Angels Drub the Blue Jays 8-2

FINALLY! The losing streak is over! The six-game losing streak that the Angels were riding was the longest one of the season. And it seemed a lot longer than that when coupled with how the team went into “sell-mode” at the deadline. The optimistic side of me wants to believe that there is still time to turn things around. The pessimistic side of me reminds me that they are still in the bottom-10 in the Major Leagues record-wise. And the cynical side of me thinks that the Angels just used up their allotted runs for the entire weekend. My doctor says that the schizophrenia medication should be here next week.

Hats off to Garrett Richards who was outstanding tonight. Across seven innings he allowed four hits while striking out four and inducing 11 groundball outs. He did allow two runs, but the offense had no trouble making that irrelevant against opposing starter, Josh Johnson.

The Angels struck quick and hard in the first inning. Howie Kendrick singled home Kole Calhoun to get the Angels on the board. Calhoun, by the way, has hit the ground running since being recalled earlier this week. He is 4-13 with three walks in his small sample size, but it’s nice to see him not getting overmatched. One batter later, Mark Trumbo uncoiled on a Josh Johnson breaking ball, hitting one of the angriest home runs I have ever seen for his 24th of the season, giving the Angels a 3-0 lead. With two outs in the inning, J.B. Chuck collected his first of three RBI’s on the night, driving home Erick Aybar with an RBI single.

Another run was tacked on in the second on a Josh Hamilton sacrifice fly. Two more in the third on an RBI single by Aybar and a sacrifice fly from Shuck. Putting the Angel lead at 7-0 by that point.

But, the specter of a series in which the Angels got walked off on in each game hung over fans heads. Would the Angels hold this lead? Would the Blue Jays and their offensive potential show up in the later innings? With the team’s luck, was it possible that we would see the Angels get walked off on again? While at home?

The Answers?

Yes, no and, don’t be silly.

The Blue Jays did plate two runs in the fifth though. Colby Rasmus got the Canadian representatives on the board with an RBI double. Maicer Izturis followed that up with an RBI groundout. But Richards settled down and set the next three hitters down in order.

The Angels added another run in the seventh on another sacrifice fly by Shuck, and the bullpen handled it from their. Newcomers J.C. Gutierrez and Daniel Stange combined to allow one hit apiece over two innings, while doing something that the bullpen hasn’t done in awhile; not give up any runs.

A win is a win is a win, and it was nice to be able to celebrate one after the team got embarrassed during it’s three game series in Texas. They’ll shoot for two-in-a-row tomorrow when the Halos send Tommy Hanson to the mound against Todd Redmond at 7:05 PM PST. Light up the halo, it’s been awhile, make sure there are no dead light bulbs.