Angels Jimmy-Jack Yankees, RBIs For Wood. Halolinks

Angels enjoy satisfying series victory over Yankees - LA Daily News
Bobby Abreu got the Angels rolling in the third inning with a solo home run to right off Javier Vazquez to bring the Angels within 3-1, and Kendry Morales sealed the victory in the seventh with a two-out, three-run shot off of Damaso Marte on a 3-0 pitch. The switch-hitting Morales, who homered batting right-handed, reached base in all four at-bats. He went 3 for3 with two singles and a walk in concert with the homer, his sixth of the season. "With a right-hander coming up we knew that (the Yankees) were going to make a change no matter what," Scioscia said. "That's why we allowed Kendry to swing away in that situation. "His power has improved quite a bit from that side of the plate, even if it hasn't shown up in the stats so far."

Here's some video of Morales' home run. The first is the New York clip focusing on the decision not to intentionally walking Morales (Morales makes the Yanks regret a decision). This one (Morales blasts a three-run homer) has Angel broadcaster Victor Rojas' home run call..."Kendry Morales, the Cuban Missile, with a 3-run Jimmy-Jack!". Although I'm not quite sure what a Jimmy-Jack is, I like it.

Make Your PREGAME PICK before tonight's first pitch

Indians-Angels Preview - FOX Sports on MSN
Hitting a major league-worst .223 overall, Cleveland has been outscored 34-15 while losing four of six. The prospects for an offensive revival don't seem strong Monday against Angels starter Jered Weaver (2-0, 2.77 ERA), who has given up three runs or fewer in all four of his starts. Weaver is 2-1 with a 4.17 ERA in eight career starts against the Indians, with the most recent the most impressive. He notched his second career shutout Aug. 19 at Cleveland, scattering seven hits and one walk while striking out three. He'll be opposed by Cleveland's David Huff (1-2, 3.00), who has sandwiched a pair of losses this season around a complete-game effort of his own - a 3-2 win over Texas on April 15. The left-hander lost at Minnesota on Wednesday, giving up four runs and walking a career-high six in six innings as the Indians fell 6-0. Huff has faced the Angels once before - a 7-6 loss in Anaheim last July 28, when he yielded five runs in seven innings.

Weaver's record would be 3-0 had it not been for the blown save by Brian Fuentes against the Tigers last Wednesday.

Wood's big hit sparks rally for Angels - angelsbaseball.com
"I was excited," Wood said, having unloaded on Vazquez's first pitch to send Juan Rivera and Howard Kendrick home. "I wanted to be aggressive, look for something I could handle and hit it hard. It's the first time other than a defensive play I've done something to help the ballclub. "I don't know if I got a monkey off my back. I haven't felt there was one there. I've tried to keep my cool, keep things in perspective. I wanted to get off to a great start and prove to everybody I belong here, replacing a guy [Chone Figgins] who last year was an All-Star. "I've had slumps before in the Minor Leagues, but this is a big stage. Hitting a baseball's one of the toughest things to do in sports. That's one hit and two RBIs. I've got a lot of work to do to get me out of this."

Video of Wood's first RBIs of 2010 - Wood's double gives the Angels the lead - Not trying to rain on his parade, but Thames didn't make a very good play on Wood's hit, but who cares...hopefully this is the beginning of a more comfortable batting approach for Wood.

Angels' Hunter still conflicted about home-plate collision - LA Daily News
"Man, (Wilson) was right there next to the plate; the ball bounced up and made him go backward," Hunter said. "I don't know. The plate was open. You can look at the tape over and over and say the play was clean or it was not right. Baseball is baseball." A half inning after the collision, Hunter bumped Teixeira after beating out an infield single. Hunter was asked if that was his way of saying a little "hello, I know what you did" to his former teammate. "I can't tell you that. I'm running up the line, what was I supposed to do?" Hunter said, quickly wiping a wry smile from his face. "The ball bounced away from him and he fell forward into me." It was Hunter who got the worst of that exchange too, taking a shot to the jaw.

Weird baseball contract clauses - CNN.com
4. Red Sox buy John Lackey insuranceIf Lackey misses any significant time due to surgery on a pre-existing elbow injury during the first five years of the contract, the Red Sox gain a club option for the 2015 season in which Lackey would have to pitch for the major league minimum salary.

April 26 - BR Bullpen
1941 - Wrigley Field becomes the first ballpark to install an organ to entertain fans, with Roy Nelson manning the keyboard. Q: What's better than roses on your piano? A: Tulips on your organ. {Insert rimshot}
1969 - The Baseball Records Committee decides to give Babe Ruth credit for one more home run during his career for a total of 715. The committee rules that one of Ruth's home runs had been incorrectly ruled a triple. The committee will later reverse its decision, returning Ruth to a total of 714 home runs.
1986 - The game between the California Angels and Minnesota Twins is delayed for nine minutes when strong winds tear a hole in the Metrodome roof, causing suspended lights and speakers to sag toward the field. The roof is reinflated and California rallies for six runs in the ninth inning to win 7 - 6. The roof, the roof, the roof is fire. Wait, no that just a big frickin' hole. WTF?
2005 - At Yankee Stadium, Alex Rodriguez slugs his way to the best performance of his career, hitting three home runs in his first three at-bats off Angels pitcher Bartolo Colón. Come on, it was off of Colon. Should it really count?
Happy b-day to the man who created on of the best baseball books (The Natural) and to the PTBNL:
1914 - Bernard Malamud, writer (d. 1986)
1985 - Sean Rodriguez, infielder

The Cuban Missile goes 3-for-3: