We start our series against the Red Sox Wednesday. They are the defending champs. Tough lineup top to bottom and they are patient hitters. Of course their pitching is solid. They play particularly well at home with tremendous fan support. I'm not sad to see Manny go but the Sox haven't missed a beat without him so we have the same approach as always. They are too good. I want to go out there and get our guys going by pitching my game. All of our guys will be pushing themselves for me so I have to go out there and push myself. We have to play the same game that got us 100 wins this year. Situational hitting, taking the extra base, moving guys over. Our starting pitching sets the tone and then the bullpen does their thing to close it out. That seems to be the Angel formula. I will approach this game just like any other. If you start to change a routine, that when you get in trouble. I will watch a little extra tape, look at some of the newer guys on their team to refresh myself but I have a pretty good idea of how I want to attack their hitters. I just have to execute and the rest will be fine.

No secret, but we clinched the division against the Yankees the other day. I read in the paper that is was the earliest any AL West team had clinched. We're definitely not used to getting it done this early. We have usually clinched the last week of the season so it was sweet to get it done early now guys can get healed up and we can be full strength when its go time. It was a pretty sweet celebration, especially to see guys like Torii and Teixeira so excited. They are part of our family now and it was nice to lock down a divisional title with them. Now that we knocked off one goal we are shooting for the best record in baseball now and of course one more save for Frankie to break the record. But most important is locking down home field throughout the playoffs. Gotta keep it rollin' and how about Nap coming up with the big jack last night.

Fantasy draft tonight at Scot Shields house. He has a place just outside Detroit and with the day off we're going to get our teams together. We have a very competitive league so I've been doing my homework and thought I'd share a little. I've got some sleepers, but I'm going to keep them as sleepers until we draft. Don't need sneaks like Scot Shields or Mike Napoli seeing this and picking one of my guys in the draft. A couple thoughts - Peterson or Brady with the second pick? Our league is more of a passing league so I would go Brady. However, running backs are at a premium and Peterson is a stud. Got awfully tired of the Favre stuff, way overblown, but he 's Brett Favre and he can still sling it. You have to be able to live with the interceptions though. Hope not too many points deducted in your league for those. He could easily have 4 Tds one game and 4 picks the next. Top rookie - I think Darren McFadden is going to be strong. He is a beast and I like him busting on the scene this year. Unproven QBs like Tavaris Jackson make me hesitant to take their wideouts because you just never know what you are going to get. Look at Randy Moss and Oakland and in New England? Difference there is the QB play mostly. The 49ers have some shaky QB play, but I still think Vernon Davis is valuable because of his red zone chances. If he were a wide receiver, it would be different. It might even be better for him because the QB can use him as a safety valve with short passes and quick hits. That's it, I hope the fellas did their homework cuz I am coming out strong this year. Real strong.

Start a new series tonight against Texas. I meant to drop a blog on you yesterday but got caught up with my day after workout. I pitched pretty well the other night against the A's got the complete game. I was asked if complete games are important to starting pitchers, to me it's important in one regard - it gives the bullpen a night off. As many times as those guys save me, it's nice to return the favor and give them a needed rest. Especially this late in the season. I knew going in that I had my stuff. I had my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and Red Bulls, got focused and went to the bullpen to warm up. That's where you usually get a feel for how the night is going to go. I felt strong out there warming up. When I got out there I liked my control, I was able to put the ball in the spots I was looking for. The curve was working too. I did leave a pitch out over to Cust and he jacked it, that's the one thing that sticks out to me. These division games are important. We lost the A's series, we need to get one back against the Rangers.

Gotta hand it to our offense, we've been scoring some runs. We were coming on offensively before the deal but getting Tex puts us over the top. The thing that amazes me is that he is such a patient hitter. He really waits for his pitch to drive. He has been fun to watch and I think guys have fed off of the energy he has brought. Having Tex hitting in front of Vlad is flat out scary. Not sure how I would even approach it. It's almost like pick your poison, after those two guys you have Torii Hunter. Wow. Our 3-4-5 is right up there as one of the best in the bigs.

Dropping into the Yard to weigh in on two of the big trades this week - Manny to Dodgers and Tex to the Halos. No real way to replace Manny, he's one of the best hitters in the game. I'm definitely glad he's out of the AL, the guy owned me. Glad to see him go, will not miss facing him. I could be throwing my best stuff and he will square up on it. The guy is amazing. I guess it was time for them to part ways. Jason Bay is solid but there really isn't a way to replace Manny.



It's awesome getting Big Tex. He can swing it for sure. Got to face him several times when he was with the Rangers and was amazed at his talent. Getting a hitter the caliber of Mark is a perfect fit into this lineup. Can't wait to see the damage he will do the next couple of months. We all know what type of player this guy is so we were all ecstatic when we heard the news. At the same time, tough to see Kotch go. He was rock solid over at first base and is going to be a good player for a long time, but as you all know you have to give up something good to get that in return. I like the move. Tex is an impact player. The long ball can change the game in a heartbeat and that's what he is capable of. He drives in runs like crazy too. Impact player for sure. Thrilled to have him. With the bats and the pitching it doesn't seem like we have any weaknesses. We just need to stay healthy, focused and consistent.

Sending this one in from Boston. Nice to get a win at Fenway tonight. Made a run at a no-hitter but really just wanted to win the game. The no-hitter would have been nice, but whatever, we're about winning games. It's probably a good thing I gave up a hit on a curveball which is probably my best pitch. If I'm going to lose it I want it to be on my best pitch. I can sleep on that. One of the keys tonight was that I was throwing strikes a lot early. I was really challenging guys. My fastball was locating pretty well all night and I kind of mixed in my breaking stuff later on in the game. The first pitch strikes were definitely significant. I was challenging guys with my fastball early on and pretty much throughout the game. I was lucky enough. Some guys hit balls at people and things just kind of kept rolling for me. I was asked how this compared to the one hitter I had against Oakland and I would say I had better stuff that night. I definitely had a better breaking ball that night, had a lot more strikeouts so I guess my stuff in that one was more dominating, you'd say. Happy we got the win tonight.

I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't a little disappointed that I got hurt early in the season. If I had stayed healthy who knows maybe I'd be at the All Star Game with my teammates. There is no doubt that New York is a special environment. Every living Hall of Famer is there so there is no doubt the atmosphere is sweet. It is going to be a great experience. I told our guys, especially Joe and Ervin to just take it all in, get to all the parties and have fun. It's their first time and I'm sure they're enjoying it. I had a great time last year. San Francisco did a great job. It was funny because Frankie and I got booed when they introduced us because of the World Series stuff.

There is a lot more to the All Star game than you think, especially when it is your first time. They had this entire room filled with stuff for all of us to sign for sponsors, for other players, for charity - it took two days to get through it all. They have you doing something all the time so there really isn't much time for yourself. They definitely keep you busy. The homerun derby was cool, but the best part is meeting guys from the other teams. You compete against these guys but you don't really know what they're like off the field. When I got there Manny came across the clubhouse and gave me a big hug like we'd been friends for ever. It really caught me off guard, but he was a cool guy. Getting to know all those guys was great.

It seems like ever since I've been in the big leagues that the Angels and A's have been in 1st or 2nd in the division so there's definitely a little rivalry going on here. It's not like some of those football rivalries, like Texas-Oklahoma or USC-UCLA, but they are definitely a team we look at and always want to play well against because they're always in the race. For a few years there when they had guys like Tejada and Chavez and drums in the outfield it felt like a Friday night football game to me. But it's died down a little since then. There's definitely more red in the stands these days. The Halo fans are everywhere.

As an opponent you do have to give the A's front office some credit. They have made deals that have been unpopular with fans but a lot of those deals have really worked out for them. They have brought in some young players that have been really productive. Someone asked me how the Rich Harden trade was going to impact the division. I don't know how big an impact it will have on them because he hasn't pitched much anyway. Everyone in the league thinks he's one of the best when he's healthy, but he hasn't been healthy. But if the trade works the way these other trades have worked for them then the A's will be in the race until the end. That's why we always want to play well against them. They got the first one. Hopefully we'll get the next two.

Wanted to wait to post this when I got some photos and finally did. One of our guys took a couple nice shots I'd thought I'd share. One of the days we were in DC, a few of us players (Reggie Willits, Justin Speier, Robb Quinlan) and staff got a tour of the White House, mostly the East Wing and some of the West Wing. I really had to pinch myself because it was surreal. I guess since 9/11 they don't do public tours so I definitely felt privileged to be there. We got a chance to see the Oval Office and the Rose Garden during our visit back in 2003 after we won the World Series but this time we spent about two hours there. Our tour guide was a former sniper with the secret service. This guy was great, knew all the ins and outs to the White House and gave us some great insight. He took us down to the basement where there is a bowling alley. I got to roll a ball and left three pins standing. You know I would have picked up the spare but we each threw just one. Parts of the White House were closed because the President was visiting with the Prime Minister from Vietnam. We saw all the formal rooms which were very regal looking, the red room, the blue room and the green room. We also saw the Oval Office and some of the other rooms in the White House. The whole time I kept thinking about how many famous people had stepped foot in this building and how many important and private discussions regarding our country took place. I had a sense of pride walking through there as an American citizen. It truly was an experience of a lifetime. Thanks for reading the blog y'all. Got the Rangers tonight.

What's happenin' Yard?

Walked into the clubhouse today and the PR guys told me that I was named Pitcher of the Month. Pretty cool news to get when you first roll in. Then the rest of the guys congratulated me. Honestly, it means a lot because it shows we are winning as a team. For me to go 5-0 in a month, we must be playing pretty well. I know we haven't been scoring as many runs as we'd like, but we are still winning with our pitching.

One major contributor to the success is that I have command of my pitches. I have been spotting the ball well in critical pitch counts and that usually leads to success. Getting ahead early in the strike zone and not allowing walks has been key as well. The guys behind the plate have been key too. Mathis or Nap, both of those guys are a great asset for this team. I did receive the same award in July of 2006 but I think this five-game win streak matches a career-high. There have been some stretches that were similar. This one is special because I just came back from the DL and I was chomping at the bit to help out the team while I was out. It feels great to come out and contribute.

How big has Joe Saunders been? 11 wins, tops in the Majors. I remember last year when he was sent down and I told him he'd be back soon and he'd be back for good. Well, he's here and he's been huge. He has more experience under his belt and has really settled into his role. He was up and down from the minors in the past because of our pitching depth, not for a lack of talent by any means. With Escobar and myself our early this year, he knew he could relax and go out every fifth day and do his job. He has learned how to be a professional and he's got ice water in his veins, never gets rattled. He prepares well for each start and his command has been spot on. He watches video, studies hitters and asks a lot of questions. Mostly, he has learned what is takes to be successful at this level. He keeps us in every game and has figured out how to be efficient with his pitches to last deeper into the game. He's been amazing and so has Santana. They have both stepped up big time. It's no secret that pitching has been the foundation for the Angels' success. In order for this team to get where we want, the pitching has to be up to par. Guys definitely feed off each other when there is success. Its been cool to see these guys match each other start after start. Santana goes again tonight - let's keep it rollin'

First of all, this ballpark is awesome...I enjoyed coming into the ballpark on the team bus today and seeing the monuments on our way in and then getting to the beautiful new Nationals Ballpark. The clubhouse here has all the bells and whistles from flat screens all over to a full kitchen. It is top of the line for sure. I also like the ballpark because it is pitcher-friendly and plays to the pitcher's advantage. About tonight's game, I almost ruined it for us with the dumb throw I made to allow the go-ahead run to score in the 7th inning. But you know what, just like always, our guys got my back and made up for it by responding with two runs in the 8th. These guys picked me up big time tonight. We don't care how we win, just as long as we get it done. We just need to keep these thing going and stay healthy and the Halos will be where we should when it's all said and done. Looking forward to my next start which will come against the Dodgers on Sunday in LA. Thanks for visiting "The Yard" and I will talk at you guys soon.

Happy Father's day to everyone in the Yard.

Cool thing for me is that my dad's out here staying with me right now so I got to see him today and wish him a happy fathers day in person. He's had such an impact on my life, in baseball and beyond. He was my baseball coach growing up in Abilene so I learned right away how to play the game from him. Most of what I know in this game, I learned from him. I just fined tuned a lot of things when I became a professional. He always challenged me, made me realize the cerebral side of the game. He wanted me to play other sports as well to learn about competition in other aspects of athletics. He always emphasized competition. He also showed me what it means to work hard and work towards a goal. He inspired me when I was young and it has stayed with me today. I'm grateful for that. He was and is an intense dude. I think I get my intensity from him. He was never afraid to get on me or my teammates if we messed up. He was always trying to make us better and I respect that. Most of all he taught me how to be a man and go about my business as a professional. How to be a good teammate and a friend to others. We talk about once a start or once a week. Really don't get into detail about baseball or pitching, he is there for encouragement.

Hope you all enjoyed your father's day today

In the Yard with an Angel update.

Our offense did a great job today and helped us finish the series against Tampa with a W. Kazmir has been hot and he threw a great game today. To get four runs off a guy pitching that well is a pretty good job and we needed all of them today. Izzy came up with the big hit in the 8th to get us in front. He's been on fire and his hit today was exactly what we needed. He really goes about his business like a pro. Never complains about a thing and no matter where he is in the lineup or what position he plays, he shows up each day. He is a key component to our club.

When you're going against a guy who's as hot as Kazmir has been and going as good as he's been you definitely don't want to give in to those guys. They got a run early and there were some spots I could have given in and thrown a fastball, but threw breaking balls instead just because one run may be the difference. I think the way I pitch, velocity doesn't mean a whole lot. I've learned to move the ball both ways these days and throw breaking pitches for strikes, so it doesn't mean as much as it would for some guys. I've been going pretty good. I've been keeping us in games and we've been able to win some of them. It's too early to get too excited, just got to keep it going.