#7 10/02/04 – Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland - 2004 A.L. West Title

After 159 games, the Angels and the Oakland A’s were tied atop the A.L. West with three games remaining – a head-to-head series in Oakland, winner take all! Whichever team won two of three would advance to the postseason, the loser would spend the month watching the games on TV.

The nucleus of the team was largely the same as the 2002 championship team, but bolstered by the addition of AL MVP Vladimir Guerrero. The pitching staff had added 18 game-winner Bartolo Colon and Kelvim Escobar.

In the first game of the series, the Angels bombed the Athletics 10-0, spreading the hits and RBI around in typical Angel fashion. Colon pitched seven innings of shutout ball for his 18^th win of the season.

The next night the Angels found themselves down 2-0 in the sixth when Guerrero stepped up to the plate with two outs and Chone Figgins on first. Guerrero drove the first pitch he saw from Barry Zito into the stands to tie the game. Unfortunately, the A’s responded by scoring two of their own in the bottom of the sixth.

Down 4-2 after seven innings, Bengie Molina led off the eighth with a single to left. After a strikeout of Curtis Pride, Figgins singed to center, sending pinch runner Josh Paul to second. Darin Erstad then laced a double to deep right, scoring both Paul and Figgins. Guerrero was intentionally walked and Troy Glaus hit a long flyball to deep left for the second out. Garret Anderson then singled to right, and Erstad raced home with the go-ahead run.

Frankie Rodriguez held the A’s scoreless in the eighth, and closer Troy Percival set them down in order in the ninth to clinch the AL West title – their first in 18 years!