Apparently the commissioners office said there is no conclusive evidence that Mariano Rivera cheated. Um, is he watching the same video I am. Why would he first look up (possibly to see if anyone is looking), and then spit right toward the ball. If he wasn’t cheating he is an idiot.

It has been said that a spitball doesn’t perform like Rivera’s cutter, and it performs more like a knuckleball. This just isn’t true. It only ads extra movement. It is impossible to say how it will move because it depends on how much spit is on the ball and where it is on the ball.

The bigger question is why is this getting such little coverage. ESPN talked about it a little, but I have only seen it otherwise on a few blogs and on Facebook. When Brendan Donnelly was suspected of using pine tar we didn’t here the end of it. It’s time to return the favor.

- Tony C

The history had been all too recent to be able to purge it from memory. Too painful to analyze or relive. Angel-crushing shots sailing over that putrid green fence. Countless swings coming up empty with runners on base poised to score and end the misery. Leads blown and comebacks never fully realized. No mas.

The Angels replaced those hideous memories and agonizing images from their - and their fans’- heads with fresh ones. Images of stout pitching, clutch two-out hits, and a team that believes greatly in itself now at the forefront of recent memory for the Angel faithful. 2009 will now stand as the year of the successful exorcism. The October where all Fenway-related demons were repelled and cast back to the dark holes from which they came. A giant weight lifted off of the entire organization’s shoulders, allowing the Angels to reclaim their wings and return to their rightful perch in the sky.

It all went down so fittingly, a complete 180 from all their recent woes and shortcomings. As 2008 ended with Erick Aybar’s failed attempt at a potential game-winning squeeze bunt, 2009’s magic began with Aybar’s two-out, 0-2 single up the middle to get it started. Chone Figgins, who had yet to reach base in the series, picked the ideal spot to break the funk, drawing a full count walk. The clutch bat Angel fans have been looking and clamoring for in recent years arrived in the left-handed batter’s box in the form of first-year Angel Bobby Abreu. He didn’t disappoint, delivering yet another outstanding at-bat and lining a two-strike, 95-mph fastball from Jonathan Papelbon off that haunting 37-foot green wall that has never been kind to the Halos. Game 1 hero Torii Hunter was given the intentional walk to both load the bases and set the stage.

It had been the least productive season of Vladimir Guerrero’s career (his first full season in which he failed to hit .300). Guerrero’s post-season woes had hardly gone unnoticed, with countless articles in the local papers pointing out his October failures, and in-game announcers never missing an opportunity to point out his struggles when he came to the plate in a big spot. One RBI in 19-plus post-season games tells most of the story. One fastball from Papelbon and Vlad doubled that output, lining a two-run single to center field and giving the Angels their first lead of the game with two outs in the ninth. Of all the RBI’s Guerrero had accumulated over his probable Hall of Fame career, there was no doubt that the pair of runs he drove in on Sunday loomed largest. Vladdy had finally answered the bell – in perhaps his last season as an Angel – and replaced memories of failure with one violent swing of success.

Closer Brian Fuentes, new to the Angels post-season storybook, had struggled at times through the second half, had the weight of the baseball world on his shoulders as he took the Fenway mound in the Red Sox half of the ninth. One, two, three. The most pressure-packed half inning of Fuentes’ career went as smoothly as a freshly sanded piece of wood, no Boston magic to be heard from in a park where it seemed Houdini permanently lived in October. Game over, series over, agony over.

Post-season failures turned into Fall success. The same plot in the same book, but with a fresh, new conclusion. A major enemy defeated at last, with another familiar foe lying in wait in their history-riddled pinstripes. There is still a ways to go before reaching the summit. A baseball season is a war of attrition. In World War II, we had to take down a mighty Germany, then onto a ferocious Japan, but in the end, both were defeated by our will. The Angels will seems to be alive and well, stronger, it seems, than in recent years, and a little Southern California October magic appearing to be along for the ride – courtesy of Nick Adenhart.

But for now, the Angels have escaped from their October captors, erasing the sting of recent heartbreak and surging onward and upward. For these Angels, both individually and collectively, after Sunday they are singing their own Redemption Song, a song of freedom. And hope springs eternal in the Fall once again.

- Blake Warren

THE AL WEST IS OUR’S AGAIN! The Angels have sealed another division crown by defeating the Rangers in an obvious statement game. The Rangers put up a good fight, but it’s time to get to business.

Last year many criticized the Angels for what the NFL would call “excessive celebration” after the division clincher. The Angels of course went on to lose to the Red Sox in the playoffs again. However, I really doubt the Angels loss to the Red Sox had anything to do with celebrating too hard for one night of a 162 game season.

The AL West is the smallest division in baseball with only four teams, but it also very well may be the best. The Rangers competed right to end with the Angels and the Red Sox, and the Mariners may finish with a better record than the Tampa Bay Rays. Not to mention the fact that the A’s are the by far best worst team in baseball.

But even aside from this, a division crown means something. The Atlanta Braves record of 14 straight division titles is probably something that will never be broken. A 162 game season is long for any team, and considering what the Angels have gone through this year it means that much more.

In closing yes, it is time to focus on the Red Sox as i said yesterday, but let’s enjoy this division title. As Jeff Biggs always says, these are the glory years for the Angels. I hope it lasts forever, but it will probably not. So congratulations and Go Halos!

I know all you Angels fans are hurting this morning, so let’s talk about it. The Angels blew another game to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. I’m not sure if there is something in the air there, but this was disappointing to say the least. It’s not as if we are losing every game there, because last year we had a very good record at Fenway, but when it comes to the close games we can’t seem to finish. So what happened?

Blown Calls

Brian Fuentes loaded the bases in the ninth inning and the umpires blew it. The first call was the should have been check swing, and the second and most important was the ball called that was right down the heart of the plate. Whether it was low or not the batter should have been called out for not swinging at that pitch. There is no doubt about it, the umpires choked. So it was the umpires who lost the game right?

Closer Controversy

You can’t escape the fact that Brian Fuentes came in and loaded the bases. Now I don’t know about you, but when a save opportunity comes around I don’t really feel comfortable with Fuentes coming into the game. I like Fuentes and want him to succeed, but Kevin Jepsen will be the closer eventually. Maybe we should think about sooner rather than later. So Brian Fuentes lost the game right?

Lazy Rivera

The blooper hit into left field to end the game should have been caught. It was two feet away from him. DIVE! I hope we are not getting a glimpse of the new Garret Anderson in left field. Juan Rivera has been great offensively this year, but he can be lazy out there. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen him not turn his body to run back on a ball and try and catch it over his head. They call what he did Big League’n it. So it was Rivera who lost the game right?

Bottom Line

I’m not sure there is one specific person to blame for this loss. The fact is they shouldn’t have been in the situation we were in in the first place. The Angels had multiple chances to keep leads and take bigger leagues. This was a team effort and they better figure this Fenway curse out before October.

It’s been a rough end of the month for the Angels. Halo fans witnessed a rarity in 2009: 3 consecutive losses. It’s only happened 3 other times this year. Los Angeles Dodgers/Colorado Rockies in June, Texas Rangers in May, and Minnesota Twins in April. The Angels have only been swept in 2 series, and have never lost more than 3 in a row. Some might be concerned about the recent increase in the loss column after LAA dropped 5 of its last 7 games. It’s easy to get swept up in the recent downturn, but GoHalos is here to right the ship of despair.

Yes, this has been a rough couple of series, but up until this past week of games, the Angels were 12-5 in August, averaging just over 6 runs a game. Despite our struggles, we had created so much space between us and the Texas Rangers that we still have a 5 game cushion and are tied for the second most wins in baseball. Don’t forget, Torii Hunter is back and starting to look like his old self, recording a hit in every game he’s played in since his return on August 16. His current hit streak is punctuated by 3 consecutive multi-hit games, improving his batting average to a team-high .318. Chone Figgins seems to be taking after Hunter, also having 3 consecutive multi-hit games which included 2 steals to bring his 2009 total to 39. Juan Rivera has quietly tallied 72 RBIs and hit 20 homeruns, only trailing possibly AL MVP candidate Kendry Morales in that category (27). And then there’s Howie Kendrick. Angel fans not only had to suffer through Howard’s commercials, but also had to endure his poor performance on the field. Since getting the call up on July 4th, he’s totalled 8 doubles, 4 homeruns and 26RBIs, raising his batting average nearly 40 points. Manager Mike Scioscia has seemed to figure out how to rotate the three-headed monster that consists of Kendrick, Maicer Izturis, and Erick Aybar.

Pitching woes? We’ve had to deal with that all year. But don’t be too concerned. Despite Ervin Santana having an enormous 6.13 ERA, he has won 4 straight games. Worried about John Lackey and his 11 innings, 11 earned runs in his 2 past starts? Don’t be. Before those recent outings, he had only allowed 11 runs in 52.1 innings with a 5-1 record in 7 starts. To top it off, Lackey, Santana and Jered Weaver have all pitched complete game shutouts in a little over a month. How many teams can send out a core of pitchers that can do that? Plus, Joe Saunders returns off the DL yesterday to pitch his best quality start since June 24, surrendering 2 earned runs in 5 innings while striking out 6. Welcome back, Joe.

The Angels will begin a 4-games series against the Oakland Athletics, who are 4th in the AL West with a 55-71 record. They are 6-3 against the A’s this year, and will face 3 rookies and a 36-year-old journeyman whose combine records totals 20-32 with a 4.55 ERA.

There’s really no reason to worry. The Angels have put themselves in a great position on top of the AL West, and will look to close out the season with their sights set on another Championship.

-Kevin H.

It was a rough weekend if you were a rookie starting pitcher for the Angels. Sean O’Sullivan’s Friday night start ended in a close 4-5 loss thanks to a 3-run shot from Mike Napoli in the top of the 9th. However, after his 1-inning 4-run performance, the Angels decided to send him back down to the minors to work out some kinks. This was his fourth consecutive outing allowing at least 4 runs in no more than 5 innings. The Halos called on Southern California local Trevor Bell to pitch today, but he also struggled, giving up 6 earned runs in just 1.2 innings of work.

The blame can’t totally be put on the pitching staff. The Angels have been scoring in droves, averaging a little over 6 runs a game in August. However they only broke 6 once this weekend in the 7-3 win on Saturday (which was also Ervin Santana’s 4th win in a row; hopefully the beginning of a great trend). Chone Figgins, Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, and Kendry Morales collectively batted 9-for-43 with 3 runs, 2 RBIs, and 11 strikeouts.

However, there were some highlights. Napoli has proven again that he can come up big with runners in scoring position. Vladimir Guerrero had a great weekend, batting 6-for-14 with 4 runs, a homerun and a RBI. Juan Rivera also continued his stellar 2009 season, batting 5-for-13 with a couple RBIs and knocking out his 20th homerun. Angels relief pitchers also had a successful weekend, as 7 relievers pitched 16.2 innings, only allowing 3 runs. Control was an issue though, allowing 16 hits and walking 7.

Jose Arredondo looked back to his dominant 2008 form, striking out 5 in 3 innings while only giving up 1 hit. Darren Oliver and Kevin Jepsen also pitched scoreless innings, striking out 3 in the process. Shane Loux finally bounced back after three poor outings, throwing 2 shut out innings.

The Angels head back to Anaheim to take on the Detroit Tigers, who are first in the AL Central. They are 6-4 in their last 10 games, and are currently 3-3 with the Halos after the first two series. The Tigers will send out their ace Justin Verlander, who was out-dueled by Santana despite an 8-inning, 7K shut out performance. The Angels will send Jered Weaver out on the mound Monday night, who will make his first appearance after a complete game shut out last Wednesday. Get excited to watch a great game at 7:05pm on Fox Sports West. Go Halos!

-Kevin H.

The time for the Angels to extend their lead to an unreachable one is now. The Angels begin there road trip tonight against the Baltimore Orioles and continue next week with the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays. All below .500 teams. The Texas Rangers on the other hand, over the next two weeks will face the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Ray, and New York Yankees.

If the Angels can extend their division lead it will give Mike Scioscia a chance to set the playoff rotation and get the team healthy. Many of you may be concerned that like last year this will cause the Angels to lose their fire and hurt our playoff chances. I don’t believe this is a legitimate concern. After all the Angels have been through, and the way this team is built I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Everyone in the Angels lineup can hit. This is not something we have seen since 2002.

- Tony C

It’s waiver time and the Chicago White Sox have already made their move by picking up Alex Rios.  The Angels need to make a serious look at who is available out there to fill some holes in their starting rotation.

Joe Saunders finally went on the DL after 8 consecutive starts of giving up 4 or more runs in less than 6 innings.  Ervin Santana has done the same in his last 4 starts (and as I write this, he just finished throwing a complete game, 3 hit 6 strikeout shut out.  Thanks for making my point a little weaker Ervin…).  Jered Weaver is getting great run support and striking out opponents in handfulls, but he has 4 no-decisions in his last 8 starts, giving up more than 4 earned runs in each of those games.  John Lackey has been the only solid pitcher in entire rotation.

Now is the time for the Angels to do some shopping, and two players that just went on the market are two Cincinnati Reds: Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang.  According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, both players have cleared waivers and it could mean they could be pitching for another team soon.

Arroyo has a record of 10-11 this season with a 5.04 ERA.  Although he has 2 losses in his last 3 games, he’s been cursed with low run support (something the Angels can easily fix) and looks like he is starting to shape up.  His ERA is the highest it’s been since he came into the league in 2000.  Everything is up (ER, HR, BB) except for strikeouts.  However, he does have 3.61 career ERA in September, and could be a useful plug-in towards the end of the season.

Harang was a stud in the mid 2000s, winning 16 games in 2006 and 2007 with a high ERA of 3.83 and an average or 217 strikeouts.  But 2 years later, he has a record of 6-13, matching his win total last year with a 4.43 ERA.  He’s giving up a ton of runs and almost a home run per game, but he has less than 40 walks in 148 innings.  He almost has as many strikeouts as Angel leader Jered Weaver, only trailing him by 5 strikeouts with 132.  His last two starts in August have been impressive, only giving up 6 earned runs and striking out 14 in 14.1 innings.  He’s still got the heat, but gives up a ton of runs.

So who is the better fit for the Angels?  Gohalos.com wants you to tell us who you think might be a better fit in LA as a 5th starter or back up in the closing months of the season.  Visit our comments section and voice your opinion.

How many times are the Angels going to come back to win games this year? Brian Fuentes already has 30 saves in 33 chances this year, and he got the win last night in extra innings. The Angels win close, exciting games, which is a great reason to think that they will go far this year. They’re continually facing great adversity and prevailing as the better team.

I was at the game last night, and believe me, when I saw that Jason Kubel 2 run shot in the first inning, I was ready for a longgg day at the park. But Jered Weaver (7in, 4ER 5K) got through it and ended up lasting longer than Scott Baker, who was absolutely lights out before he hit the 5th inning. Since Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero, and Juan Rivera were all out of last nights game, we had to rely on Bobby Abreu and Kendry Morales to be our source of power. They combined 0-8, but Abreu walked 3 times, while Morales a key sacrifice fly in the 5th to get the Angels on the board. It was the unlikely heros that carried the Angels into extra innings. There were key hits from the bottom of the order, including Howie Kendrick’s RBI single off the second base to tie the game. And of course, you can’t forget about Mike Napoli’s drive to right center to win the game. More excitingly, the Angels were able to get the best of Joe Nathan, one of the league’s premier closers.

Nothing can explain the feeling of being in that park when Howie Kendrick, who has had his share of ups and downs this season, gets that single off second base off of Nathan. Then to have your closer come in and go three up, three down, which brings out the heart of your order. Napoli is up with 2 on and 2 down, makes contact as you see Carlos Gomez tracking that ball running faster than the average human, only to see it drop and plate Abreu. Que the fireworks…

-Kevin H

Coming out of the All-star break, the Angels have had the privilege of taking on two of the worst teams in baseball: The Oakland A’s and the Kansas City Royals. They took full advantage of their two road trips by tallying 48 runs, resulting in 6 wins out of 7 games.

Ervin Santana (3-5, 6.79 ERA) threw an 8 inning, 3 hitter against the A’s, giving up 1 run. And although he gave up 5 runs to the Royals, he still managed to strike out 7, while only walking 1 to win his 3rd win of the season.

John Lackey (5-4, 4.39 ERA) pitched an absolute gem on the 19th, earning the win after 9 innings, allowing 3 hits, no earned runs and striking out 6. In typical dramatic Angel fashion, Bobby Abreu (.305, 51R 63RBI) had to hit a homerun in the 10th to win the game, giving him his 7th of the year.  He’s also managed to steal 20 bases on the year.

During this 7-game stretch, Brian Fuentes (2.86ERA, 30SV) has managed to notch 4 saves. Fuentes has been lights out in the past 2 months. He blew a save on May 30 against the Seattle Mariners, and since then, he’s had 18 consecutive scoreless innings, earning 17 saves. He’s given up 6 hits in 16 innings, striking out 17 in the process. He now leads the majors with 30 saves, 2 above New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera (2.18ERA, 28SV).

Howie Kendrick (.247, 5HR 29RBI) has been back for most of July, and has made the most of his split-time opportunities. Out of the 11 games he’s played in this month, he has hits in 9 of them, including 3 multi-hit games, which has raised his batting average 15 points. His platoon buddy, Maicer Izturis (.306, 42R 32RBI), hasn’t been showing any signs of letting go 2nd base. He’s hit in 11 of 14 games in July, and has 6 multi-hit games, raising his average 20 points since the beginning of the month.

Erick Aybar (.313, 37R 36RBI) has apparently been eating his Wheaties this month, raising his batting average 38 points in July. He has safely hit in 12 out of 15 games, and has thrown in 10 multi-hit games, adding 4 doubles, 2 triples, a home run, 3 stolen bases, and a partridge short of a Christmas carol. He has knocked in 15 runs and has scored 13 times, while only earning 4 strike outs.

Vladimir Guerrero (strained left knee) has been hitting the stationary bike and the treadmill, participating in resistance and strength training, and playing catch during the pre-game workout. It looks like he’s still about two weeks away from coming back, and when he does, Mike Scioscia doesn’t plan to really play him in the field. He’ll probably DH the rest of the season. Torii Hunter (strained adductor) has started doing some light workouts. They figure him to be ready around August 1.

Though the Angels have been winning, they’re still getting roughed up on the mound. While Roy Halladay (11-3, 2.73ERA) is a sexy option on the market, it seems like they can’t find a deal that will bring him to LA. Philly has been courting Doc, but it doesn’t seem like he’s going there either, and will likely stay an Jay for the rest of the season.

The Angels are currently on top of the AL West, and have the third best record in the majors. If they can fix their pitching problems, they look like they could make another solid run at a championship.

-Kevin H

The first half of the season for the Angels was full of both excitement and disappointment.  It is now time to turn the page.  Here are some things that need to happen for the Angels to be successful in the second half and in the postseason.

The Angels need to start beating the AL West - For those who say the AL West is a weak division haven’t looked at all four teams’ records against the other leagues.  At the same time, it is not unusual to struggle against your division because they are the ones that see you the most.  The Angels, however, need to start winning games against, especially, the Texas Rangers to establish some breathing room so they can prepare their rosters for the playoffs.

Ervin Santana needs to stay healthy or need to trade for a starter - A top three of John Lackey, Jered Weaver, and Joe Saunders is not bad by any means, but it is also not enough.  To beat the Red Sox, we need a starter that has dominating stuff each and every game.  Recently in the playoffs ,we have seen this from Jered Weaver, but not so much from Lackey and Saunders.  A healthy Santana, Roy Halladay, or Dan Haren is a necessity.

The Angels need a dominating set-up man - In the past, Scott Shields has been a huge part of the Angels success.  Without him we have had a lot of trouble getting to Brian Fuentes.  This problem can be fixed in a number of ways: a healthy Kelvim Escobar, and accurate Jose Arrendondo, an emergence of Jason Bulger or Kevin Jepsen, or a new member of the team.

-Tony C