Good news, Angels fans, I’m picking the Halos to eliminate the Yankees in five games.
Bad news, Angels fans, I’m picking the Halos to eliminate the Yankees in five games.
In case you forgot, I correctly forecast a Division Series sweep in Angels-Red Sox. OK, so technically I had the Red Sox doing the sweeping. Details.
Today, having seen the light — and the Yankees’ potential pitching plans — I’m going with the Angels.
Sorry, but at least I warned you.
See, told you Angels-Red Sox would be a sweep. I just had the wrong team doing the sweeping, that’s all.
Congrats to the Halos and all you fans out there. That triumph was all deserved.
Up next…the Yankees? Uh, oh, I smell another sweep. Or is that the odor of my last prediction?
ANAHEIM - So I write that the Angels aren’t going to make the playoff this season and what happens on Opening Day?
Sure enough, the sky falls on them…or at least on a few of their fans.
And by sky, I mean a brick-size, brick-hard part of Angel Stadium. Just think, in recent seasons, it has taken until October for things around here to start to crumble.
Thankfully, no one was hurt, and the Angels apparently responded quickly and appropriately, moving a group of fans from the immediate area to a suite within a sunflower-seed spit of the plate. Yeah, they got closer to home than the A’s did all night.
So remember, you read it here first, this season of disaster off to a strangely symbolic start. I wrote my column attempting to move the Angels to act. Instead, it was their stadium that cast the first rebuttal.
Pucker up, Bruce
Much like an Erick Aybar suicide squeeze attempt, the Angels will fail pathetically this season.
Don’t believe me? Well, here’s an entire column that spells it out for you. You’re gonna be disappointed, Angels fans.
And how disappointed will Mike Scioscia be when he realizes I’m a better motivator than he is? That’s something he and I can discuss while rubbing the champagne from our eyes.
Gary Matthews Jr. needed a day to compose himself and not say anything stupid. And now he’s back with the Angels, and still their fifth outfielder.
Great, Gary. Smart move. Now stay smart by staying quiet or he could join baseball’s 
growing list of malcontents.
The Angels need this guy being a distraction as much as they need another starting pitcher coming down with a sore something or other.
Since joining the Angels, Matthews has brought the spector of HGH into the team’s clubhouse, refused to fully explain his connection to performance-enhancing drugs and failed to produce at a level consistent with his $50-million deal. Oh, yeah, he also has been hurt.
It isn’t Matthews’ fault that former GM Bill Stoneman gave him that contract. And we’d rather have a player upset about not being used than a guy happy to sit every day.
But, at this point, Matthews needs to hush, play baseball and recognize the blessings this team has given him.
He had his say Monday. Everyone understands his position. Now, he should take his position on the bench and be ready when his team does need him.
GLENDALE, Ariz. - Dustin Moseley’s push for a spot in the Angels’ rotation stepped forward again Wednesday with five shutout innings against the White Sox.
“He was great,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “He was ahead of hitters and agressive. His stuff was fantastic.”
Moseley, who likely will open the season as the Angels’ No. 4 starter, struck out four and gave up only four hits.
The Angels won 4-1, with Chone Figgins and Gary Matthews Jr. both homering.
TEMPE, Ariz. - Gary Matthews Jr. is in the lineup again today, hitting third and starting in right field.
This means his left knee is fine and his mind is fine, too, at least until Vladimir Guerrero starts playing (will be Friday) and the Angels from the World Baseball Classic (will be soon, too).
That’s when the playing time crunch will start and Matthews’ patience will be tested. He is projected to be the fifth man this season in a four-man OF/DH rotation. Could get interesting.
The lineup for today against the White Sox:
Chone Figgins 3B
Howie Kendrick 2B
Gary Matthews Jr. RF
Torii Hunter CF
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera LF
Mike Napoli DH
Bobby Wilson C
Erick Aybar SS
Dustin Moseley SP
PEORIA, Ariz. - The Angels just beat the Padres, 12-7, Tuesday but new closer Brian Fuentes struggled again.
The lefthander gave up five runs in retiring only two of seven hitters.
“He’s just working on spring training things,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “He has a little work ahead of him. He’ll be ready for the start of the season.”
Fuentes has had two scoreless appearances and two very much scored-upon appearances, giving up eight runs in 1 2/3 innings in those games. He also has missed some time because of tightness in his back.
PEORIA, Ariz. - In the sixth inning against the Padres, the Angels brought in a reliever wearing No. 14. The man who summoned him from the bullpen also was wearing No. 14.
The latter was, of course, Mike Scioscia. The former was a pitcher named Jeremy Thorne, a 42nd-round draft pick last year.
Much like Scioscia, Thorne’s impact on the game was immediate…he helped the Padres put together a six-run inning. Then again, based on those results, maybe it was Scioscia who stayed on the mound and Thorne who returned to the dugout.
