For three games, the Angels wanted nothing more than to beat the Texas Rangers. Now they're rooting for the Rangers with every last ounce of hope.
It's their only chance, and a slim one at that.
They're not quite finished, but they're close to it. Their season has come down to this: Sweep the Seattle Mariners this week and hope the Rangers can sweep the Oakland A's. If those two occurrences happen -- certainly not an impossibility -- the Angels and A's would tie for the second American League wild-card spot.
That would result in a one-game tiebreaker for the right to play either the Yankees or Orioles in a one-game wild card playoff. There's a confusing element to all this, but the bottom line is that one loss -- or one A's victory -- ends the Angels' season.
They could have avoided all this, but it doesn't really matter anymore. After a stirring come-from-behind win in the opener of a double-header in Texas, the Angels blew a 4-0 first inning lead in the second game.
Pitcher Ervin Santana couldn't protect the four-run advantage, giving up one home run to David Murphy and two to Mike Napoli, the former Angel who has made it a point to torment the team that traded him to Toronto for Vernon Wells in January 2010 – a trade they must surely regret.
Napoli, who is batting .442 against the Angels this season and .197 against everyone else, had six RBIs in the second game and put Texas ahead for good in the third inning with his second homer.
"He's really been hitting us," manager Mike Scioscia said in an understatement. "He has power and he showed it tonight."
The Angels created a tidal wave of momentum in Sunday's first game, but it wasn't enough to carry over. The big hit was a two-run double by Torii Hunter that followed a one-out single by Maicer Izturis and a walk to Chris Iannetta, who came back from an 0-and-2 count against Rangers closer Joe Nathan.
Hunter has been nothing short of incredible over the past few months, essentially willing the Angels to stay in the race. He drove in the winning run Wednesday night in the ninth to beat the Mariners, then delivered Sunday's decisive hit.
Hunter had seven hits and three RBIs in the doubleheader, and a rejuvenated Mark Trumbo added three hits and two RBIs in the second game. But after Santana lost the lead -- and did nothing to convince the team to pick up his $13 million option for next season -- they couldn't muster enough offense to get back in the game.
But offense wasn't their problem. They've had enough of that for most of this season.
"These guys played their hearts out," Scioscia said. "I don't know if you can ask for much more than what they did."
He could certainly ask for three more victories, but that still might not be enough, not unless than Rangers can beat the A's three times over the next three days.
It's a lot to ask. CJ Wilson will face Felix Hernandez in the first game against the Mariners, so without a big game from him, the rest of the series doesn't matter.
Win and watch the scoreboard -- the Angels have been doing a lot of that lately. They'll have to do some more, at least for another day.
