Joel Piñeiro Gem Keeps Angels in Race

Final Score in Anaheim: Angels 4, Twins 1

After having fallen off the depth chart a month ago, pitcher Joel Pineiro gave a great performance to help the Angels keep pace with a cakewalking Texas Rangers playing east coast scrimmages with a playoff-bound Chowdage YankSawx. The only run that Piñata allowed was a solo HR to Joe Mauer, the shining spot in a moribund Twinkie lineup. JP allowed 5 hits and 1 walk in 7 IP, handing the ball to Scott Downs for a Hold (his 22nd) and Jordan Walden for a Save (his 28th). The Win was Piney's 6th of the season.

Catcher Hank Conger caught two Twins stealing and one has to wonder how great the pitching staff would be in the eyes of the Angels analysts who are so deluded by defensive catching stats that they have advocated that Conger's playing time be given over to the talentless Jeff Mathis. Shocking that mlb.com Angels hack Lyle M. Spencer didn't have brain surgery to accompany his recent hernia surgery. Get well Lyle, we love scraping the bottom of the Baseball IQ barrel and OOMP there you is!!! 2 CS in a game would send Jeff to Cooperstown in Lyle Caveman's estimation.

Bobby Abreu had a solo HR early and scored an insurance run late. Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells each drove in a run for insurance purposes late in the game. Look at that: aging veterans contributing to the cause down the stretch... guess that it is fistbump time!