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Oakland Athletics  (22-25) @ Los Angeles Angels Anaheim (24-24)

Pitching Probables: OAK – Josh Outman (0-0, -.-- ERA)  LAA – Jered Weaver (6-4, 2.45 ERA)

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

Alright, Angels, let's get this series started on the good foot.

This is the perfect chance for the Angels to get themselves on a real roll.  They finally busted out of their slump by winning the series against the Braves and they even showed some signs of life offensively.  Now, they get to avenge their recent sweep at the hand of the A's, who come in limping badly after being swept themselves by the Giants and losing two of their rotation members to the DL.

If they want to get on that roll, they have to start tonight.  Not only must they do that simply to keep momentum going, but to try and build up some momentum for Jered Weaver who has seen his season start slowly heading south since his torrid beginning of the season.

I think I finally figured out why Mickey Hatcher has been able to keep his job throughout Mike Scioscia's tenure as an Angel: he is a magnet for fan animosity.

No matter what is going on in the Angels' season, the instant something goes slightly askew with the Angel offense, everyone starts calling for Mickey's head.  It is an annual tradition right up there with the sparrows returning to San Juan Capistrano, turkey at Thanksgiving and the New York media freaking out that the sky is falling the first time the Yankees lose three games in a row.

What better way to distract from the real problems facing the Angels than to keep a lightning rod like Hatcher in prime position to attract all the criticism when it really just isn't his fault.

With the Angel offense faltering once again this season, the demands for Hatcher's firing have begun and are nearing a fever pitch.  As much as I might want to join in on the fun, I simply can't.  Not this year anyway.

Forgive me for dwelling in the negative on this one, but I have a simple question to which I must know the answer.  I find that the moniker of "most hated Angel" gets thrown out quite a bit by Angel fans, but there does not seem to be a consensus on which player really is the least loved.  Today, I'm getting to the bottom of it via the good ol' democratic process.  So get your voting finger ready and click the poll to let us know who is the true least favorite Angel player.

Time to vote!

Daily Links for the LA Angels including Wells is at least three weeks from returning, Kazmir could return as a reliever, stop calling for Trout and start asking for Baisley and much more...

The Story: Vernon Wells thinks he will be back in three weeks.

The Monkey Says: That sounds great and all, but the Angel coaching staff has not signed off on that prognosis.  In fact, Scioscia was quoted over the weekend as saying that he hoped they weren't "talking about months."  Given these two conflicting statements, I suspect that within two weeks there will be a more definitive timeline for Wells' return.

The Story: Scott Kazmir will make his first rehab start on Tuesday, but he could return to the majors as a reliever.

The Monkey Says: Kaz is still talking a lot about rebuilding his confidence, which hardly instills, you know, confidence.  I don't think anyone expects much from his rehab stint, and I really don't like the idea of him as a reliever.  Seriously, what do the Angels need with a third lefty out of the pen?

The Story: Stop calling for Mike Trout and start calling for Jeff Baisley.

The Monkey Says: I fully agree with waiting on Trout until 2012, but I feel like this Baisley guy isn't worth the trouble.  It couldn't hurt to see if he can help the bench out, but having a few good months in the thin Salt Lake air is about all he really has going for him, so I can't imagine him becoming some kind of offensive sparkplug for the Angels.

Redemption, thy name is interleague play.

Count me among the growing segment of baseball fans who has seen enough of interleague play, but I guess it does have its good points.  Specifically, interleague has always been very kind to the Halos.

Angels 4, Braves 1

This final game of this particular interleague series was all about giving the Angels a shot at redemption on multiple fronts.  Redemption from having choked away last night's game.  Redemption for Tyler Chatwood's last rough start.  Redemption for several struggling position players.  Check, check and check.

As much as I was waiting for the three-run Angel lead to disappear in the late innings, it never really came to pass.  A big part of that was Tyler Chatwood showing composure beyond his years to overcome early trouble and buckle down to keep Atlanta in check deep into the game.  That permitted the Angels to avoid using some of the more unsavory relievers in their pen and rely only on Downs and Walden.

The Halos even showed some uncharacteristic offensive pluck by scoring some insurance runs in the latter innings, led by the heretofore struggling veteran duo of Bobby Abreu.

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Atlanta Braves (26-22) @ Los Angeles Angels Anaheim (23-24)

Pitching Probables: ATL – Derek Lowe (3-3, 3.43 ERA)  LAA – Tyler Chatwood (2-2, 4.50 ERA)

Game Info: 12:35 PM PT; TV - Fox Sports West; Radio - KLAA 830 AM

What is it about this series and sinkerball pitchers?

It was Tim Hudson in Game 1, Joel Pineiro in Game 2 and now Derek Lowe and (sorta) Tyler Chatwood today.  I sure hope everyone watching today likes groundballs.

Me, I'm hoping that Derek Lowe's sinker works about as well as Tim Hudson's did on Friday.  I have not stats to back this up, but I have always felt like the Angels get killed by sinkerball pitchers since the Halo offensive aggressiveness plays right into their hands.  But that wasn't the case Friday and I really hope it isn't the case today because the Angels desperately need to keep building offensive momentum.

I know it comes as a shock but the Angels played yet another extra inning game. That makes 11 this season, tops in the majors. There is plenty of blame to share for this defeat but I am going to place the bulk of it at the feet of Manager Mike. Scioscia should have seen this coming and pulled Pineiro after six innings. Joel was okay but by no means dominant. I know it's hard to trust the collection of stiffs that make up the bullpen, but I think it would have been better to give them a four run cushion to blow rather have what happened last night happen. After the disaster of a seventh inning, the Angel offense returned to form for the rest of the game and the Braves were able to steal themselves a victory. Glad I stayed up late for that...

Angels 4 Braves 5