Garrett Richards gets 2-hit shutout, Kole Calhoun homers twice as Angels beat Red Sox 3-0

Angels 3  Red Sox 0

Garrett Richards started his second half off with a bang by pitching a complete game shutout against the visiting Red Sox. He looked brilliant throughout the night, giving up just two hits over nine innings, with one walk and six Ks. This is Richards' 2nd career shutout and his 3rd complete game, and the Angels managed to serve up a second shutout in a row to Boston, only the third time that's happened since 2000. Very impressive, and this team continues to morph into a steam roller before our very eyes.

On the offensive side of things, Kole Calhoun had his first multi-homer game of his career, as hit hit two dingers, while also collecting a walk and a single. A studly night for the Red Baron, especially when the rest of the offense seems to be shaking the dust off of themselves.

The Angels have won 3 straight now, and are a season best 1.5 games up on Houston in the division. So far in this series, however, it's taken two god-like pitching performances and a couple outfielders playing Hero Ball to walk away with the victories, but we'll take it any way we can. Right? The whole team may not be quite on fire, but the pitching looks to be hitting it's stride, and as long as they keep the scores close, we always have some clutch waiting in the wings in the form of Mike Trout or, like we saw tonight, Kole Calhoun. In other words, they're finding ways to win, and that's what playoff caliber teams do. Light that baby up.