Angels streak equals hope

An offensive outburst against the Seattle Mariners was exactly what the doctor ordered. A cycle by Trout seemed evitable with his speed, hitting ability, and power. It’s a rare feat that most people think he will achieve multiple times throughout his career.  He became one of the youngest players in history to do it. The last person his age to hit for the cycle was Alex Rodriguez when A-Rod was with Seattle. Trout is back to hitting right around .300. It wasn’t all Trout though, as the Angels scored 19 runs in two games versus Seattle.  The bats continued on the short road trip to Kansas City.

The bats continued to stay hot with 22 runs in the four game sweep.  Josh Hamilton had a pair of home runs and JB Shuck has continued to be a pleasant surprise, getting two RBI’s on Sunday and hitting over .350 during the winning streak. What needs to be mentioned more than the offense is the pitching. The hitters get paid the big bucks, and it was a matter of time before they started whacking the ball all around the yard.  The pitching has been the question, especially without Jered Weaver. Of the 14 pitchers who have pitched during the streak, only one has an ERA above 3.00 (Frieri).  The Halo hurlers have all stepped up from Wilson to Vargas to even Blanton who got his first win. However the most crucial has been spot starter Jerome Williams. In 14 innings, Williams has 10 strikeouts and has only given up two runs in two starts.

During the Angels winning streak, the Oakland athletics have won 9/10 but Texas has been middle of the road. Still way back in the standings, the Angels have shown fans life of winning ways. The Dodgers on the other side of town are still scratching their heads. This four game week series will be interesting as fans clash for bragging rights. Will the Dodgers be able to break the Angels streak, and then can they take more than one out of four? Dodger fans are thirsty for the streak that the Angels are on. Can they find the same watering hole? Or will the Dodgers winning column stay dry?

Angels have now become a dangerous team with Trout leading the way. The rest of the team needs to keep pulling their weight. It looks like they have figured it out for now.