Monkey Mo

It looked for all the world like another Yankee blow out in the 1st inning. Jeter singled. Damon singled. Just like that there were 2 on and nobody out for Mark Teixeira. Fortunately for the Angels he has not been on his "mark". John Lackey and the Halos escaped with no damage.

Thrilled by that turn of events and with their backs against the wall in Game 5, the Angels came out swinging.

AJ Burnett was completely ineffective and looked like he was serving up soft toss.

  A leadoff walk started the rally. Abreu doubled and Torii Hunter followed with a crisp 2 RBI single and the Angels struck first. Something they have needed desperately. They went on to score twice more with a Vlad Guerrero double and a Kendry Morales single. 

Now it looked like an Angels runaway in Game 5. 4-0 after 1.

Oh how strange this game is. For the next 6 innings absolutely nothing happened as AJ found his mark and shut down LA.

On the flipside.. Lackey was mowing down the Yanks.

Until the 7th. A one out Melky Cabrera double. A disputed walk to Posada. A ticked off walk to Jeter and the bases were loaded for NY. Lackey retired Johnny Damon and the Yanks had yet to score. 2 outs, bases loaded.

Enter Mike Scioscia and exit a reluctant John Lackey.

Scioscia summoned Darren Oliver to face Mark Teixeira and flip him around to bat Right Handed. Mark, who had singled earlier to provide a tiny bit of spark to his offensive woes, exploded a double into the gap to score 3! He came around to score the tying run and it appeared the monkey was off Mark's back in the ALCS.

The Yanks erupted for 6 runs capped by a Robinson Cano triple that gave them a 6-4 lead!

Deflation and disbelief loomed in Anaheim.

Oh how crazy this game is. Enter the Monkey.

Just as abruptly as they had lost the lead, the Halos snatched it back with 3 runs of their own in the bottom half of the 7th!

Torii Hunter scored the winning run on a clutch single by Kendry Morales and the Angels had comeback from the graveyard to an improbable Game 5 win.

Morales ended the day with 2 hits and 2 RBIs, one that ended the the 4 run burst in the 1st inning and the final RBI that capped the 3 run comeback in the 7th.

Congratulations Kendry Morales - You are Yesterday's Hitter!