Tuesday Halolinks: Angels Head To Wrigley To Face Cubs

So what do you think now? Is the recent play by the club indicative of their true talent, or are they just going through a hot streak that will soon cool off? It would be alright to be skeptical had the Halo wins came against weaker teams, but their recent 12 game stretch included three division leaders; Detroit (1st AL Central, 49-39), St. Louis (1st NL Central, 53-34), and the Red Sox (1st AL East, 54-37), Those three division leaders have a combined record of 156-110, yet the Angels won seven of nine, and outscored them 51 to 45. Throw in a 3-game sweep of the Astros, and the Angels appear to have corrected whatever it was that caused them to look pretty pathetic most days, and absolutely horrible on others.

• The club heads to Chicago to see if it their kind of town...the kind that extends winning ways: Angels-Cubs Preview - Yahoo! Sports. "The Angels have scored 65 runs and batted .306 with runners in scoring position during that 12-game span. They've also posted a 3.00 ERA in their last 11 contests after compiling a 4.41 ERA in their first 77 this season."
  
• Future-batting-champ, turned under-the-radar? How can that be?? Under-the-radar Howie Kendrick one of Halos' best - angels.com. "Kendrick heads into the final five games of the first half with a .312/.354/.472 slash line, adding 11 homers -- three more than he had in 147 games last year -- with 40 RBIs and a 2.1 Wins Above Replacement that ranks second on the Angels."
• Kohn: It's no good, I can't maneuver!
  Butcher: Stay on target.
  Kohn: We're too close!
  Butcher: Stay on target...or get a tattoo
  Tattoo keeps Angels pitcher Michael Kohn on target - latimes.com. "The tattoo under Angels pitcher Michael Kohn's left wrist is only a year old, but it represents perseverance he has displayed much longer. It reads "never."
• Ladies and gentlemen, your 2013 Home Run Derby participants: Chris Davis, Bryce Harper among sluggers picked for Home Run Derby - Yahoo! Sports
  AL: Robinson Cano (captain), Chris Davis, Prince Fielder and one more TBA
  NL: David Wright (captain), Carlos Gonzalez, Bryce Harper and Michael Cuddyer
• Does this look familiar? Carlos Gomez robs Joey Votto of home run in 9th - Yahoo! Sports. "Two outs, top of the ninth, down a run and Cincinnati Reds slugger Joey Votto goes for the gusto against Milwaukee Brewers closer Francisco Rodriguez. He got a lot of it, driving the ball deep to center." Okay, not so much recently, but remember those shaky saves the Angels used to get from K-Rod? Yeah, he's still doing it.
  
• Midseason Prospect Update: Top 50 Prospects - BaseballAmerica.com. "Players from the 2013 draft or international signing period, those who had exhausted rookie eligibility or those who were in the major leagues on July 1 are not eligible." And neither are players who toil within the Angels minor league system.