Walk (Off) This Way

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have successfully completed another homestand, winning four out of the six games played at The Big A. They took 2 of 3 from the Detriot Tigers, and also won 2 of 3 against the Toronto Blue Jays. So what’s so special about that? All four wins were walk-off wins.

Though the Angels have had a very tough time scoring runs, they’ve still managed to find ways to win games, not to mention their fifth straight series. All four wins were hard fought, well played, and in three of the four cases, extremely well pitched.  While the Angels haven’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard of late, they have quietly strung together wins, and are now owners of the third best record in the American League, at 34-24.  And they’ve done all of this while not scoring more than 4 runs in a game in 2 weeks.

Fans, as well as management, have been frustrated by the lack of offense recently, but nobody seems to be fretting just yet. Manager Mike Scioscia has remained calm and steadfast throughout the recent offensive struggles, though he did finally shake up the lineup in Saturday night’s game against the Blue Jays. So what do we learn from all of this? Well, I see two things.

First off, doubting Mike Scioscia usually ends in the embarassment of the doubter. While fans, like myself, are screaming for trades, cuts and shake-ups, Scioscia remains calm, trusting in his experience and his players. Most of the time, as we’ve seen recently, the manager knows best. To the chagrin of “expert”, wanna-be managers everywhere, Scioscia’s steadfast approach always seems to win out.

Secondly, never doubt the Angels’ ability to pull out wins. In 3 of the 4 games that resulted in wins, I was ready to write scathing articles about the lack of offense, the stupidity of management and the hopelessness of the team. By the fourth game, I had learned my lesson. The Angels know how to win games. Period. That’s the bottom line. No matter how bad things look, or how long games will go, the Angels always seem to find a way to win, despite their obvious imperfections. They are among the best in the league at snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

This past week has produced some of the most exciting games of the season, as well as some of the most frustrating. Even if the Angels’ offense continues to be somewhat dormant (and possibly inept), know this – the Angels have been a hot team of late, and they will continue to win games. The best idea is to sit back, relax and enjoy the roller coaster ride to October.