In a ballgame full of bursts, the Angels struck first by scoring four times in the bottom of the first inning. The Yankees then put six runs on the board in the top of the seventh inning, however the Angels responded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero and Kendry Morales each had two RBIs for the Angels. The Yankees best bat of the night belonged to Mark Teixeira, who was 2-for-5 with a run and three RBIs.

The ALCS returns to New York for Game 6 on Saturday with the Yankees leading the series 3-2. The Yankees will send Andy Pettitte to the mound, while the Angels will try to force a Game 7 with Joe Saunders on the hill.

Torii Hunter and the Angels stay alive (Image: Zuma Press)

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On the mound, John Lackey was dominant for Los Angeles. In 7.1 scoreless innings, he allowed four hits and one walk while striking out four batters. Darren Oliver pitched the final 1.2 innings and didn’t allow a baserunner.

For the Red Sox, it wasn’t the way the team wanted to start their 2009 postseason. They had only four hits while racking up three errors. David Ortiz, he of playoff heroics in the past, struck out three times in four at-bats.

In Game 2, the Angels could take a commanding lead in the series. However, the Red Sox should have a good chance to pull out the win due to Josh Beckett being on the mound. The Angeles will counter with Jered Weaver in Friday’s Game 2.

Torii Hunter - Los Angeles Angels (Image: Zuma Press)

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Thanks to Hunter’s blasts, the Angeles were able to topple the San Diego Padres by a final count of 9-1. With the win in interleague play, the Angels were able to improve to 31-29. The Padres (28-33) have now lost seven of their last ten outings.

On the mound, Joe Saunders was very good for the Angels. He pitched 8.1 innings and scattered eight hits and one walk while giving up one earned run and striking out five. The win improved his record to 7-4 and his ERA was lowered to 3.66.

Kendry Morales and Jeff Mathis also hit homers for L.A. The two teams play the final game of their series on Sunday afternoon.

Torii Hunter - Los Angeles Angels (Image: Zuma Press)

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Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Philles
The World Series champions added Ibanez over the offseason to get another big bat in their lineup. So far, he’s been a great addition. He already has 20 runs, 19 RBIs and seven homers.

Nick Markakis, Baltimore Orioles
Markakis has been one of the hottest prospects in baseball for years and he is showing why this season. He’s hitting .379 with 25 runs, 24 RBIs and three homers. With solid bats around him in Baltimore, he should continue to produce.

Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
Markakis’ Orioles teammate is having a very good season. He was a sleeper heading into the season and he’s showing his potential. He has a .432 on-base percentage to go with 26 runs, 18 RBI, four homers and two stolen bases.

Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels
Last season’s big free agent signing, Hunter has helped keep the Angels together this season. He’s stepped into a leadership position on and off the field. Hunter has 20 runs, eight RBI and 16 runs.

Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs
Although his .272 batting average isn’t spectacular, he has 22 runs, 14 RBI, seven homers and four stolen bases. As always, the sky is the limit for Soriano.

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Pitcher – Mike Mussina, New York Yankees – 8th Gold Glove
Catcher – Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins – 1st Gold Glove
First Baseman – Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays – 1st Gold Glove
Second Baseman – Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox – 1st Gold Glove
Shortstop – Michael Young, Texas Rangers – 1st Gold Glove
Third Baseman – Adrian Beltre, Seattle Mariners – 2nd Gold Glove
Outfielder – Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners – 8th Gold Glove
Outfielder – Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels – 8th Gold Glove
Outfielder – Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians – 2nd Gold Glove

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You can watch the video of Francisco Rodriguez getting his save in style with a strikeout against the Seattle Mariners. After the strikeout, Rodriguez celebrated by pointing to the heavens.

On the season, Rodriguez AKA K-Rod has been very good. To go along with his 58 saves, Rodriguez has a 2.38 ERA to go along with 58 strikeouts in less than 65 innings. On the season, he has only blown six saves.

The Angels were the first team to clinch a spot in the 2008 baseball postseason. The Torii Hunter video shoes just exactly how the Angels like to celebrate.

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Part of what makes the Angels so dangerous is they are a loose bunch of characters. Oh and being able to hit a baseball really, really hard also doesn’t hurt.

Here is Torri Hunter doing his best Michael Phelps impersonation:

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I hope that everyone had a wonderful turkey day, filled with food and naps.
There was one team that wasn’t napping – the LA Angels. They’ve gone and signed Torii Hunter to a 5 year $90 Million contract. What does this do to the Angels? Well it improves their outfield defense, but at the same time there outfield is now a bit crowded. Look for Gary Mathews Jr (their CFer last year) to move to a corner spot so Hunter can take his customary spot in the middle of the outfield. That leaves Vlad and Garrett Anderson to share time at the other corner and at the DH spot.

Maybe I’m a bit jaded but is Hunter really worth the 90MM? I mean he’s good don’t get me wrong, but I’m thinking he’s a bit over valued and a bit over priced. But we’ve seen this trend when it comes to the free agent market lately and this contract could set the tone for a guy like Andruw Jones who still hasn’t found a team to play for yet and who won’t sign just a one year deal.

I just don’t think this is the answer the Angels were looking for when it comes to “impact” bat. Sure he’s shored up your outfield defense, but I honestly feel they’re still missing something when it comes to a bat. Then again it’s a long off season…

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