Angels clinch AL West title, aim for MLB's best record
With a 5-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners the Los Angeles Angels clinched the American League West:
The season narrative: Manager Mike Scioscia and general manager Jerry Dipoto started the season under the gun after the club failed to make the playoffs the last four years, and the Angels' offseason acquisitions did not allay concerns about their vulnerability. The rotation was composed of Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson and a bunch of question marks. But along the way, Garrett Richards developed into an ace, Hector Santiago straightened out and, most important, unheralded rookie Matt Shoemaker came out of nowhere to win 16 games. When Richards and lefty Tyler Skaggs went down with season-ending injuries, the offense revved up in August and picked up the slack as the Angels went 19-10 that month to blow by the Oakland Athletics and into first place. The bullpen also went from a liability to a strength with several additions, most notably closer Huston Street and setup man Jason Grilli.
The unsung hero: Line-drive-hitting second baseman Howie Kendrick has started 30 games as the cleanup hitter, or 19 more than he had in eight previous seasons. His 71 RBI are four shy of his career high, and he has filled the void left by Josh Hamilton's extended injury absences. Just as noteworthy, double-play partner Erick Aybar has often occupied the fifth hole in the lineup and responded with a career-best 67 RBI despite, like Kendrick, having only seven home runs. Their offensive contributions have allowed Scioscia to keep Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in the 2-3 spots, where they have combined to score 195 runs and drive in 205 to help the Angels lead the major leagues in runs scored. "Aybar and all those guys put the bat on the ball,'' hitting coach Don Baylor said. "Those are the toughest guys to get out, the guys who put the ball in play and don't strike out.''
What happens now: The Angels need to make sure that Shoemaker, who sustained a slight oblique strain on Monday, is fully healthy for the playoffs. He has been one of the majors' top pitchers the last two months, going 9-1 with a 1.49 ERA in 11 outings going back to July 26. Without him, the projected postseason starters would be Weaver, Santiago and Wilson, who is sporting a 4.61 ERA in a down year. The remainder of the season should also prove a valuable time to get Hamilton back in the groove after he missed 11 games with a shoulder ailment. Injuries and a protracted slump have wrecked the season for Hamilton, who hopes to reenact 2010, when he missed most of September but earned MVP honors in the ALCS by batting .350 with four homers.
In October: The Angels have a three-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles for the best record in baseball, which would guarantee them home-field advantage throughout the postseason. It was their own wunderkind, Mike Trout, who led the AL to the All-Star Game victory that secured that right. It's a major benefit, considering the Angels are the only club to have won 50 home games this season, but they'll need to have their pitching staff primed and ready because even explosive offenses tend to get diffused in the postseason. With the neighboring Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants in the playoff mix, the possibility of an all-California World Series is very much alive.