So much for building momentum going into the big Texas series.  I know every team has days like this every once in awhile, but did it have to be today?  As the Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons would say, "worst... timing... ever."

Athletics 9, Angels 1

There is no use in analyzing a disaster like this really, but the one major concern it created for me was whether or not Joel Pineiro is actually OK.  Joel has only walked four batters in a game once this year and issued just 23 free passes all season long before today and yet he goes out and walks four of the first five batters he faced.  His velocity appeared to be fine, but given the arm problems he experienced before the season started, I can't help but wonder if something physical caused his command to completely abandon him.

If he is hurt, it would be comically bad timing.  Pineiro's oblique injury last season around this time but a major damper on their already slim playoff hopes and a potential injury now would be just as dampening, especially since the Halos have virtually no starting pitching depth.

Then again, maybe it was just a bad day.  Maybe the extended time between starts threw Pineiro out of rhythm, I don't know.  What I do know is that I am immensely glad that the Angels have an off day tomorrow to get this nasty taste out of their mouth before the big bad Rangers come to town.

That was seriously a lot of baseball yesterday. It was nice of the Angels to make one of my predictions finally come true by heading game two into extra innings. Too bad they couldn't get the important part of the prediction right...the frickin' win. All in all, a mixed bag comes from this experience as the Angels split the twin bill and lose 1/2 a game in the standings. It's like kissing your sister. you are not happy about it but it could be worse, you could have to kiss your brother. Now the boys head into today's game with a real need for a win but first let's look back at the marathon that was yesterday's action

Game one -- Angels 4 A's 2
Game two -- Angels 3 A's 4

@

 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim  (51-44) @ Oakland Athletics (41-54)

Pitching Probables: LAA – Joel Pineiro (5-3, 3.90 ERA)  OAK – Gio Gonzalez (8-6, 2.47 ERA)

Game Info: 1:05 PM PT; TV - KCOP; Radio - KLAA 830 AM

I'm not saying that today is a must-win game for the Angels, but if they don't win, there is a pretty good chance that you're going to see a picture of all the momentum the Angels has before the All-Star break on the side of a milk carton (Which reminds me, when did they ever put pictures of lost kids on milk cartons?  I've never seen that ever.  Do they just not do it or do I drink milk that tacitly endorses kidnapping?).

As hot as the Angels had been, the Rangers have been ever hotter, winning ten in a row.  And the Angels know this, which is probably part of the reason they've come out flat so far in this series (the other reason is that this team really can't hit that much).  The A's are nothing to anybody right now other than the current doormat of the AL West, so the Angels, even with Scioscia's "one game at a time" mantra, can't help but look past them in preparation of trying to be the ones to not only stop the current Ranger juggernaut but also to try and leapfrog them in the division.  That is going to be no small feat and one that they are going to need to regain their momentum back in order to pull off.

But that is the weird catch-22 situation the Angels find themselves in.  They need to focus on getting some momentum going into the Texas series, but they also need to focus on beating the team in front of them, Oakland, in order to do that.  Good luck, fellas.

                                                       @
                

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (50-43) @ Oakland A's (40-53) (Records approx. depending outcome of GAME 1)

Pitching Probables: LAA -- Ervin Santana (4-8, 3.89 ERA) OAK --Rich Harden (1-1, 5.73 ERA)

Game Info: 4:35 PM PT; TV - FS-West; Radio - KLAA 830 AM


Game two of the Doubleheader!! Sorry for the lack of a game 1 post but some scheduling difficulties required me leaving the ole' Casa earlier than expected this morning. Anyway, for Game Two we get a match-up of two pitchers who both seemed destined for greatness but have fallen on harder times. The upside of this pitcher's set up is that Ervin tends to do well against the A's while Harden has at times struggled with the Angels. So if things hold as they are with game one and do to form with this one, then it's a sweep of the two games and we are right back in the race.

The return to action for the Halos was met with a collective thud of wasted opportunities. Dan Haren proved to be mortal and the Angels couldn't cash in on many of the chances afforded them by the A's. As a result the second half of the season gets off on the wrong foot and tomorrow's double header looms even larger.

Angels 3 A's 5

If it wasn't for this cursed offense who knows how far up in the standings the Angels would be?! I've seen countless games this season that should have been won had it not been for this offense breaking down and playing rather pathetic baseball. But then again, if it wasn't our lack of reliable relievers who knows how many close games the Angels could have come out on top of. One too many games have been blown by Rodney and his lefty Asian counterpart Hisanori Takahashi. These are the two most pressing problems for the Angels going towards the trade deadline, but which one do the Angels need the most? A big bat or a bigger arm?

 @


Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (50-42) @ Oakland A's (39-53)

Pitching Probables: LAA -- Dan Haren (10-5, 2.61 ERA) OAK -- Brandon McCarthy (1-5, 3.66)

Game Info: 7:05 PM PT; TV - FS-West; Radio - KLAA 830 AM

The Angels open the official second half of the season in arguably the worst stadium in baseball chasing one of the hottest teams for supremacy in the AL West. The Texas Rangers are on one of those refuse to lose jags that make you sick to your stomach when it isn't your team. As hot as the Angels have been the past few weeks, they are in danger of losing ground if they don't come off the All Star Break and pick up right where they left off.