Blame of the Game: Joe Saunders

Injuries: Howie Kendrick-day to day with a tight hammy. Erick Aybar-day to day with a tight hammy. Props to Juan Rivera for playing 2nd base tonight.

The Mariners have officially been eliminated.

Also of note, before todays game, the rumour was that the Angels were looking to pick up another middle infielder. With Howie and Erick going day to day mode, one has to assume that the Ninja is going to have to make a move.

LINKS: Pregame Thread ... GAME THREAD ... Game Thread 2

Roll Call: Caseys Kiss of Death, Stirrups, scottnak, princeton11loveshalos, gorams77, Deadend, acuda27, HawaiiHaloFan35, AnaheimHalos61, ReggieBullits, Chone's Chonies, The Limey, yeswecan, Sorbo182, Rev Halofan, bc56274, stuck in Romania, vladtheimpaler, calikraze, bighead, wallispdub1, krisomar7, Downing Rules, tanana40, Jack Kerouac, ViolaHalo, Andyman, NoDakHalo, matthiasstephan, Captain Awesome, Undercover Angel, halofan4life, red floyd, autry's cowboys, hk47, UCIHalo, howiestheman, Clip Show, Brew Angel, Hapyorange, HaloDutch, im4kiss, Dono Romantico, Gorbachav5, linkbruin, Los Angeles de Anaheim, sepulveda, Quinlan's Goofy Swing, snowhor, sothball, Wytelitning, LUVtheLAA, ladybug, Ducky22, sunshine thermometer, Funke5ive, jimmuscomp, BoulderBrian, AmyAngel, Four Ts, billhune, 44FAN, Jangel7, Big Easy Halofan, shiftyeyedgoat, Carl Johnson, foxpaw, WillGoAngels27, gdog009, TheTypingFiend, Yetijuice, stezo, SFV88, wings, jjackflash, Red, goodvibe61, joeyz34, Fan Since 1981, deejayelleseven, infant, scareduck, Angel Aviator, melvintoast, SCHalo, Clutch, Mayheminthehood, rjcicc, cupie, Zu Long, qnbrew88, Northwest, K3YEROUT, VladdyG, LosAngel, clover_black
Total Users: 96
Total Posts: 1163
Total Threads: 3

Panther of the Game: John Lackey

Roll Call: The Limey, Captain Awesome, Hapyorange, billhune, AnaheimHalos61, Andyman, Chone's Chonies, HaloDutch, Big Easy Halofan, TheTypingFiend, Jack Kerouac, NoDakHalo, bighead, Jangel7, hk47, ViolaHalo, sothball, gorams77, wallispdub1, joeyz34, Moondoggy, halofan4life, shiftyeyedgoat, Brew Angel, im4kiss, autry's cowboys, ladybug, howiestheman, Wytelitning, LUVtheLAA, tanana40, stuck in Romania, Ducky22, sunshine thermometer, jimmuscomp, anaheim angels, Rev Halofan, Funke5ive, stezo, K3YEROUT, BoulderBrian, matthiasstephan, yeswecan, adirondackangelfan, jtkelly86, foxpaw, red floyd, surfpunk, Deadend, Four Ts, Stirrups, scottnak, Yetijuice, Undercover Angel, Caseys Kiss of Death, Chris Knapp's Sac, Clip Show, sepulveda, jjackflash, UCIHalo, ReggieBullits, HawaiiHaloFan35, Quinlan's Goofy Swing, acuda27, btown100, SFV88, 44FAN, wings, gdog009, WillGoAngels27, Red, vladtheimpaler, goodvibe61, Los Angeles de Anaheim, MH252525, Fan Since 1981, BigBangRobbDawgg, Angel Aviator, cupie, SocalAngelFaninOC, Zu Long, deejayelleseven, Mayheminthehood, WiHaloFan, melvintoast, ZiK, infant, clover_black, ihearhowie2.0, Carl Johnson, KendrickExperience, krisomar7, Dono Romantico
Total Users: 93
Total Posts: 565
Total Threads: 2

Blame of the Game: Gary Matthews Junior

On a night when the baserunners let us all down, Gary grounded into a double play, struck out and overran a ball that allowed the eventual go-ahead run to get to third base. At least we have a bajillionteen game lead and Vlad rested those knees...

Panther of the Game: Mark Teixeira

Link to ROLL-CALL Game Thread for all of today's action

The MAGIC NUMBER is now 18

Cleveland beats Texas ... Angel division lead is 16 Games, an all-time franchise mark.

Frankie becomes only the 10th man in history to record at least 49 saves in a season.

Panther of the Game: Darren Oliver

Link to PREGAME thread and GAME thread

Frankly, the Twins errors gifted us that four-run inning and Garland's meltdown could maybe be lack of focus, might be Twins awesomeness, but is probably him just running out of gas earlier in each game.

Roll Call: howiestheman, norcaliangelsfan, stezo, Clip Show, Rev Halofan, shiftyeyedgoat, BoulderBrian, Stirrups, sunshine thermometer, HawaiiHaloFan35, scottnak, im4kiss, linkbruin, The Limey, Ducky22, Caseys Kiss of Death, bc56274, Sorbo182, matthiasstephan, Jack Kerouac, hk47, HaloDutch, red floyd, gorams77, tanana40, Big Easy Halofan, AmyAngel, bighead, UCIHalo, Brew Angel, WillGoAngels27, Yetijuice, ladybug, Four Ts, pgh_angelsfan, ViolaHalo, Andyman, foxpaw, adirondackangelfan, highlandhalo, NoDakHalo, Deadend, stuck in Romania, 44FAN, Funke5ive, Moondoggy, Undercover Angel, Captain Awesome, LUVtheLAA, Red, wings, billhune, Chone's Chonies, sothball, Carl Johnson, AnaheimHalos61, vladtheimpaler, goodvibe61, acuda27, Los Angeles de Anaheim, Downing Rules, gdog009, Mayheminthehood, UK Halo, BigBangRobbDawgg, K3YEROUT, Zu Long, TheOptimist, KendrickExperience, Quinlan's Goofy Swing, PieceOfAase, calikraze, ANewFoundThrice, Fan Since 1981, TheTypingFiend, MH252525, Halofanatic, anaheim angels
Total Users: 78
Total Posts: 545
Total Threads: 2

Blame of the Game: Joe Saunders

Let me know if there is anything positive that came from this game and whom should get the Scarlet letter.

Link to PREGAME thread and GAME thread

Roll Call: highlandhalo, shiftyeyedgoat, Andyman, ladybug, BigBangRobbDawgg, SocalAngelFaninOC, cupie, howiestheman, Big Easy Halofan, tbone_cutter, K3YEROUT, Mayheminthehood, 44FAN, tanana40, sothball, gdog009, UCIHalo, linkbruin, MH252525, Carl Johnson, WiHaloFan, Chone's Chonies, Brew Angel, yeswecan, Caseys Kiss of Death, scottnak, Angel Aviator, KendrickExperience, norcaliangelsfan, Los Angeles de Anaheim, AnaheimHalos61, acuda27, Stirrups, NoDakHalo, Red, Deadend, bc56274, wallispdub1, Rev Halofan, sunshine thermometer, vladtheimpaler, stezo, Ducky22, bighead, im4kiss, BoulderBrian, Jack Kerouac, matthiasstephan, billhune, The Limey, gorams77, Undercover Angel, foxpaw, Clip Show, halofan4life, Yetijuice, Jangel7, Wytelitning, adirondackangelfan, Scuff, stuck in Romania, Funke5ive, btown100, hk47, Four Ts, Quinlan's Goofy Swing, TheTypingFiend, ViolaHalo, red floyd, snowhor, Hapyorange, Sorbo182, HawaiiHaloFan35, wings, Chris Knapp's Sac, goodvibe61, RallyWookie, WillGoAngels27, ReggieBullits
Total Users: 79
Total Posts: 504
Total Threads: 2

Insert 1 coin(s) to continue.

Blame Of the Game: Do I really need to say? Speier.

But keep your chin up. Losing streaks happen. All you need to do is reach into your pockets, brush off another fresh coin. And get another game in and hope it goes your way next time.

And make sure you don't pick that same character again for the next game.

Panther of the Game: Francisco Rodriguez

Frankie sets an Angel Single Season Record with 48 saves.

Red Jerseys do the trick, and now the Red-Eye flight home to face the Red-Hot Twinkies.

Blame of the Game: Scot Shields

Scot Shields served this game up; the Rays did not win as much as we lost it, choke style, with an assist from Jeff "Just Worthless" Mathis.

Hey, we are back to being the Angels who always lose in the first round of the playoffs, mid-season overachievers who cannot really handle the rigors of a 162-game season.

Maybe this is better than being the 1995 Angels and maybe it is a less painful way of avoidance in not being the 1986 Angels, but if Mike Scioscia does not bench Figgins and Kendrick and Mathis for at least a game (or two) we could become the grinded-into-the-ground 1964 Phillies, and Mike Scioscia, you are better than Gene Mauch, really.

And for you jaded season ticket holders look at the bright side, our coming quick first-round exit means a cap on what Arte Moreno can let John Carpino raise your ticket prices to - nobody is going to let a loser stick it to them!

...never felt so lousy.

Blame of the Game: Chone Figgins