Angels need to break out Rally Monkeys

By: Associated Press | Saturday, October 6, 2007 9:30 PM PDT ∞

Get out those Rally Monkeys.

Down 2-0 in their best-of-five AL playoff series with Boston, the banged-up Los Angeles Angels are back home, where their 54-27 record was the best in baseball this season.

They'll welcome the boost from a sellout crowd waving stuffed simians, especially because Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson are hurting entering Game 3 today against Curt Schilling and the Red Sox.

Guerrero left Friday night's 6-3 loss in the eighth inning after being hit by a pitch on his left shoulder. The slugger had X-rays, which were negative, and was expected to play.

"It's on his left side, so it shouldn't affect his throwing," manager Mike Scioscia said Saturday, though he hadn't yet decided whether Guerrero would start in right field or as the designated hitter.

"The only thing we would want to make sure and check tomorrow is his ability to have the range of his left arm in the outfield to make the plays. Obviously, if Vlad can play the outfield, it gives us some options to make our lineup a little deeper," he added.

The Angels already are without center fielder Gary Matthews Jr., left off the division series roster after missing 14 games in September with a sprained left ankle and an irritated right knee.

Left fielder Garret Anderson has been playing with conjunctivitis in his swollen right eye.

The Angels' pain extended off the field to trainer Rick Smith and pitching coach Mike Butcher.

Smith was sitting in the dugout Friday night when Casey Kotchman's foul line drive struck him in the ribs. X-rays were negative, and Smith was still sore Saturday.

Butcher had to be taken off the Angels' plane in Boston because he was sweating profusely and feeling nauseous. Butcher stayed overnight at a Boston hospital, where his viral symptoms improved enough for him to fly home Saturday. He will be on the bench for Game 3, a team spokesman said.

Pedroia is OK

Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who banged up his shoulder on Friday night but remained in the game, said he isn't injured.

"He's fine," manager Terry Francona said. "It's not something that will get in the way of him playing, which is great from our standpoint. I think we all expected him to be a little more tender than he was."

Bugging out

If Roger Clemens had been making the call, the New York Yankees really would have bugged out.

Clemens viewed Friday night's insect invasion at Cleveland's Jacobs Field from both the dugout and a television in the clubhouse, and he concluded it was too distracting an environment to pitch in.

"I would have probably pulled us off the field," Clemens said at Yankee Stadium.

Holy Cow!

Holy Cow! This is no way to exorcise the billy goat curse.

A grainy 14-second video posted on YouTube this week shows Chicago police cutting down what looks like a skinned goat's carcass from the right arm of the Harry Caray statue outside Wrigley Field.

Gary Yamashiroya, commander of the Chicago Police district that includes Wrigley, told the Chicago Sun-Times in a story posted on its Web site that officers were called out to the ballpark at 5:35 a.m. Wednesday to check out reports of something hanging from the bronze statue.