Angels Make Final Push Toward Postseason

The Angels have had enough of your everywhere-but-West-Coast bias. They will NOT be ignored, Dan! The only infielder named Rodriguez in the AL playoffs this year will be named Sean, and after Monday's 12-1 victory over the Yankees, their magic number is 2. Rally Monkey drinks your milkshake! As the Angels batted around during a six-run sixth inning, they drove the point home with a benches-clearing brawl in which Torii Hunter was forced to go "ghetto" on Ivan Rodriguez. During the sixth, which Sean Rodriguez led off with a homer, the Angels' Torii Hunter and the Yankees' Ivan Rodriguez got into a fight and were ejected. "He pushed me pretty hard, like a fight in the 'hood," Hunter said. "The ghetto came out. I hate that. I want to apologize to the fans for my temper flaring." The players met after the game and apologized to each other. Details of the brawl here. If they beat the Yankees again tonight, and if the Rangers lose, the Angels would clinch their third division title in four years. They also would break the record for earliest clinching date in AL West history, currently Sept. 15 by the 1971 Oakland Athletics. Not sure why, when talking of post-season favorites, the Angeles aren't generally included in the conversation. It's entirely conceivable, actually, that it could be a Freeway World Series. Angels Gang Up On New York, 12-1 [Los Angeles Times]