Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

Bobby Abreu homers twice in Angels' victory Bobby Abreu homers twice in Angels' victory

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July 3

Los Angeles Times

"Bobby Abreu is not a home run hitter and John Lackey is not an overpowering pitcher. That's the Angels' story and they're sticking to it. But just try convincing the Baltimore Orioles, who watched Abreu drive in four runs with a pair of homers and saw Lackey scatter four hits over eight innings to lift the Angels to a 5-2 victory Thursday at Angel Stadium. "You know what kind of player you are," Abreu said. "My game is a line-drive hitter. I don't really try to hit homers. But whenever they come, very well." They came in consecutive at-bats Thursday, giving Abreu 31 RBIs in his last 30 games. And that proved to be more than enough support for Lackey, who relied heavily on his fastball to ..."

New plan for Angels' Santana

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July 3

L.A. Daily News

"The optimist in manager Mike Scioscia still believes that Ervin Santana can return to the impressive pitcher the right-hander was a season ago. Realistically, when Santana returns tonight from his second stint on the disabled list, the Angels should be happy to get an innings eater who can show flashes of his old brilliance on occasion. Santana is far from the downside of his career at 26, but he's already shown that midseason revivals aren't his thing. When he started heading south in 2007 things only got worse until he was sent back to Triple-A. So if Santana can be content to fight instead of dominate, he can still give the team what they need. "I think right now there's maybe not as ..."

Blunders cost Angels in loss to Rangers

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July 2

Orange County Register

"This one was a beauty all right - but it was no beauty contest. "It was ugly," Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said of the team's 9-7 loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night after Juan Rivera's two-out, three run himer in the top of the ninth tied the score. "All of us made mistakes tonight. Everybody." The boneheaded baserunning and poor pitch execution were as omnipresent as the Texas heat. But those blunders weren't confined to the playing field. The biggest mistake of the night might have been made in the dugout. Manager Mike Scioscia sent pitching coach Mike Butcher out to talk to pitcher Justin Speier in the bottom of the ninth and decided to let Speier pitch to Hank Blalock with ..."

Might Rangers be in Lackey's future?

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July 2

Orange County Register

"John Lackey said he has never met his boyhood hero. But he might get that chance this winter. With Lackey headed toward free agency, he could find the Texas Rangers- and their club president, Nolan Ryan - knocking on his door as one of his suitors. In that situation, would Lackey have the guts to tell the pitching icon, "No?" "I'm not sure who does," Lackey said with a laugh. "It'd be cool, no doubt (to meet Ryan under those circumstances). But I'm not even thinking that far ahead." Lackey said that "the Rangers were my team growing up" about 150 miles west of Dallas in Abilene, Texas. But he there are "a lot of factors" that will come into play beyond the chance to pitch close to home. ..."

Texas Rangers take series from Angels with Blalock blast

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July 2

Dallas Morning News

"No one in the jubilant Rangers clubhouse knew what was discussed at the pitcher's mound before Hank Blalock stepped into the batter's box in the ninth inning Wednesday night. No one really seemed to care, either. Blalock launched the first pitch he saw from reliever Justin Speier over the center-field wall for a two-run, walk-off homer that gave the Rangers a 9-7 victory at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The blast, Blalock's second of the game, helped the Rangers overcome a blown save by Frank Francisco in the top of the ninth and secure a series victory over the Los Angeles Angels. The win moved the Rangers one-half game behind the Angels in the American League West and improved their ..."

Texas within half-game on Blalock walk-off

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July 2

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"No one in the jubilant Texas Rangers clubhouse knew what was discussed at the pitcher's mound before Hank Blalock stepped into the batter's box in the ninth inning. No one really seems to care, either. Blalock launched the first pitch from reliever Justin Speier over the center-field wall for a two-out, two-run walk-off homer that gave the Rangers a 9-7 victory at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on Wednesday. The blast, Blalock's second of the game, helped the Rangers overcome a blown save by Frank Francisco in the top of the ninth and secure a series victory over the Los Angeles Angels. A second straight victory moved the Rangers only a half-game behind the Angels in the American League ..."

Angels run into trouble

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July 2

Los Angeles Times

"Reporting from Arlington, Texas -- Maybe it was the oppressive 98-degree heat in the Ballpark at Arlington, but the Angels seemed dazed and disoriented for much of Wednesday evening, piling one baserunning blunder on top of another in a performance that seemed as out of character for them as John Wayne playing the villain in an old western. But their most egregious error they saved for last, a decision by Manager Mike Scioscia to have reliever Justin Speier pitch to Hank Blalock with a runner on second base and two out in the bottom of the ninth inning and the score tied."

Survey says: Angels most fan-friendly

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July 1

MLB.com

"The Angels are No. 1 -- not only in baseball but in all of professional sports -- when it comes to giving fans what they want in a franchise, according to an ESPN the Magazine survey. The magazine's annual survey ranked the Angels as the top team in baseball a year ago and this year placed them at the top of all 122 pro sports teams studied in terms of "paying fans back for their investment of time, money and passion," as an ESPN release said. Last year's No. 1 overall was the NFL's Indianapolis Colts.The survey noted the Angels' fan-friendly promotions and ticket prices, and their string of chart-topping years in attendance. But of course it also took into account that manager Mike ..."

Fuentes: Angels can win with what they've got

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July 1

Orange County Register

"The Angels' shopping list in the weeks before the trade deadline couldn't be more obvious if they posted it on Craigslist. Relief pitching tops that list. But Angels closer Brian Fuentes doesn't see the need as being that urgent. "I feel we can win with what we have," Fuentes said. "But I know that's the front office's job. They're always looking for ways to improve the club. I'm sure they'd like to add (Tim) Lincecum, (Jake) Peavy) and (CC) Sabathia too if they could. But we have some good starting pitchers already. "I understand you're always looking to improve your club in any area that you can. But I'm real comfortable with what we have here." The Angels do have an improved bullpen ..."

Saunders stumbles again on Texas trip

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July 1

Orange County Register

"Everything's bigger in Texas - especially Joe Saunders' ERA. An excellent pitcher on the road everywhere else, the Angels might have to make the Lone Star State a no-fly zone for Saunders on future trips after his latest crash-and-burn at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Tuesday's 9-5 loss. Saunders gave up home runs to two of the first three batters - Ian Kinsler and Marlon Byrd - and it didn't get much better after that. He lasted just 32/3 innings, allowing eight runs on six hits and five walks. Byrd went deep on Saunders again later in the game and Nelson Cruz made it a career-high four home runs allowed by the left-hander. But that's just a typical visit to Texas for Saunders, who is ..."

Angels are rated most fan-friendly Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times Angels fans root for their team against the Dodgers at Angel Stadium.

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July 1

Los Angeles Times

"The Lakers just won the NBA championship, and Southern California celebrated with them, with hundreds of thousands of fans attracted to a parade down Figueroa Street and a rally at the Coliseum. There are 122 teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball. And Southern California is home to the team that best repays its fans "for all the emotion, money and time fans invest," according to an ESPN study to be unveiled today. That team is not the Lakers. That team is the Angels. The Angels have ranked as the most fan-friendly baseball team for six consecutive years in the annual ESPN study, but this is the first time the Angels have ranked No. 1 among all the teams in the four major ..."

Joe Saunders can't find the right zone as Angels lose to Texas, 9-5

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July 1

Los Angeles Times

"Reporting from Arlington, Texas -- Don't mess with Texas? Texas is messing with Joe Saunders, who was rocked for eight runs and six hits, including a career-high four home runs, in 3 2/3 innings of Tuesday night's 9-5 loss to the Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington, which snapped the Angels' six-game winning streak. In five career starts in Arlington, Saunders is 0-5 with an 11.68 earned-run average, having given up 29 runs in 27 2/3 innings. In all other road stadiums, the Angels left-hander is 21-4 with a 2.97 ERA. And in four starts against Texas in Angel Stadium, Saunders is 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA. "Maybe you guys can figure it out for me, because I haven't figured it out yet," Saunders ..."

Anatomy of the Angels' surge

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June 30

Orange County Register

"When the Angels went to sleep on the night of June 11, they must have had restless dreams. For one thing, they were on an airplane speeding home from Tampa, where they had just been embarrassed, 11-1. Their manager had given them a stern talking-to in the cavernous visitors clubhouse at Tropicana Field. Many of them had to wonder whether this was going to be a season of lost opportunity. While the Texas Rangers were beginning to wobble, the Angels were doing nothing to punish them for it."

O'Sullivan is Angels' new feel-good story

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June 30

Orange County Register

"A year ago, Sean O'Sullivan was worrying about those darned Inland Empire 66ers. O'Sullivan spent the summer pitching for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in the Class-A California League, where he led the league with 16 victories. "If you'd asked me in the spring if I'd be here, I would have looked you right in the face and said, 'No,'" O'Sullivan said. "But doors opened. Some opportunities came up and I've been able to take advantage of this opportunity. It's been a real roller-coaster. I'm still on the up part." Doors have opened for starting pitchers throughout the organization because of the revolving door to the Angels starting rotation. O'Sullivan became one of 12 pitchers to start for ..."

Angels open big series with victory over Rangers

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June 30

Orange County Register

"They're big on law and order in Texas, right? Then they should respect what the Angels are doing. The Angels rode into town Monday having restored order in the American League West over the weekend, looking to lay down the law for the Texas Rangers. A four-run sixth inning served as the first warning shot, pushing the Angels to a 5-2 victory over the Rangers in the first of six meetings in the next 10 days between the AL West's top two teams. The roles have been reversed since the Angels' previous visit to Texas. The Rangers were in the midst of a 53-day run atop the West then and swept the Angels. Now the Rangers have lost eight of their past 11 and are in the midst of the franchise's ..."

O'Sullivan is up to the challenge

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June 30

Los Angeles Times

"A year ago, Sean O'Sullivan was pitching for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, the Angels' California League affiliate whose biggest rival was the Dodgers' Inland Empire club. "Every time we played those guys," O'Sullivan said, "we stepped it up a bit." Monday night, the 21-year-old right-hander found himself in another rivalry, this one on a far bigger stage, under brighter lights, and with much bigger stakes, and he responded just as he did in the minor leagues: He stepped it up a bit. Making only his third big league start, O'Sullivan gave up two runs and six hits in six innings to help the Angels defeat the Texas Rangers, 5-2, at the Ballpark in Arlington in the first of six games in 10 days ..."

Ervin Santana rejoins Angels

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June 30

Los Angeles Times

"Ervin Santana rejoined the Angels Monday and said he felt no ill effects from Sunday night's 45-pitch rehabilitation start, in which he gave up three hits, struck out seven and walked none in 3 1/3 innings of an Arizona Summer League game in Phoenix. Santana, on the disabled list because of an inflamed triceps, will throw in the bullpen Wednesday, and if he comes out of that workout OK, Manager Mike Scioscia said Santana will be folded back into the rotation this weekend against Baltimore. "Ervin is excited," Scioscia said. "He threw all his pitches, felt no pain, and he maintained his velocity. He also felt good about the way his slider and changeup felt." Santana sat out the first six ..."

Offense fails Texas Rangers again in loss to Angels

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June 30

Dallas Morning News

"A chance for a big inning presented itself to the Rangers in the fifth Monday night, but the American League's worst offense this month came up empty. A chance for a big inning presented itself to the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth, and the AL's best offense this season didn't miss out. The Angels scored four runs against Vicente Padilla in the sixth en route to a 5-2 victory in the opener of an important three-game series at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The win moved the Angels 2 ½ games ahead of the Rangers in the AL West. Padilla might make for an easy target after his worst outing since earlier this month at Yankee Stadium, when he twice hit Mark Teixeira with a pitch. But offense ..."

Santana solid in rehab start

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June 29

Orange County Register

"Ervin Santana's stuff still plays in Arizona. The Angels right-hander retired 10 of the 13 batters he faced in an Arizona Summer League game Sunday night, striking out seven before leaving after throwing 45 pitches. Santana, on the disabled list because of inflammation in his right arm near the elbow, said he felt "very good" and should be ready to return to the Angels' rotation next weekend when they open the final homestand before the All-Star break. "Yes, why not?" he said with a smile after the Arizona outing. "Whenever they give me the chance. The last inning, the ball was coming out better. I'm happy about it." Santana's 45 pitches included 33 strikes and he consistently hit 91-92 ..."

Angels feel at home against NL West

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June 29

Orange County Register

"They don't have to go home. But they can't stay here. The Angels' romp through the National League West ended Sunday afternoon with a 12-8 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, completing a three-game sweep in the desert. The sweep was the Angels' third in six interleague series against NL West teams this season. They have just one three-game sweep against an AL team (May 8-10, Kansas City Royals). While going 14-4 in interleague play - the best record in baseball this year and matching the franchise's best interleague mark (2007) - the Angels hit .297 as a team with 31 home runs (one every 20.4 at-bats) and an average of 6.39 runs scored per game. In their first 55 games against American ..."

D-Backs' errors fuel Angels sweep

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June 29

Arizona Republic

"That the Diamondbacks on Sunday afternoon added more lowlights to their 2009 blooper reel - a flick that grows by the day and needs only circus music for accentuation - was no surprise. The only thing stunning was that the plays happened in rapid fire during the fifth inning of a 12-8 loss to the Los Angeles Angels and came mere hours after manager A.J. Hinch called his third team meeting in the past 11 days. By the end, the Diamondbacks' subsequent return to respectability - they turned a 9-2 blowout into a one-run game an inning later - became just a footnote as the Angels tacked on late runs and completed a three-game sweep, adding yet another sad chapter to what has the feel of an ..."

Arizona finds no relief from Angels' bullpen

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June 29

Los Angeles Times

"Relievers Jason Bulger, Justin Speier and Brian Fuentes shut down a surging Arizona offense over the final three innings today, and the Angels held on for a 12-8 interleague victory over the Diamondbacks in Chase Field. Trailing, 9-2, Arizona scored once in the fifth inning and five times in the sixth to pull to within 9-8, but Bulger threw a scoreless seventh, Speier a scoreless eighth and Fuentes a scoreless ninth. The Angels extended their win streak to five and completed a three-game sweep of Arizona to close out interleague play with a major league-best 14-4 record entering tonight's American League West showdown series in Texas. The Angels entered Sunday with a major league-worst ..."

Ervin Santana says he's ready to rejoin Angels' rotation

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June 29

Los Angeles Times

"Ervin Santana declared himself fit to return to the rotation after giving up three hits, striking out seven and walking none Sunday night in a 3 1/3 -inning rehabilitation start in an Arizona Summer League game. "It felt very, very good," said Santana, sidelined since June 12 because of an inflamed triceps. "There's no discomfort. I feel I'm ready to go." Of the 45 pitches Santana threw against an Oakland Athletics rookie league team, 33 were strikes. His fastball was clocked from 91 to 93 mph. "I thought I would throw a little harder," Santana said. "But my location was good and I had good command in and out." General Manager Tony Reagins, who watched Santana pitch, said how the ..."

Mike Napoli's home run powers Angels to victory

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June 28

Los Angeles Times

"The Angels scored their first run Saturday on what is known among the 10- to 12-year-old set as a "Little League home run," a play on which Erick Aybar bunted for a hit and raced around the bases on a pair of Arizona errors. Their second run was pure big league, Mike Napoli's prodigious ninth-inning home run off the batter's eye above the center-field wall that gave the Angels a 2-1 interleague victory over the Diamondbacks in Chase Field. John Lackey threw seven strong innings, giving up one unearned run, five hits and striking out eight, and closer Brian Fuentes recorded his major league-leading 21st save, as the Angels won for the 11th time in 14 games and extended their winning streak ..."

Torii Hunter: Chone Figgins should be All-Star

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June 28

Los Angeles Times

"Chone Figgins' name is plastered all over the American League leaderboard, ranking fifth in batting average (.321), sixth in on-base percentage (.401), sixth in runs (54), eighth in hits (89) and fourth in stolen bases (23). About the only place you won't find the Angels third baseman is among the top vote getters at his position in balloting for the July 14 All-Star game in St. Louis, a snub that Torii Hunter, who appears to be a lock for his third All-Star berth, hopes is rectified. "I definitely want Figgy in there," Hunter said of Figgins, who has started at six different positions in the big leagues. "It would be good to have someone as versatile as him in a National League park. If ..."

Angels blitz Buckner, Diamondbacks

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June 27

Arizona Republic

"Perhaps the best thing that comes with a down season is that it gives an organization's young players a chance to prove their worth. For the last month, Billy Buckner had such a chance, but he seldom took advantage. The Diamondbacks right-hander was battered in Friday night's 12-3 series-opening loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Buckner threw 48 pitches, giving up eight runs, never surviving the second inning. As he walked off the mound, many in the Chase Field crowd booed. Buckner sat in the dugout as coaches Lorenzo Bundy and Chip Hale offered encouragement. After the game, the Diamondbacks optioned the pitcher - who had posted a 7.84 ERA in seven starts - to Triple-A Reno. "It's just to ..."

Jose Arredondo becomes latest to go on the DL

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June 27

Los Angeles Times

"The pool of in-house candidates who could bolster the Angels' late-inning relief corps continues to dwindle. In the same week Kelvim Escobar suffered another shoulder setback that will sideline the potential setup man for several weeks, the Salt Lake Bees announced that Jose Arredondo went on the disabled list because of an elbow injury -- a right ulnar collateral ligament sprain. The right-hander had a 1.35 earned-run average and seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings with the triple-A club after being demoted June 9. Arredondo, 25, went 1-3 with a 5.55 ERA in 25 games for the Angels this season, a huge step backward after he went 10-2 with a 1.62 ERA in 52 games as a rookie last season. His ..."

Angels unleash prickly heat in Arizona

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June 27

Los Angeles Times

"They opened the roof in Chase Field just before the first pitch Friday night, allowing the warmth of a 98-degree evening to fill the stadium and the Angels to hearken back to March, when they were the scourge of the Valley of the Sun. Remember the Terrors of Tempe, the offensive juggernaut that rolled through spring training with a major league-best 26-8 record, a .315 batting average, a .390 on-base percentage, and scored an average of 7.4 runs a game? Maybe it was the hot, dry Arizona air, but the team that blew out the Diamondbacks, 12-3, on Friday night, extending its win streak to three games and improving to a major league-best 13-4 in interleague play, looked a lot like those Cactus ..."

Lack of outfield time frustrates Guerrero

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June 26

Orange County Register

"Vladimir Guerrero conceded after Wednesday night's Angels victory against the Colorado Rockies that not being able to play in the outfield affected him during his hitting slump. It's not the pectoral injury which landed him on the disabled list in April that was bothering him, however. Not being able to play in the outfield was the problem. The Angels open a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight in Phoenix, and Guerrero is coming off a game in which he had an RBI double and his first home run since April 12. Guerrero was struggling at the plate. He knew it, as did everyone who watched him swing. But since he wasn't able to play in the outfield he wasn't able to channel ..."

Who will save the Angels bullpen?

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June 26

Orange County Register

"ESPN's Jayson Stark recently talked to an official with one team "dying to upgrade it's bullpen." Said the official: "We'd love to add somebody. But I don't see anyone on the outside available yet. Anyone." With a bit more than a month to go before the trading deadline, most teams can still convince themselves they are in a race. As those teams fall away, though, we should see a number of relievers on the block. Relievers are usually replaceable, they're usually volatile, they're usually signed to short contracts -- and everybody needs a bullpen upgrade this side of Boston."

Online balloting to decide '09 All-Stars

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June 26

MLB.com

"We, the people, are deciding who goes to the 80th All-Star Game July 14 in St. Louis.We are ready for the mad rush.We are entering that Validation Key over and over, submitting our 25 allotted votes in the 2009 All-Star Game Sprint Online Ballot at MLB.com.We punched those Walt Disney Pictures G-Force All-Star Game paper ballots and left those little chads all over ballparks, and now those last paper ballots are being collected tonight at Pittsburgh and Houston as it goes online-only for the homestretch.We know it's the final week to decide starters. Our deadline as empowered fans is 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, and we know that only because we have been staring at this javascript voting app ..."

Mother's Day bats now up for auction

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June 26

MLB.com

"It has been a big first half of baseball for current American League All-Star first baseman vote front-runner Mark Teixeira, and that included that memorable Mother's Day game back in his hometown of Baltimore, where he crushed a two-run homer for the Yankees.He was swinging a pink bat."It's obviously huge -- I think that's the first home run I've hit with a pink bat, so I'm going to go bring that to Mom right now," Teixeira said on May 9, referring to Margy, a breast cancer survivor who had been diagnosed when he was a freshman at Baltimore's St. Joseph's High School. "As soon as I hit it, I thought about it. It's pretty special to me."Margy may have gotten that pink bat, but another one ..."

Angels' Juan Rivera is no longer left out

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June 26

Los Angeles Times

"Suddenly Juan Rivera is playing like a superhero. Bam! The slugger powered the Angels to a victory over the Dodgers last week with a tiebreaking, eighth-inning homer. Pow! He's hitting .306 and is on pace for 25 homers and 88 runs batted in, which would both be career highs. Thwap! The left fielder extended his glove over the wall at Angel Stadium last month to rob Seattle's Russell Branyan of a homer, and he nearly took one away from Jose Lopez on a similar play three pitches later. Rivera's catch against Branyan prompted center fielder Torii Hunter, an eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, to flash Rivera a sign with his hand that he dubbed "the web of Spider-Man." "That's respect," ..."

Escobar is not in a hurry to return

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June 25

Orange County Register

"Consider it a lesson learned. Injured pitcher Kelvim Escobar met with Angels orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum on Tuesday in the hope of getting some kind of progress report on his ailing right shoulder. He ended up with common-sense advice. "We talked and basically he told me that you have to listen to your body," Escobar said Wednesday. "If there's pain, you can't throw because if you throw it's going to get irritated." Escobar has pitched once for the Angels this season and isn't about to predict when, or if, he will pitch again in 2009. His discussion with Yocum spelled out why it probably wasn't a good idea to have made that one appearance. He has had pain in the shoulder since his lone ..."

Guerrero shows signs of life

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June 25

Orange County Register

"Angel Stadium might be remembered as the place the Colorado Rockies came crashing back to earth. The Rockies arrived in Anaheim on Monday winners of 16 of their previous 17 games. They left Wednesday night after an 11-3 drubbing at the hands of the Angels. The Angels won the series by handing the Rockies consecutive losses for the first time since June 2-3. The Angels' Vladimir Guerrero busted out of a 0-for-14 slump with an RBI-double in the first inning and a two-run home run in the second. The home run was his second of the season and first since April 12. His three RBIs were the most he has had in a game this season. "I've never been much of a thinker so I really don't see this game as ..."

Pair shot in Angel Stadium parking lot

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June 25

Dayton Daily News

"An off-duty Anaheim police officer is said by authorities to have shot two men who allegedly had assaulted him in the Angel Stadium parking lot following the Angels-Rockies game there Wednesday night. Anaheim Police Sgt. Tim Schmidt told the Associated Press that the officer was walking to his car with his wife and small children about 25 minutes after the game ended when he was hit in the head with an object. The unidentified officer then shot the two men with his duty weapon, Schmidt said. No others in the crowded parking lot were injured in the incident, the AP reported. The officer and the two shooting victims were transported to local hospitals. According to the AP, one of the men was ..."

Road turns against Rockies

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June 25

Denver Post

"This is no longer a road trip. It's Freud for thought. Who are the Rockies? Are they the team that reduced five teams to bugs on their windshield while racing back from obscurity? Or are they the club that spent the season's first six weeks digging a hole worthy of a front-end loader? On a cool Wednesday night, they were the victims of identity theft, the Los Angeles Angels adopting Colorado's June persona in an 11-3 beatdown at Angel Stadium. It marked the first time the Rockies lost back-to-back games since June 3. And it comes at an intriguing time, with Colorado headed to Oakland this weekend to face its former best player, Matt Holliday, before a redemption series in L.A. against the ..."

Chicago White Sox top Los Angeles Dodgers 10-7

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June 25

Chicago Tribune

"The hot topic at U.S. Cellular Field this week, so to speak, has been the disappearance of the White Sox's home advantage that usually comes with warm weather. File it under "cold case." Not closed, but certainly cooled off after the Sox pounded 13 hits, including six home runs, in a 10-7 victory over the Dodgers, who statistically have the best pitching staff in baseball. Josh Fields led the sudden spurt of offense with a single that broke an 0-for-16 slump and two home runs. Alexei Ramirez, Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko and Jayson Nix also joined the fun with homers. The six homers were the most for the White Sox since June 8, 2004, against the Phillies, also at the Cell. And to think the ..."

Angels outfielder Rivera rediscovers the long ball

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June 25

L.A. Daily News

"A full 2½ years after breaking his left leg while playing winter ball, Juan Rivera finally is making up for lost time. Those long fly balls Rivera has been sending toward the left-field bullpens are reminiscent of his breakout 2006 season when it seemed like the Venezuela native would be a legitimate power source for years to come. Rivera hit 23 home runs with 85 RBIs in the '06 season after getting a chance to start because of injuries to Garret Anderson. He went home to play over the winter and that's where his devastating injury occurred. On Dec. 22, 2006, Rivera broke his left tibia on a collision at first base. Five days later he had surgery toa rod and screws into the top and bottom ..."

Angels veteran Guerrero shows he's still cut above the rest in victory

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June 25

L.A. Daily News

"It looks like Vladimir Guerrero's new haircut is identity-altering in more ways that one. Not only does Guerrero look like a new man with his tightly cropped head, he's performing like a new man as well, at least for one night anyway. Guerrero hit an RBI double and a two-run home run in his first two at-bats and, combined with Joe Saunders' pitching, the Angels had their way with the Colorado Rockies in an 11-3 victory Wednesday at Angel Stadium. After winning 17 of 18 games, the Rockies have now lost back-to-back games for the first time since June 2-3. As well as Saunders pitched, this one was more about Guerrero's revival. "I've never been much of a thinker so I don't really see this ..."

Angels' Vladimir Guerrero returns to power in 11-3 win

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June 25

Los Angeles Times

"The Dodgers weren't the only Southland team with a superstar slugger who has been missing in action for much of the season. Vladimir Guerrero hardly resembled himself recently, even before he sheared his trademark dreadlocks. He had lost his characteristic pop, enduring a power outage so severe that his spot as the Angels' cleanup hitter appeared to be in jeopardy. Two robust swings of his bat later, it was back to Vladdy being Vladdy. Guerrero ended the second-longest home-run drought of his career and doubled in another run Wednesday at Angel Stadium, helping the Angels beat the Colorado Rockies, 11-3. The designated hitter drove in three runs as part of an 11-hit barrage on a night ..."

Angels closer Brian Fuentes gets his groove back

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June 25

Los Angeles Times

"The worst bullpen in the major leagues could have an All-Star in its midst. Brian Fuentes has bounced back from a slow start in a big way, converting 15 of his last 16 save opportunities. The Angels' closer entered Wednesday leading the American League with 20 saves and had not given up a run in his last seven appearances. "He's found his groove and I think we're seeing the guy we thought we were going to see," pitching coach Mike Butcher said. "I'm happy with what he's doing." Butcher attributed Fuentes' success in part to improved fastball location, a more consistent changeup and a tighter breaking ball. Fuentes said the Angels' recent surge also had played a part. "We're playing better ..."

Victory brings Angels back atop division

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June 24

Orange County Register

"It took the Angels nearly three months and 69 games to get there, and it came on a night when they made scant contact in the batter's box once again. But they're back in first place, a position that seemed like their backyard in 2008 but has looked like a distant Himalayan summit for most of 2009. Until Tuesday night's comeback 4-3 victory over the red-hot Colorado Rockies, the Angels hadn't had a share of first all season. They snapped a four-game losing streak and Texas lost its fifth in a row to put the teams in a virtual tie. "It does feel good. All the things we've been through, man, we just kept battling and battling and now we're back in first," Torii Hunter said. "We're here. Now, ..."

Rockies' record road streak falls in shaky eighth

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June 24

Denver Post

"In this case, the anxiety an opponent felt against the Rockies led to something worse than trepidation and helplessness. Desperation. Before Tuesday night's game, Los Angeles Angels slugger Vladimir Guerrero shaved his dreadlocks, a coif he maintained so long that manager Mike Scioscia joked that "they found the Dead Sea Scrolls in there." Then, even with an eighth-inning lead, the Angels trotted out a skit with the Rally Monkey involving "Star Trek." That's just bad karma. But on this cool evening, it finally produced a bad result for the Rockies, a 4-3 loss at Angel Stadium that ended a team-record nine-game road winning streak. It was just the Rockies' second loss in their last 19 ..."

Rox fall 4-3 at Anaheim

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June 24

Denver Post

"In this case, the anxiety an opponent felt against the Rockies led to something worse than trepidation and helplessness. Desperation. Prior to Tuesday's game, Angels slugger Vladimir Guerrero shaved his dreadlocks, a coif he maintained so long that manager Mike Scioscia joked that "they found The Dead Sea Scrolls in there." Then even with an eighth-inning lead, the Angels trotted out a skit with the Rally Monkey involving Star Trek. That's just bad karma. But on his cool evening, it finally produced a bad result for the Rockies, their 4-3 loss only their second in their last 19 games. It stung only because it was avoidable, third baseman Ian Stewart the victim of an ugly eighth inning. The ..."

Angels patiently wait on Vlad

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June 24

L.A. Daily News

"Perhaps the new streamlined Vladimir Guerrero will find his long-ball stroke. Guerrero entered the clubhouse Tuesday sporting a well-shorn look, literally taking the weight off his shoulders - and head. His tightly cropped haircut freed him of the long braids that had been hanging over his shoulders. "They found the Dead Sea Scrolls in there, I think," manager Mike Scioscia quipped. What the Angels hope was found in there was the element that has prevented Guerrero from showing the power he has displayed his entire career. The reality is Guerrero is 34 and has been hobbling around on bad knees for some time. Add to that a torn right pectoral muscle that put Guerrero on the disabled list ..."

Angels now tied for AL West lead after beating Colorado

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June 24

L.A. Daily News

"The Angels earned their way into first place Tuesday by using a rookie pitcher and a late rally to defeat the hottest team in baseball. The Angels' 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies gave them matching 37-32 records with the Texas Rangers atop the American League West, the first time the Angels have been in the top spot since Opening Day. "Everything we've been through, from the death of a teammate, all the injuries, slumps here and there, everything we have dealt with, we have maintained and stayed close," Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said. "Now we're here (in first place) and now we just have to stay here and either run away with it or stay close to those guys." Taking a page ..."

Late rally propels Angels past Rockies

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June 24

Los Angeles Times

"For all their struggles, their injuries and the emotional trauma they have endured, the Angels find themselves in a somewhat surprising position, one they have not held since opening day: first place in the American League West. Bobby Abreu's two-run single in the eighth inning gave the Angels a 4-3 victory over red-hot Colorado on Tuesday night, ending their four-game losing streak and the Rockies' six-game win streak and moving the Angels into a first-place tie with Texas. "With everything we've been through -- the death of a teammate, the injuries, the slumps, we've maintained, we've stayed close," Angels center fielder Torii Hunter said. "It feels good. I might kick back and have me a ..."

Kelvim Escobar isn't optimistic about season as shoulder injury flares

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June 24

Los Angeles Times

"The broken record plays on for Kelvim Escobar, who suffered yet another shoulder setback after playing catch Monday, one that has the right-hander less optimistic about his chances of pitching again this season. The Angels hope Escobar, whose surgically repaired right shoulder did not respond well to his June 6 return to the rotation, can bolster the bullpen the way he did in 2005, when he returned from elbow surgery and went 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA in nine September relief appearances. But Escobar, who missed all of 2008, has a "deep ache" in his shoulder and probably will be shut down indefinitely. "It doesn't feel right, and I don't want to push through it; it's still sore," he said. "I ..."

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