Thanks Albert: Angels Win On Nine Runs, Thirteen Hits

Final Score in Anaheim: Angels 9 Indians 6

So maybe it wasn't the much-needed glorious and overwhelming victory that it could have been, the kind of morale-boosting smackdown that brings back the fanbase DEFCON from the "welcome to the terrordrome" stage of anxiety. The danger signs are still there if you're in the mood to look for them. But a win is a win, and right now, any reminder that this team is still capable of scoring some runs and winning the occasional baseball game feels so, so good.

The Angels had a couple of big innings early in the game--courtesy of the apparently washed-up Ubaldo Jimenez-scoring four runs in both the 1st and 4th. Albert Pujols, who had a huge night overall, delivered a ballbusting three-run homer to make it 8-2. At that point it looked like the Angels would ride the crest of enthusiasm all the way home. Unfortunately, the Indians still made something of a game of it in the late innings, no thanks to another multi-run homer dished up by LaTroy "ERA Regression" Hawkins. Instead of a blowout, we'll just have to settle for a 9-6 victory.

It's probably not fair to pile on the starter, Zack Greinke, who mostly pitched a pretty good game. Aside from an ugly hit-by-pitch/two-run-homer sequence in the fourth, seeing an Angel starter crack the seventh inning with only two runs allowed was as refreshing as an overdue bladder evacuation. He allowed two more runs on a series of nicks and cuts. Still, for the enduring pessimists, we've still to see a truly spotless start from our new rent-a-star, and Hawkins was there to reminds us all that, yes, the bullpen remains a problem.

It was Zack's first (and we hope not the last) win as an Angel.

Game Threads Roll Call: angelsfan7, ryanfea, TheKingfish, opiejeanne, Angelsfan015, slimshaney13, Quinlan's Goofy Swing, clover_black, aces666high, smithy610, supermarcio, LanaBanana, hammer444, LodiHaloFan, eyespy, Seraphan, JeffJoiner, angelslogic, TheTypingFiend, eddgreat9, red floyd, Big Easy Halofan, gyoung08, homercles, Of Maicer and Men, WiHaloFan, Halofan4ever, tanana40, VPBOB, Morales8, rogerrepoznik, gcs1469, OppoTaco25, Oxygen48, MH252525, Halo_Lenny, 5thStarter, migfig, TheGodofRuns, ihigh, Angels84, Dono Romantico, Little Lebowski, grahams98, waters96, Tom Servo 93, Ed@northridge, matthiasstephan, Nashdiesel, OC Awhole1, howiestheman, DragBikeRacer, pujols noob, ladybug, halosfan4ever, max peter, SLOfan, joesav331, Vernon Wells Cash Deposit, Halostradamus, Nocturne, BrentSchmidt, Rock Island Line, ze3, Figgi4life, ACE79, Harrigan, nwstud31, Mayheminthehood, FlaAngelFan, CaptainCanuck, PhiSlamma, Halos2008, firebird81
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