ANAHEIM, CA - JUNE 01: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim slides safely past catcher Mike Napoli #25 of the Texas Rangers and scores a run in the sixth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 1, 2012 in Anaheim, California. The Angels defeated the Rangers 4-2. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
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The last time the Indians saw the Angels, they were reeling. This time, they're facing them as they're playing their best baseball.
Team in a Box (click to enlarge):
The Angels are still in the middle of the pack in many offensive categories, but that's because they started so poorly. They're hitting .310/.367/.501 as a team over the past 28 days, and averaging over 5.3 runs/game. And thanks to a very good bullpen and some starters having excellent years, they're leading the league in runs allowed/game.
Typical Lineup
| Pos. | Player | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS+ | PA | |
| CF | Mike Trout | .336 | .391 | .526 | 156 | 232 | |
| RF | Torii Hunter | .281 | .350 | .442 | 122 | 240 | |
| 1B | Albert Pujols | .269 | .330 | .458 | 119 | 336 | |
| DH | Kendrys Morales | .281 | .325 | .429 | 110 | 234 | |
| LF | Mark Trumbo | .313 | .363 | .614 | 169 | 281 | |
| 3B | Alberto Callaspo | .259 | .329 | .373 | 98 | 215 | |
| 2B | Howie Kendrick | .273 | .307 | .378 | 92 | 288 | |
| SS | Erick Aybar | .255 | .288 | .341 | 77 | 284 | |
| C | Bobby Wilson | .186 | .245 | .206 | 29 | 114 | |
The first thing you notice is Mike Trout, and that's for good reason; as a 20-year-old, he's leading the league in both batting average and stolen bases, not to mention ranking 8th in the league in OPS. A player this young hitting this well is a very rare occurence; you'd have to go back to Alex Rodriguez to find someone that accomplished at that early an age. Then of course there's Albert Pujols, who is hitting .341/.408/.602 in the month of June; in other words, like normal. There's also Mark Trumbo, who's leading the league in OPS+.
Just think if the Angels hadn't given away Mike Napoli.
Projected Starters
| Date | Pitcher | ERA | Innings | SO/9 | BB/9 | H/9 | |
| July 2 | Jared Weaver | 2.31 | 81.2 | 7.3 | 2.0 | 6.3 | |
| July 3 | Dan Haren | 4.53 | 99.1 | 7.7 | 2.1 | 10.2 | |
| July 4 | Ervin Santana | 5.12 | 102.0 | 6.4 | 3.4 | 8.3 | |
The Indians are very familiar with all three of these starters. Santana no-hit the Indians last year, and Weaver and Haren have been shutting down Tribe lineups for years. Now Santana and Haren are having down seasons, but Weaver has been almost unbeatable this season, only allowing three runs or more in a start twice. He spent the first three weeks of June on the DL, but he hasn't missed a beat since returning to the rotation, allowing 1 earned runs in 12.2 innings.
Key Relievers
| Throws | Pitcher | ERA | Innings | SO/9 | BB/9 | H/9 | |
| Right | Ernesto Frieri | 0.00 | 23.1 | 15.4 | 5.8 | 2.3 | |
| Right | Jordan Walden | 3.00 | 24.0 | 10.5 | 5.6 | 7.5 | |
| Right | Jason Isringhausen | 2.33 | 27.0 | 5.7 | 4.3 | 6.0 | |
The Angels' closer Ernesto Frieri hasn't allowed a run all season, though he's walked 15 in 23.1 innings. Jordan Walden, who started the year as closer, has settled in as a very good 8th inning pitcher. Isringhausen, who has quite a career in spite of the early arm injuries, is still effective at age 39 in late relief.
On the Shelf
- C Chris Iannetta (wrist) - 15-day DL
- RHP Michael Kohn (Tommy John surgery) - out for season
- OF Jeremy Moore (hip) - 60-day DL
- OF Vernon Wells (thumb) - 60-day DL
- RHP Jerome Williams (respiratory) - 15-day DL
Vernon Wells has been out for quite a while, and the Angels haven't missed him. They have missed Iannetta, though, as Bobby Wilson, who had been playing regularly in his absence, is hitting .186/.245/.206.
talonk's Almanac
| All-Time Record | 287-311 (.480) | ||
| Runs Scored/Allowed | 2560 | 2700 | |
| Pythagorean Win % | .476 | ||
| Best Record | 9-1 | 1999 | |
| Worst Record | 4-14 | 1967 | |
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