He has given us...His shoe! 

Posted 10:21 AM by Sean
ARTHUR:
Hail Messiah!
BRIAN:
I'm not the Messiah!
ARTHUR:
I say You are, Lord, and I should know. I've followed a few.

-- Monty Python's Life of Brian

Chronicles of the Lads has it dead-on when he notes that Casey Kotchman's two walks on Sunday were nearly as gratifying as his two home runs. If it had been possible to reach through the television and throttle Rex Hudler and Steve Physioc, both of whom were acting as if Kotchman's recent power surge could be the cure to the Angels' hitting woes, the Angels would currently be looking for new broadcasters. One of the reasons Kotchman's had so little success at the big-league level is that he's been putting pressure on himself to make an immediate impact in that area. The last thing he needs now is to be hailed as the much-prophesied DH that will lead the Angels to the promised land; if everyone expects him to clobber the ball every single time there's a danger he'll fall right back into the same old trap.

Tonight, of course, the Angels start a three-game series with the co-division-leading green team up in Oakland. Tonight's game may actually be the most intriguing pitching matchup of the series. John Lackey looks like he's finally pitching up to his potential this year, having a breakout season made all the more remarkable by the fact that it's not his damn walk year. Rich Harden is a nice power pitcher in the Bartolo Colon "stronger as he goes along" mold who has more or less dominated the Angels in his two starts against them this year. Kotchman will almost certainly get a start - probably at DH, though possibly at first if Erstad needs another day off.