So now that the hangover is over, it’s time to focus. So how do we beat those damn Red Sox? Here are the GoHalos.com top ten on how to beat the Red Sox.  Not that the Angels don’t already know these things, but it will be interesting to look for.

10.  Most obvious - win a game at home.

9.  For the fans - don’t sell your tickets to Red Sox fans.

8.  Start Kazmir in Fenway.  He is a proven winner there.

7. Score runs early. I know the Angels set a club record for comebacks, but the Red Sox are lights out after the sixth inning.

6.  Avoid our bullpen by throwing our starters late in the game.  Although with Santana out of the bullpen this may not be as necessary.

5. Steal relentlessly. Jason Varitek doesn’t have the arm he used to, and should allow us to take bags at will.

4. Out-pitch John Lester. Even with the injury, he is going to pitch well in the playoffs so we are just going to have to take a one to two run lead into the bullpen.

3.  Save the rally monkey!  The rally monkey rules have been relaxed lately.  Let’s save him for when it matters most.

2. Utilize the green monster. The Angels are stock full of doubles hitters, so they don’t even have to change their approach.

1. RELAX!  Nerves create mistakes.

-Tony C

For now, Mike Scioscia has decided to use both Brian Fuentes and Kevin Jepsen in save situations. This is an unusual situation for the Angels. In the past we have always had a natural progression. In 2002 we had Troy Percival, who made you nervous at times, but always got the job down. Waiting in the wings was Franky. When Franky took over we had Scott Shields who could have easily done the job. And last year it looked like Jose Arredondo was runner-up. Angels fans are used to a near guaranteed victory after the sixth inning. Now we have a situation with a very shaky closer who does have over 40 saves, and a guy in Kevin Jepsen who is clearly ready to get in the mix.

Many believe Scioscia is simply hiding Jepsen and going to release him into the closer role when it matters, October. Others think Scioscia always sticks with his veterans, for better or for worse, and this situation will be no different. I have always believed that baseball is stuck with this closer position. Closers are usually, with one or two exceptions, over paid and overrated. The ideal way to bring your reliever in is when you can him the best match-ups. Why should the closer role be any different. Major League Baseball is becoming too caught up with star power and it’s just unnecessary.

I don’t believe the closer situation will change at all from the way it is now. If the Red Sox have the top of their lineup coming up in the ninth, that will likely consist of Jacoby Ellsbury and David Ortiz, two lefties. Perfect situation for Brian Fuentes. So we end up with closer by committee, which what most teams should have anyway.

Welcome back, Kendry Morales. Just when Gohalos calls you out for your poor performance the past week, you come back and immediately make your presence felt against the Yankees. Another great decision by manager Mike Scioscia to sit Kendry at the start of the game, and bring him in as a pinch hitter. It shows that Scioscia still trusts Morales enough to send him in when the Angels really need a hit.

But this article won’t touch too much on the Yankees series, but the following series. I’m talking about finally three series of the year. The Angels will get the Athletics and Rangers at home before traveling out to Oakland to take on the A’s for a final 3 game series.

The Angels are 8-5 against Athletics this year, with a 3-4 record at home and a 5-1 record away.

It looks like the Angels have the division wrapped up. As long as they win three of the next four series, they’ll come out on top. The only team the Angels are worried about are the Rangers, who they have had trouble with all year. This year, the Angels are 5-10 against the Rangers, earning 2 of those wins in the previous 3 game series. When the Halos are hosting Texas, they are 2-5. The have a 7.5 game lead over the Rangers, and will make a four-game homestand within the next couple weeks. The outcome of that series may have a big effect on the AL West standings.

The Rangers don’t exactly have a cake walk. They’ll take on the Rays at home with and have a 4-2 record against Tampa Bay this season. They are 3-0 and have outscored the Rays 20-7 while in Texas. They are currently playing the A’s, but have a surprisingly weak 6-8 record against Oakland.

Texas will also take on the Mariners, and have a 10-6 overall, 3-3 away record.

The Angels have 12 games left, and if the these stats are any indicator of what is to come, the Angels should have the division locked up by the 25th

While starting pitching was hard to come by at the beginning of the season, the tables have turned. In September, the Angels have only allowed more than 4 runs in 5 out of 20 games and have one of the best ERAs in the American League this month.

Gohalos wants you to make a bold prediction in our comments section of when the Angels will have the division wrapped up. You can bet that we will have an article announcing when the Halos have locked up first place, so check back and see how close you were.

The Halos are close to winning the division, and just need to hold it together for a few more weeks. Then we can focus on the playoffs and winning another championship.

-Kevin H.

Joe Saunders takes the mound tonight for what could be a possible postseason preview between the Angels and Yankees. The Angels have not had much trouble with the Yankees in the past, but this is a new Yankee team with a different manager. This team is more aggressive, and as Torii Hunter says, “they have a fire in them that I didn’t see last year.” It will be important for the Angels to keep the Yankees from building to much confidence against them for the playoffs.

The Yankees are definitely out to prove something this year, but so are the Angels. In fact, maybe more so. The Angels are currently fourth on ESPN’s power rankings, but have been higher than that for most of the second half of the season. An yet the story of the year seems to be the Yankees, Dodgers, and Cardinals. Yahoo Sports is really the only site that has given the Angels there fair share. Even so, I think Mike Scioscia and Angels prefer it that way. Without the spotlight the team can focus on the prize: another World Series.

Things to look for:

Kendry Morales has been in a major September slump, and in the last week he is hitting .138 with 12 stikeouts. He may have ruined his MVP chances, but look for him to try and gain some momentum for the playoffs.

Right now Scott Kazmir has the lead on a three way playoff rotation spot. Saunders had a rough last outing, so look for him to rebound tonight. There is still a chance Scioscia goes four deep, but it’s unlikely.

Pitching Match-ups:

Game 1: Saunders (13-7, 4.75 era) v. Pettitte (13-6, 4.14 era)

Game 2: Santana (7-8, 5.43 era) v. Gaudin (5-10, 4.81 era)

Game 3: Kazmir (9-8, 5.08 era) v. Burnett (11-9, 4.22 era)

Closer by committee seems to be Mike Scioscia’s temporary solution the end of game blunders that previously affected the Angels. Last night Scioscia brought in Kevin Jepsen to face the right hander, Jason Bay, and he struck him out. He then brought in Brian Fuentes to finish out the game. In addition Scioscia brought in Reggie Willits at the end of the game and kept him at left for Juan Rivera. Maybe a message?

The reason I say temporary solution is because Kevin Jepsen, or Jose Arredondo if he get out of this mental funk, will be the closer of the future. As we saw last night Jepsen came in and struck out probably the Red Sox best hitter with some nasty pitches, including a 98 mph fastball. Brian Fuentes just seems like a very good set-up guy. Not necessarily a closer.

In the end the Angels won. They defended, they pitched, and most of all they played aggressive. This could have something to do with Torii Hunter’s Comment that the teamed choked and they were playing nervous. He sure is a great addition to this team, isn’t he?

I don’t need to go through the history of the Angels losing to the Red Sox in the postseason. We all know it. For some reason when October rolls around, and the Red Sox show up to town they can’t be beat. So why is that?

In 2004, when the Red Sox came back from three games to none against the Yankees, Manny Ramirez was interviewed after game three and asked if he was worried. He said, “If we lose, we lose.” I addition, the Red Sox that year were always laughing and very loose. Nothing seemed to bother them. You wouldn’t think a curse even existed if you saw them in the locker room.

Mike Scioscia runs the Angels like a business. This has worked for him against ever other team in baseball except for the Red Sox in the postseason. When the Angels play the Red Sox it seems to be less of a business mindset and more of a stick up there ass. Our hitters never come through with runners in scoring position because, even though they won’t admit it, they are nervous.

Now this may seem very doom and gloom, but here is why I think this year will be different. We have confidence. Now that Torii Hunter is in his second year with the Angels, and Kendry Morales seems ready to hit anything, this year will be different. My friends will tell you I say that every year, but we’ll see. Like the Yankees, the Angels have a new fire, and if it is to be put out, I don’t think it will be the Red Sox.

Also, as we saw a little bit last year with Teixeira, but he was only here for two months so it didn’t really have a chance to take hold, we have plate discipline. Two of the top five walks leaders in the American League are on the Angels, Chone Figgins and Bobby Abreu. This is what the Red Sox have had over us in previous years. We make Daisuke Matsuzaka look like a god because we swing at everything, and he doesn’t throw strikes. We saw a glimpse of this last night, but I don’t think it will be a trend.

So again, if the curse is going to be broken, it will be this year. Lets hope.

- Tony C

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

As Vladimir Guerrero returned from his second trip to the DL, it seemed as though his bat speed was just not up to par. As we have have learned time and time again, we really should just trust the expertise of the greatest coach in the league, Mike Scioscia. Mike Scioscia has insisted for two months now that Vladdy looks great in batting practice and he should come around any time now.

Tonight, we finally saw the Big Daddy of old, as he belted two home runs against Joe Maddon’s Rays, becoming the 45th player to hit 400 homeruns. In addition to Kendry Morales’s two home runs, the Angels were able to get back on track and returned to there winning ways. When Torii Hunter returns there is no telling what is in store for these High Flyin’ Angels.

By: Tony C

Overcoming adversity

For the Angels, the beginning of the season was a roller coaster to say the least. It began with a plague of injuries to some of our key stars, especially, the pitching staff. This included John Lackey, Ervin Santana, and Kelvim Escobar (who is still out). The problem, however, was alleviated due to the depth of the Angels pitching. This was topped by outstanding performances from Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders, and completed by a solid back end lead by top prospect Nick Adenhart.

Our heart was then broken by the passing of this outstanding young pitching prospect. The death of Nick Adenhart is something the team, and Angels fans will always remember. Most of us didn’t even know who he was, but it didn’t matter because he was one of our Angels. The young men that all of us at this end of the 5 freeway cheer for year after year. But, as many tragedies do, it made this team stronger both on and off the field. Lead by Torii Hunter, the Angels became a new team. One to be reckoned with.

Highlights

With all of the issues the Angels have had, some leaders have emerged. This begins with our Gold Glove and All-Star center fielder Torii Hunter. Most of us were pretty upset with the problems that arose with Gary Matthews Jr., but Torii has made us forget. His 17 home runs, 65 RBI’s, and amazing defensive play have been the Angels rock during the first half of the season.

Also, both Juan Rivera (.312 avg., 14HR, 50RBI) and Kendry Morales (.285avg., 14HR, 45RBI) have emerged as elite players in this league. With Mark Teixeira turning his back on us, most of us thought we would have a huge hole offensively. This has proven not to be the case, especially with the addition of Bobby Abreu.

With all the injuries to our rotation who can forget the 30-year-old rookie. With a 7-0 start, Matt Palmer locked down a much needed rotation spot and gave consistent starts when we needed them the most.

Finally, Chone Figgins has been has returned to the Figgins we all know and love, and plants a solid bat at the beginning of the lineup.

Outlook

With everything the Angels have gone through, and with the exception of Kelvim Escobar and Scott Shields, our team is healthy and performing. Mike Scioscia should win coach of the year and the Angels should win the division. Hopefully, the adversity the Angels have overcome has given them a toughness they have lacked in the past. And maybe, just maybe, they can take down the Red Sox this year.

-Tony C

Last week, Mike Scioscia threatened a shake up if the team didn’t turn things around, and that shakeup happened over the weekend. Howie Kendrick (.231, 4HR 22RBI) has been officially optioned to triple A and Sean Rodriguez (’09 stats - 205AB, .273, 21HR 60RBI 6SB) has been brought to the majors. Also, Scott Shields (6.62ERA, 15BB 12K) is to have season ending surgery on his right knee after a brief stint on the DL with patellar tendinitis in his left knee, and Kelvim Escobar (0-1, 3.60ERA) is taking his spot in the bullpen. This is all in addition to last week’s demotion of Jose Arredondo (5.55ERA, 12BB 27K) and promotion of Kevin Jepsen (’09 stats - 18in, 9.00ERA, 16BB 20K). The Angels have a bit of a new look.

These were all surprises, but the biggest shocker to me was that Rodriguez was called up rather than Brandon Wood (’09 stats - 175AB, .297, 14HR 36RBI). Yes, Sean Rodriguez has been hot of late and he plays second base, but Brandon Wood is the guy. I’m guessing this was because Scioscia didn’t want Howie and Sean splitting time in triple A, but it still would have been nice to see Figgins slide over to second base with Brandon Wood at third. We’ll see how it works out. Scioscia is usually right.

It is sad to see Scott Shields gone, but Escobar and Jepsen should help stabilize our bullpen. This weekend of moves resulted in a sweep of the San Diego Padres (28-34). Hopefully it will continue.

By: Tony C

Another freeway series and another notch in Mike Scioscia’s belt as he continues his dominance of his former team.  The Los Angeles Dodgers (31-15) posses the best record in baseball, but the Los Angeles Angels (23-21) managed to take two out of three and win another series.  The Dodgers may have made it further in the playoffs last year, but the Angels continue to show that they are LA’s best baseball option.

It is obvious the Angels have the Dodgers’ number on the field, but there is more to the story.  The Dodger Stadium experience does not compare to that which Arty provides at the big A.   I attended two of the three games at Dodger Stadium this weekend and had a great time, but I was a little disturbed at many of the things I saw.  The first is the prices.  $11 for a beer, $15 to park, and $6 dollars for a Dodger Dog.  It’s no wonder the series wasn’t sold out.  The second concern is the traffic.  After almost 60 years, the Dodgers still have not figured out how to get cars in and out of Chavez Ravine efficiently.  Finally, there’s safety.  I would not bring my kids to a night game at Dodger Stadium unless I could helicopter them out of the stadium and avoid the parking lot.  It seems to be more of a club scene than a baseball game.

All in all, this series is good for Los Angeles.  Baseball is bigger here than it ever has been, and Los Angeles continues to turn red.

By: Tony C