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The 1979 Angels had a very efficient week, winning a four-game series against the A’s followed by a weekend series win over the American League East-leading Orioles. The result was the Angels reaching 50 wins in their 86th game, the second-quickest in franchise history to date (behind only the 1970 team, who did so in 85 games).
California saved its biggest explosion for July 4, when they pounded Oakland for a season-high 17 runs.
A winning return home saw the Angels end the week on pace for 93 wins this year while boasting the highest-scoring offense in baseball. A reward was a record six Angels named American League All-Stars. Don Baylor will start in the outfield on July 17 in Seattle, joined by Rod Carew, Nolan Ryan, Bobby Grich, Brian Downing, and rookie Mark Clear. It’s the 13th straight All-Star nod for Carew, and the first for Downing and Clear.
The previous franchise record for All-Star players in one year was four, accomplished in 1962 (Leon Wagner, Billy Moran, Lee Thomas, Ken McBride) and 1970 (Alex Johnson, Sandy Alomar, Jim Fregosi, Clyde Wright).
The hitting star of the week for the Angels has been their hitting star all season, Don Baylor. He homered in each of the first three games against the A’s, driving in five in that Wednesday blowout. Baylor also added two home runs Friday against Baltimore, giving him nine home runs in a nine-game stretch.
For the week Baylor was 11-for-23 (.423) with five home runs, a double, five walks, nine runs scored, and a whopping 13 runs batted in, earning him the American League Player of the Week. He’s the first Angels position player to be so honored since Joe Rudi in the opening week of 1977.
Baylor on the season has started all 87 games, leads the majors with 79 RBI, and his 22 home runs are two behind Fred Lynn for the American League lead. Baylor’s 66 runs also rank second in the American League, to teammate Carney Lansford, who had a four-hit game and a three-hit game last week.
Weekly summary
5-2 record
47 runs scored (6.71 per game)
19 runs allowed (2.71 per game)
.840 pythagorean record
Year-to-date summary
50-37 record
491 runs scored (5.64 per game)
394 runs allowed (4.53 per game)
.599 pythagorean record (52-35)
AL West standing: 2nd place, a half-game behind Texas
Game results
- Monday, July 2: Angels 8, A’s 3
- Tuesday, July 3: Angels 3, A’s 0
- Wednesday, July 4: Angels 17, A’s 6
- Thursday, July 5: A’s 3, Angels 0
- Friday, July 6: Angels 7, Orioles 3
- Saturday, July 7: Angels 10, Orioles 1
- Sunday, July 8: Orioles 3, Angels 2
Up next
The Angels finish off their “first half” with two more home series against the AL East, hosting the Red Sox and Yankees for three games each in Anaheim before the All-Star break.