bright spot for the Rangers, the phenomenal Neftali Feliz Pwnaged the Angels and should give Texas fans a glimmer of hope for their future after an impressive job of hanging on during a season where they could have easily folded in June, July or August. The almost full house in Arlington served as a reminder that Dallas is the 5th largest media market in the nation and with an owner who has not robbed the team's coffers in place in a few seasons, the Rangers could be more than a late season hold on the Los Angeles champagne of Anaheim.

Poll

Panther of the Game

Vlad Guerrero

41 votes

Scott Kazmir

337 votes

378 votes | Poll has closed

WENESDAY HALOLINKS: Familiar Feeling For John Lackey

WiHaloFan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:02:25 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher, left, comes to the mound to ask John Lackey what he wants on his pizza in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Browse more photos »

Up next for Angels: Wednesday at Boston -- latimes.com
Joe Saunders vs. Paul Byrd

Red Sox again give Angels a bad time - OCRegister.com
"For sure, we shot ourselves in the foot," Scioscia said. "We fundamentally weren't what we usually are on the defensive side tonight." But they were what they often have been at Fenway Park on offense – punchless. Matsuzaka held them to three hits in his six innings and the Angels finished the night 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position. The one hit (an RBI double by Erick Aybar in the ninth) was the Angels' first hit with a runner in scoring positions since Maicer Izturis' RBI single in the third inning Sunday against the White Sox.

Angels-Red Sox Preview - FOX Sports on MSN
The Angels will try to set a tone in potential postseason previews in their two remaining games in Boston this week, but the Red Sox have a chance to notch their longest home winning streak of the season with a 10th straight victory at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.

Lackey, Angels endure 'familiar' result - angelsbaseball.com
Once again, there was no fun to be had at Fenway Park for the Angels. "It felt familiar," Lackey said, needing no elaboration.

Team Reports - CBSSports.com
After sizzling through June, July and into August, the Angels' offense has cooled down considerably in September. Through the end of August, the Angels had scored 746 runs (5.74 per game), hit 149 home runs and were batting .290 as a team. In their first 14 games this month, though, they have scored only 44 runs (3.1 per game), hit five home runs and batted .242. They've been held to three runs or less 10 times this month, something that happened only four times in the entire month of July and nine times in all of August.

Team Reports II - CBSSports.com
DH Vladimir Guerrero's solo home run Monday at Yankee Stadium was the 10th of his career against the Yankees. Guerrero has now hit at least 10 home runs against 20 teams. That is the third-highest total among active players behind Ken Griffey Jr. and Gary Sheffield, who have homered 10 times or more against 23 teams.

Video Highlights from 9-15-09:

Matsuzaka makes most of return to mound - angelsbaseball.com
Daily Recap: Daisuke Matsuzaka made an impressive return from the disabled list as the Red Sox beat the Angels, 4-1

John Lackey's strong start - angelsbaseball.com
John Lackey strikes out six in 7 2/3 strong innings of work

Rivera gets Bay trying to stretch a single - angelsbaseball.com
Juan Rivera snags Jason Bay's RBI single on a hop and fires to second to get him, keeping a run off the basepaths in the eighth

Mathis' nice throw beats Ellsbury to the bag - angelsbaseball.com
With Dustin Pedroia hitting, Jeff Mathis fires a strike to Maicer Izturis at second, who tags Jacoby Ellsbury to end the third

Aybar fires from shallow left for the out - angelsbaseball.com
Erick Aybar fields Alex Gonzalez's grounder in shallow left and fires to first to beat him out for the second out of the third

Gonzalez scores first run on Lackey's miscue - MLB.com
09.15.09: Dustin Pedroia puts down a bunt and John Lackey's throw to third is off, letting Alex Gonzalez score the first run in the sixth

Ellsbury's great catch saves run in ninth - MLB.com
09.15.09: Jacoby Ellsbury tracks Kendry Morales' fly ball to deep center then leaps to make the catch for the first out of the ninth inning

Angels Extra: Inching closer to the postseason - angelsbaseball.com
Angels Extra: The Angels are inching closer and closer to the postseason

Angels hit Red Sox from different angle - BostonHerald.com
This time, the Angels will present a different challenge. Ordinarily blessed with a strong bullpen and an aggressive, athletic lineup, the Angels have undergone a changeover and now possess a high-powered offense and a deep starting rotation.

Trial delay likely in Nick Adenhart murder case - SI.com
The trial of a man charged with the drunken driving death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart will likely be delayed by several months after a new defense attorney was appointed.

Angels' Kevin Jepsen, Jason Bulger ready for postseason -- latimes.com
Both rookie relievers recovered from rocky starts to the season. 'I can't wait,' Jepsen says of the playoffs.

Does Fuentes have tenuous hold on job? - SweetSpot by Rob Neyer - ESPN
Fewer strikeouts usually means more hits, and more hits usually means more runs and a higher ERA. Which is exactly what's happened to Fuentes this season. He's throwing about as hard as he always has, and there's really nothing wrong with him that a few more strikeouts and a few fewer walks won't cure.

Weaver stands tall amid it all - angelsbaseball.com
"It's been a weird season, that's for sure," he said. "Some ups and downs, as far as the pitching staff is concerned. Our offense helped us get through some bumps in the road, and now we have five guys with experience we have confidence in every five days. We've come together, and it's a good feeling."

It's All-Opinions day - Angels Unplugged - Los Angeles Times
Nothing is more frustrating than to watch a whole team stop hitting at the same time. Especially a team that was the best hitting team in baseball just a few weeks ago . . .

Saunders enjoys Fenway success - angelsbaseball.com: News
Unlike hundreds of left-handed pitchers who have visited the old yard with the daunting wall, Joe Saunders doesn't seem to have any issues, personal or professional, with Fenway Park.

September 16 - BR Bullpen
Events, births and deaths that occurred on September 16.
1970 - Clyde Wright joins Dean Chance (1964) as the Angels 2nd twenty-game winner as he beats the Twins, 5 - 1.
1987 - In a 6 - 4 win, California's Bob Boone catches his 1,919th ML game to break the record held by Hall of Fame member Al Lopez.

After living on the edge for the past month (one of the reasons the comics have become so infrequent), my computer finally crashed for good yesterday. I'm trying to recreate all the bookmarks, links, etc. for this daily update, so please be patient over the next couple days as I scour the internet for Angels sites and news. If anyone has a favorite site I can add to the list, please post the link in the comments below.

Poll

Who has been more valuable to the Angels this season?

Juan Rivera

41 votes

Erick Aybar

293 votes

Vlad Guerrero

9 votes

343 votes | Poll has closed