2008 World Series

4-0

It was the first trip to the World Series for the Angels, but bittersweet as the organization was in the midst of personal upheaval. It would matter for naught, as the Mets rolled in and had no problem behind stellar pitching performances from their starting rotation, to masterfully dispense of the Angels in four straight.

For Manager Bell, this is his second consecutive World Series title, and second consecutive regular season League Championship. For LACALIANA their first brief experience got them one step closer to that elusive trophy.

Game 1 was a quiet battle, though Maholm to his credit once again as he did in the regular season, pitched well enough against Cliff Lee to keep his team in it, but the bats would not be here and a 3-1 Mets win was the result. A four-run 7th helped propel New York to a 6-1 win over Halladay in Game 2, then in Game 3 a 12 inning grudge match that was to make or break the series. Scrapping two runs in the top of the 7th to tie it, the Mets then took the lead with two more in the top of 12. Bottom of the order and bench depleted, the Angels could not turn this one around. Game 4 for the Angels saw them end the season the same way they started it (ironically versus these Mets) - by being shut out. 6-0 the final score for New York.

For the Mets review of their World Series triumph - go here.

2008 Pennant

4-3

After losing the first two games by similar 5-4 scores, including late inning heroics by the Cardinals (Game 1: despite 3 in the 8th and the tying run in the 9th by the Angels, walk-off with a run in the bottom of the 10th - in Game 2: down 4-1 early, the tie it in the 5th with back-to-back homeruns off the bats of McCann and Manny, and win it with a 8th inning HR from Curtis Granderson) the Angels looked to be in dire straights. Back on the West coast, and already down 3 runs after the visiting half of the 1st (something St. Louis did three games in a row), LACALIANA would scrape enough to work even 4-4, before a Jermaine Dye swan-song winning homerun to lead off the bottom of the 12th inning. However the Cards would demolish the Angels 11-3 in Game 4 and take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Or so everyone (including the Angels) thought. With Halladay pitching shutout baseball (4-0 final score with two late insurance runs) - the real story became the sheer number of stranded base runners the Cardinals gave away to double plays. Game 6 with Sheets versus Dempster and two 4th inning runs for the Angels held up as Sheets pitched the best game (finally) of his short Angel career, and the club certainly needed it - winning 2-0, and forcing a Game 7 with Ervin Santana on the mound (13.2 innings, 0 runs in Games 1 and 4) versus Kyle Lohse (5 runs allowed in 4 innings, but a stalwart among Angel starters this season). This time the visiting Angels jumped out in front with 3 runs in the 1st, 2 more in the 2nd and by then Lohse was in a groove, pitching 8 innings of 1 run ball (that came in the 1st) and the final score was 7-1, sending the Angels the their first ever World Series championship series!

3rd Place Regular Season Playoff

1-0

Despite losing the first four games to Pete in Week 15's final series, including 3 games in which we were either tied or had the lead after 6 innings, the Angels forged a playoff tie with the Braves and locked horns in a deadly battle for a shot at the Pennant (and 3rd Place). And with Maholm versus Lowe (who was pulled in the 4th for a pinch hitter) we knew we were in for some drama. The Angels' 3rd inning only saw five players at the dish; however, a lead-off double, passed ball, fielder's choice which erases the runner at the plate, another passed ball (these could have wild pitches, it was a while ago), followed an infield error, and a sac fly with runners on the corners (which would have never happened had we not got that 2nd of three possible passed ball / wild pitch combos) - and the score after three innings = 1-0. Three innings of Carlos Marmol somehow go unnoticed and only four more Angels reach base this game (only nine in total) and the final score to send them to the Pennant for the second time in three seasons, 1-0 Angels.