For the second consecutive season, DH Hideki Matsui is putting on a late surge to salvage his season.

In 2009, Matsui was batting .248 at the end of June with 10 home runs and 28 RBI in 68 games. From July 1 through the end of the regular season, he hit .296 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI in 74 games. Matsui stayed hot in the postseason, going 15-for-43 (.349) with four home runs and 13 RBI in the Yankees’ run to a World Series title. He was the World Series MVP.

This year’s surge took longer to arrive, but it might have been even more necessary to re-assert Matsui’s value as a veteran hitter. Heading into this weekend’s series against the A’s, Matsui is batting .328 (22-for-67) with 18 RBI in his past 21 games, including 14 RBI in his past 13 games to take over the Angels’…

The Angels have reached September 1st and GM Tony Reagins and Mike Scioscia have the option of expanding the roster calling upon players from the minor leagues to help boost the big league roster.

Who will be getting the call?

First off, expect the Angels to recall players on a minor league rehab stint and activate players from the disabled list. That means we’ll see the return of Jason Bulger and Brian Stokes as well as Maicer Izturis and eventually Joel Pineiro.

Second on the list will likely be players who have been up with the club already this year. Robb Quinlan, Matt Palmer, Kevin Frandsen and maybe Bobby Cassevah and Cory Aldridge.

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Eric Denton is the head writer and content editor for LA Angels Insider.com

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The Los Angeles Angels have added depth to their bullpen by activating right-handers Jason Bulger and Brian Stokes from the 15-day disabled list. The Angels made the moves Wednesday before closing out a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners. Bulger had been on the DL since June 12 with a right shoulder strain and missed 69 games.

The attorney for a man accused of killing Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others in a drunken driving crash cannot introduce evidence that the driver of Adenhart's car may also have been drinking, a judge ruled Wednesday. The evidence is irrelevant in the triple-murder trial of Andrew Gallo, 23, Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard Toohey said during a motions hearing.

Los Angeles Angels 3B Brandon Wood, who has been unable to show any consistency at the Major League level, will play for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League (AFL).

Along with Wood, five other Angels minor league prospects will be joining him at Mesa: pitchers Ryan Brasier, Robert Fish, Stephen Geltz and Eddie McKiernan and infielder Andrew Romine.

Wood, who was pegged as the Angels’ starting third baseman at the beginning of the season, largely failed to produce, prompting his demotion to Triple-A affiliate Salt Lake in late May.

In the 39 games played before his demotion, Wood hit a paltry .156, with 2 HR and 7 RBI. His overall lack of production prompted Angels’ GM Tony Reagins to acquire Alberto Callaspo from the Kansas City Royals on July 22.

At the time, Reagins insisted that the acquisition of Callaspo did not have a negative impact on Wood’s future with the Angels.

However, with a .165 batting average and just 3 HR and 12 RBI thus far on the season, it is clear that Angels’ management is growing impatient in terms of Wood’s development.

Wood was originally asked to play winter ball in Latin America in hopes of regaining his batting stroke and confidence. Wood instead opted for the AFL, which plays its games between Oct. 12 and Nov. 20. Wood is getting married in December, and chose to remain close to home.

You can follow Doug on Twitter, @desertdesperado.

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In a much publicized battle of the aces, Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Dan Haren matched Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez pitch for pitch. Neither backed down.

After the two aces hit the showers, Seattle capitalized, scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the Angels, 3-1.

For seven innings, Haren and Hernandez gave the crowd at Safeco Field an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel, tossing goose eggs until both tired after seven innings. Haren scattered seven hits and struck out eight, throwing 110 pitches, while Hernandez threw a gem of his own, giving up just three hits and striking out eight, throwing 103 pitches.

In the top of the eighth, the Angels scratched across a run. After Peter Bourjos struck out swinging, Alberto Callaspo doubled to left. Howie Kendrick then laced a double to left field, the ball bouncing into the stands for a ground-rule double, plating Callaspo with the game’s first run.

Bobby Abreu was then intentionally walked, putting runners on first and second. Torii Hunter ended the threat, grounding into a double play to end the inning.

Seattle answered in the bottom of the frame, and then some. Kevin Jepsen (2-4) replaced Haren on the mound. After Franklin Guitierrez struck out swinging, Russell Branyan walked. Matt Tuiasosopo pinch ran for Branyan, and was moved to third on a Jose Lopez single to center.

Casey Kotchman then walked, loading the bases for Michael Saunders. Saunders delivered with a single to center, scoring Tuiasosopo and evening the game at 1-1. Adam Moore followed with a broken bat single just over the reach of Howie Kendrick, scoring Lopez, and Josh Wilson followed suit, singling to center to score Kotchman.

Mariners closer David Aardsma came on to put down the Angels in the top of the ninth, earning his 26th save of the season.

Brandon League (9-6) got the win, despite giving up the first and only run to the Angels.

The Angels will look to take the rubber match of the three-game series on Wednesday night, sending Trevor Bell (1-4, 5.07 ERA) to the hill versus the Mariners’ Jason Vargas (9-7, 3.53 ERA).

You can contact Doug on Twitter, @desertdesperado.

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The baseball year of 2010 has been nothing but misfortune for the Halos. After losing their leadoff man Chone Figgins, their ace John Lackey, and their most dangerous hitter in years, Vladmir Guerrero, (and also Darren Oliver), the Angels wanted to show that they were still the team to beat in the AL West as they were the division winners the last 5 out of 6 years. However, Kendry Morales suffered a season-ending injury after hitting a walk-off grand slam to beat the Mariners, 5-1, Scott Kazmir has been inconsistent, and their hitting hasn’t really appeared much of late. However, I think that 2011 will be a different year, due to these five things.

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Now that the Los Angeles Angels have snapped a three-game losing streak at the hands of the Seattle Mariners last night, they’ll look to capture their first series win since mid-August tonight at Safeco Field.

Tonight’s pitching matchup: Angels, Dan Haren (2-4, 4.02 ERA) vs. Mariners Felix Hernandez (10-10, 2.47 ERA)

What to expect: Haren will be looking for his second straight victory as a member of the Angels. During last Wednesday’s victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, Haren gave up one run on three hits, striking out eight in six innings. This will be Haren’s first start against Seattle since 2007 while a member of the Oakland Athletics.

Hernandez, second in the American League with 192 strikeouts, has been a victim of poor run support throughout the season. King Felix has won three of his last four starts, but is 0-2 with 5.12 ERA in three starts vs. Los Angeles thus far this season.

Hitting matchups: Angels LF Bobby Abreu has had great success versus Hernandez in his career, hitting .367 with one homer. RF Torii Hunter has also had moderate success, hitting .314 off Hernandez in his career.

For the Mariners, very few hitters have seen much of Haren. RF Ichiro Suzuki is only hitting .268 versus Haren in his career, a full .063 below his career batting average. 2B/3B Chone Figgins has had little success against the Angels overall since leaving the team after eight seasons, hitting just .163 versus his former team.

Angels Notes: Angels’ catcher Mike Napoli was pulled back from waivers by the Angels yesterday afternoon. The Angels were unable to finalize a deal with the Boston Red Sox, who had claimed Napoli off the waiver wire, by the time Monday’s deadline for an agreement had passed. Napoli will now remain a Halo until the end of the season.

New Angels closer Fernando Rodney, elevated to the role after the trade of Brian Fuentes to the Minnesota Twins, picked up his first save since the promotion last night. It was far from a clean outing, as he walked the leadoff hitter, Casey Kotchman, and later allowed him to score on a wild pitch.

Angels DH/LF Hideki Matsui continued his torrid pace in the month of August, ripping a two-run homer off Mariners starter David Pauley in the sixth inning of last night’s victory. Matsui is now hitting .313 for the month of August, after a dismal July in which he hit just. .228.

Although minor league callups for September 1 have not been announced yet by the Angels, one would expect that Triple-A 1B Mark Trubmo would certainly get the call. The twenty-four year old Trumbo has been on a tear for the Salt Lake Bees since the All-Star break, hitting .362 with 13 HR’s and 43 RBI’s. Trumbo has shown much more plate discipline as well, with a respectable 27/45 walk-to-strikeout ratio, a dramatic improvement over his 28/73 pre All-Star numbers.

You can follow Doug on Twitter, @desertdesperado.

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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli has 21 homers this season, but the team put him…

For Angels fans, the 2010 season has been horrible. Outside of a brief winning streak in June that must have been the result of catching a good tailwind, the team has, in a word, stunk.

Manager Mike Scioscia kept up appearances for as long as he could, until even he started saying the team was under performing on a consistent basis. For the understated Scioscia this is the equivalent of screaming “this team sucks!”

The loss of Chone Figgins and Vladimir Guerrero has been well documented, and in truth, much worse than anyone imagined, myself included. I was tired of Guerrero and his wild swings, and thought that Brandon Wood was ready to take over at third

Whoops, and whoops.

But the real fault lies with general manager Tony Reagins (we’ll leave loveable Mickey Hatcher out of it for the moment, even though he is the hitting coach on a team that can’t hit.)

In my opinion, this team was done the day Reagins made the ridiculous trade for Dan Haren.

Go ahead, scream and object all you want. Haren is great, you say, he’ll be good for years to come, blah blah blah.

Maybe so, but it was a white flag on this season.

It has been obvious for quite some time (try opening day’s line-up) that this team was in dire need of a hitter. Trading Joe Saunders and a bunch of prospects for Haren is a sideways move.

Haren is good, but how much better is he than our own Joe? Not much, if any. 

Look at their records the last few years. Saunders has been one of the Angels’ most reliable starters. Yes, this year hasn’t been great for Saunders, but nor has it been for Haren. On top of it, the Angels threw in some good prospects.

Hey, how does that make our hitting better?

It doesn’t.

The deal reminds me of the stinker that sent standout second baseman Rodriguez, among others, to the Tampa Bay Rays for an over-the-hill stiff named Scott Kazmir. Anyone check out his era lately? It was bad enough that he blew up in last year’s postseason, but he’s carried over his stinkerness into this season as well.

Tampa Bay manager Joe Madden is no dummy. He knew how good Rodriguez could be, and he would NEVER have traded Kazmir if he thought the guy was still a big-time winner. Teams DO NOT trade front line starters in their 20’s unless there’s something wrong with them.

Reagins should have emptied the minor league house for a proven hitter. And not another slash and run type player that he and Scioscia love. The Angels have enough of the same type of player to look like a cloning factory.

The Angels need a slugger. The Angels needed a slugger the entire off season. Yes, losing Kendry Morales was a killer, but even with him they’d be struggling. If you don’t think so, look at their collective averages.

We know 2010 is finished. The team can’t even beat the Baltimore Orioles. They’re not going to beat Texas. The Angels will finish at least 15 games out this year.

The question is, are they finished already for 2011 as well? I ask this because the make-up of this present team is seriously lacking in punch. If they sign someone like Carl Crawford, and get Morales back healthy, they’ll change their look. But they need help in all areas. And would someone finally say what a mistake it was to get rid of the Molina brothers for Mike “whiff whiff” Napoli and Jeff “livin’ under the Mendoza line” Mathis?

Scioscia and Reagins have to re-look the make-up of this team, and decide how they’re going to compete in the coming seasons, not only against the AL West, but against the powerhouses of the East.

And the present team just doesn’t match up.

I will say this, though – as bad as this year has been, there is one silver lining to the whole thing.

The LA Dodgers stink as well.

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