Divisional Games

The In Play, No Outs philosophy on baseball is simple. Beat teams in your division two times out of three, and you'll make the playoffs. With the Angels opening a short series with the Rangers tomorrow, it is exceedingly important that they win at least two games to start narrowing the gap between themselves and division leaders Texas.

Texas has been playing Houston, Floria, and Pittsburgh, parlaying an easy schedule into a 16-2 record over their last 18 games. Despite an Angels team that has had a surprising string of solid play following the loss of Kendry Morales, the Rangers have turned a half game deficit to a 4.5 game lead in the West, and can lead by as many as 7.5 games if they sweep the series.

Ordinarily, a 7.5 game lead is borderline insurmountable over the remainder of the season, but the Angels have 14 games remaining with the Rangers, not including the upcoming three game series. With 17 games left to be played, the idiot schedule makers have made for an interesting, albeit compressed, race for the division crown.