Frankie Saves 2007: Angels All-Star Moments!

This is our Countdown of the Ten Greatest Angels All-Star Game Performances. We begin with Halo Closer Francisco Rodriguez saving the 2007 All-Star Game.

Francisco Rodriguez had dominated relief pitching in 2006, leading the majors with 47 saves for the 89-win second place Angels. At the All Star Break he was 2-2 and had 24 saves. He had only blown 2 save opportunities and had only allowed more than one run in one of his 37 appearances. But on July 7, he had thrown 38 pitches in 2 innings of an extra inning game at Yankee Stadium. He had struck out three of the nine batters he faced, allowed one hit and had walked 2. He picked up his second win of the season but it was unlikely he would see any action inthe game.

And by the time the game at Whatever they called the Giants shoreside park that season, Angels fans hardly cared about the chances of Frankie making it into the game, as Vladimir Guerrero had won the HR derby the day before in dramatic, nationally televised fashion.

After Seattle's J.J. Putz had surrendered a two-run homer in the bottom of the 9th inning to let the National League back into the game, he walked J.J. Hardy, the potential tying run. Frankie was summoned to record the final out. He did it in dramatic fashion: he walked Derek Lee and Orlando Hudson to load the bases before getting Aaron Rowand to fly out to RF, earning the AL a win and Frankie the Save.

An Angel had saved the All Star Game for the American League.