A final Angel series split with the Rangers in which we welcome the end of the season and big the Rangers congrats… until we meet again.
Game 1 – Rangers 3, Angels 2
Game 2 – Angels 5, Rangers 4
Game 3 – Rangers 6, Angels 2
Game 4 – Angels 6, Rangers 2
Los Angeles Angels of AWESOMENESS
- Well, that wraps up the Angel season. Unfortunately, they finished with a losing record (80-82), but only barely. I’m not going to let that get me down though. If anything, I think this disappointing season could turn out to be a good thing, revealing the Rangers as true threats and exposing many of the Halos’ flaws in the process. Now the team has a better idea of what they need to do to get back in contention. So, no, I’m not going to take a final parting shot at Texas, instead I will wish them congratulations… until we meet again in 2011, and they better be ready because the Halos are bringing a fight.
- Congratulations to Jered Weaver for taking home not only the AL strikeout crown, but the MLB title as well. Of course, he only just barely led the league, getting the minimum 4 whiffs he needed to take the lead from Felix Hernandez, but he still got the job done. This is a great personal accomplishment for Weaver as it shows just how much he has grown and evolved as a pitcher. I really can’t wait for Scott Boras to use this accolade against the Angels in free agent negotiations two years from now.
- Hey, Juan Rivera is still alive! Who knew? His two homers pretty much won the game for the Halos on Friday, but was it enough to win over the front office and convince them to not put him on the trading block this summer?
- Good call by Scioscia to let Dan Haren start the last game of the season. I know it was in question going into the series, but it was the right thing to do since it gave the Angels a lasting bit of pride to end the year on a winning note. And kudos to the Angel offense for not failing Danny for the umpteenth time in his brief Angel tenure.
Los Angeles Angels of FAIL
- It took 15 appearances, but we finally found out that Jordan Walden was human, taking his first MLB loss in Thursday’s game. Every reliever loses a game now and again, but this loss does serve as a reminder to everyone that Walden might still have some more work to do before he can safely be anointed as the team’s closer.
- If Erick Aybar foul-tipping a ball into his own man parts doesn’t perfectly sum up this Angel season, I don’t know what does.
- How nice of Fernando Rodney to slip in just one more horrid blown save before the season’s end. I guess he really wanted to make sure that nobody forgot how truly awful he is over the off-season. Thanks, Fraudney.
Halo Hero of the Series
This final Halo Hero could’ve gone a lot of ways, but it is my award and I want it to go to my new favorite player, Peter Bourjos. Peter highlighted this series by notching at least one hit in each game, going 6-for-16 with a double, a triple, two homers, a steal, 4 runs and 3 RBIs. Not too shabby. And not too bad of a way for him to end his first season as a pro by showing that he is developing as a hitter and that he might be more than just a great glove for the Halos in 2011.