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Agony, Ecstasy as Yanks Prevail in Epic

Yankees celebrate win in Game 2 of ALCS
NEW YORK -- Of course it would end this way, in such classic, expected fashion. What, you didn't have Jerry Hairston Jr. scoring the winning run for the Yankees in the bottom of the 13th inning, after the Angel infield completely lost its heads? Join the club with millions of other baseball fans who watched Saturday's American League Championship Series melt into Sunday morning, and still aren't sure how and why this astonishing Game 2 concluded as it did.

Angels Rotation Tilting Left for ALCS

Scott KazmirThere was a lot of talk about the amount of home runs hit over the right field fence in the new Yankee Stadium this season, and it seems that Angels manager Mike Scioscia has heard a great deal of it. He's shuffling his rotation from the order he used during the Division Series to get a lefty starter on the mound for Saturday's Game 2 of the ALCS.

Scioscia said Tuesday that the Angels would start either Scott Kazmir or Joe Saunders with Jered Weaver dropping back one game and starting the first game in Anaheim. The hope of neutralizing Yankees power heading toward the short porch is definitely the prime reason for the move, though there are other considerations that probably played into Scioscia's decision.

Relief in Short Supply for Weary Halos

SAN FRANCISCO -- Angels general manager Tony Reagins said the answers for the Angels' uncharacteristic bullpen struggles are "in-house."

Unfortunately for the Angels, one of those answers, maybe the only one, just went on the disabled list.

Kelvim Escobar, who represents the Angels' best hope to settle their tattered bullpen, went on the disabled list on Monday with a recurrence of the shoulder problem that cost him the first two months of the season.

The Angels' company line is that Escobar had only a mild setback, similar to one he had in April, and he'll be ready to go in a week. Since he hasn't pitched since June 6, he's eligible to come off the DL next Monday. When he does, he'll try to get the Angels bullpen righted.

What Happened to Howie Kendrick?

Howie KendrickOnce upon a time Howie Kendrick was rated the 12th best prospect in the game by Baseball America, ahead of future All-Stars like Jonathan Papelbon, Carlos Quentin, Ryan Braun and Cole Hamels and a whole 65 spots in front of reigning American League MVP Dustin Pedroia, also a second baseman.

That was 2006.

Three years later Kendrick has failed to establish himself in a meaningful way at the major league level, and it could cost him his job according to the Los Angeles Times.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 5


MLB Power Rankings: Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.


What a zany week for a pair of pitchers with amazing stories: Zack Greinke is America's favorite story right now, somehow managing to be hotter than Twitter. (And if Oprah starts doing him too, I'm just quitting. And I mean everything.) Meanwhile, Rick Ankiel (you may hear word of this "podcast" we're doing about him, but that's because I'm shameless like that), a former star on the mound as well, nearly decapitates himself running into an outfield wall. And yet, life goes on. Just like our Power Rankings.

Starting Five: Cards Are Dealing So Far

Albert Pujols CardinalsStarting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Cardinals haven't started out this hot in 65 years.

St. Louis is 17-7, its best 24-game record since 1944. That team went 105-49 and beat the crosstown Browns in the World Series.

These Cards have won nine of 11 and, with a rotation that's 14-2, already have a four-game lead in the NL Central.
More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Problems Mounting for Battered Angels

The tragic death of 22-year-old starter Nick Adenhart is definitely going to be the low point of the Los Angeles Angels' season -- at least let's hope they don't have to deal with another death -- but much less significant problems are continuing to plague the defending AL West Champions. Specifically, they can't escape the injury bug.

While John Lackey, Ervin Santana, and Kelvim Escobar try to fight their way back to the mound, Vladimir Guerrero has joined them on the disabled list and Dustin Moseley left Friday night's start after just three innings with an apparent elbow injury -- an elbow which was surgically repaired in 2007.

Vlad Is Out ... AL West Is Open

As if the Angels didn't have enough problems this year with their tragedy- and injury-stricken pitching staff, now they've lost their best hitter. Vladimir Guerrero is going to be out indefinitely with a tear in the right pectoral.
"Obviously, short of needing surgery, this is a big blow," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Vlad will be reevaluated in a month, and we'll see where we are with it.

"We don't have a timetable right now. We'll see how it progresses. There are some optimistic windows we're getting, and some that might take longer."

Angels Fume at Beckett, Umpires


ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A series full of drama and emotion got a little more entertaining today, when Josh Beckett whistled a ball past Bobby Abreu's head, inciting a bench-clearing incident that resulted in four Angels getting ejected.

Even after it was all over and the Angels had pulled out another dramatic 5-4 victory, taking two of three in the series, there were some unhappy folks in the winning clubhouse.

"That was as flagrant as anything I've seen in this game, and it's unfortunate," said manager Mike Scioscia, who had to watch the last eight innings of the game on television after he got the boot.

Back to Business With Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Manager Mike Scioscia had a "normal" session with the media this morning, with little talk of the tragic loss of Nick Adenhart. Instead it was back to the more mundane topics of closers and injured starting pitchers.

Unfortunately, the Angels' big three injured pitchers -- John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar -- are still weeks away from returning.

"We're still looking at May for those guys," Scioscia said. "If we can get them to a plateau, then we can move forward. We've been encouraged by the last couple days."

Escobar, who is still building up his arm strength after last year's shoulder surgery, has pitched in three exhibition games. He had a setback after pitching last Friday in San Diego, but now he's getting ready to get out again in a minor league rehab assignment within the next week. Scioscia said the Angels will not have him skip his rehab assignment and go directly into the rotation to fill the void left by Adenhart.

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