Angels are good, but are they good enough?
ANGELS
They have a six-game lead and are tied for the best record in baseball, but there is still concern about the postseason.
Their 57-38 record at the All-Star break is impressive, as is their six-game lead over Oakland in the American League West, the largest cushion of any first-place team in baseball.
Yet, there is a sense among the Angels -- and a growing segment of their fan base that will no longer be satisfied with a mere division title -- that this team has underachieved.
"We have the best record in the league and [are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the best] record in baseball," center fielder Torii Hunter said, "and our offense has barely scratched the surface of what it's capable of."
The Angels began to stir in July, batting .272 and averaging 5.7 runs a game after hitting .252 and averaging 3.8 runs a game in June. They've hit 15 home runs in 12 games this month after hitting 20 home runs in 26 games in June.
But the big picture remains murky: The Angels rank 11th in the league in average (.257) and runs (409), ninth in home runs (83) and last in doubles (145). They're 13th in walks (270), 12th in on-base percentage (.318) and 10th in slugging percentage (.388).
The pitching has been superb. Angels starters rank second in the AL with a 3.75 earned-run average, and their rotation of John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Jon Garland and Jered Weaver might be the deepest in baseball.
Francisco Rodriguez set a major league record with 38 saves before the All-Star break, and setup men Scot Shields (4-2, 3.11 ERA) and Jose Arredondo (3-0, 1.12 ERA) have been key factors in the Angels' 36-18 record in games decided by two runs or less.
But the big question entering the second half of 2008 remains the same as it did in 2007: Do the Angels have enough offense to beat the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox in a playoff series?
What a coincidence: Manny Ramirez & Co. will be in Anaheim on Friday night to resume second-half play with a three-game series against the Angels.
"We still think there are areas we can improve in, and offensive continuity is one of them," General Manager Tony Reagins said. "We think we have the pieces in place to perform at a higher level. We believe this team is going to perform better in the second half."
The Angels don't need career years from their hitters. But they need more than they're getting from Vladimir Guerrero (.286, 15 homers, 50 runs batted in), Garret Anderson (.263, eight homers, 44 RBIs), Hunter (.269, 12 homers, 43 RBIs) and Gary Matthews Jr. (.235, seven homers, 34 RBIs).
