What Charlie Said

For once, Charlie Slowes was right. It truly was unbelievable last night; I'm glad I stayed up.

It was another one of those games that featured the two constant themes of our season: Shifting Expectations, and Redemption.

Once they got down 3-1, I don't think any of us didn't think they couldn't win. We just figured it wasn't likely.

Then, after all the hullaballoo and once Jose Guillen hit the tie-making homerun, I don't think any of us doubted that they'd win, even though the score was just tied.

That's been the amazing thing about this team. Just when you start counting them out, they come back and surprise you. It makes for good drama and lots of tense moments.

Then, there's the redemption factor. A night after pressing too much, Jose Guillen came through. He didn't get the big hits yesterday, but there was no bigger opportunity last night.

Down by two, and after his teamates restrained him when the benches emptied, Guillen came up after Ryan Church was accidentally nailed in the foot with a curveball. He was the tying run. Scott Shields threw him a hard breaking slider on the outer half of the plate.

Guillen, showing off the power that RFK has eaten alive, reached out and lined it over the wall in left. It was an absolute laser. The fuzziness and hope of memory makes it seem like it never got higher than ten feet off the ground.

Although Junior Spivey and Brian Schneider would tack on the go-ahead and insurance runs later in the inning, the Guillen homer ranks up there with the Gary Bennett and Ryan Church doubles as the big hits of the season. The Majority Whip was an easy call tonight.

I'll have more on the 'brawl' later, but Frank, despite his many faults, is starting to make me really like him.

And I want to have my thoughts in order before I fly off the handle like many of the Angels blogs are doing.

Wil Cordero was all set to be the Lame Duck. He had a number of wretched at-bats, none worse than his strikeout on ball four with the bases loaded in the sixth inning.

Livan didn't pitch that well. That he only gave up three runs was more a testament to solid defense, and some well-timed popups.

Either it wasn't his night, or he was just a little tired from the nearly 300 pitches he's thrown over his last two starts.

Still, he held the team in the game, despite the Angels having runners on constantly.

Junior Spivey was the unsung hero of the game. He had the eventual game-winning hit, and worked out a walk.

But, it was his glove that did most of the damage.

The Angels loaded the bases in the fourth inning with the game tied at zero. Livan hung a curveball that Darren Erstad ripped towards the hole at second.

Spivey ranged to his left, dived, and got enough of the ball to keep it from going through the infield. He scampered to his feet, fired to first, and ended the inning, just before Erstad's foot tagged the bag.

If Carlos Baerga or Jose Vidro are playing that gets through and Guillen's homer would've meant nothing.