MVN: Most Valuable Network

First off, to all our readers, sorry for the delay in posting. We've fallen asleep at the switch -- probably a side effect of watching the Halo offense. But, we'll do a better job going into the meaty part of the season.

There have been calls to bench Vladimir Guerrero on message boards, the team's Mail Bag feature, and undoubtedly by other Angel writers. His average is hovering around and the lack of the long ball is indeed troubling. But do you bench a guy like this?

Yes.

Guerrero is one of the most feared hitters in the game, but if he starts to develop an easy-out reputation, pitchers will no longer fear to pitch to him. They will just fire pitches to the outside corner -- which he is not reaching -- and wait for him to ground out harmlessly to second or short, usually on the first or second pitch of an at-bat.

Fortunately, Garret Anderson has rediscovered his stroke, raising his average to .282, giving a little more protection to Vlad than he had earlier in the season (when an 0-for-4 day was more regular). And, thankfully, Torii Hunter and Casey Kotchman have been hitting fairly consistently all season, which is one of the few reasons the Angels are third in the league in hitting (.268) and still in first place.

Oh, right ... pitching. Who would have predicted that Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana would be 13-2 at this point of the season? Or, actually, that they would be 13-2 combined at any point of the season. While the team as a whole is 11th in the league with a 4.33 ERA (thanks to the suddenly dreadful bullpen), the starters are 22-13, skewed by Dustin Moseley (1-3). (And, as this is being written, the Angels lead the Blue Jays 3-1 in the ninth inning, so it looks like John Lackey will get his first win of the season.

The only way, in my mind, that the Angels have held on to first place over the vastly over-achieving Oakland A's is the play of Saunders and Santana. With the offense sputtering for most of the early going, especially with Vlad, these two have kept the team in the game -- usually with a win -- allowing their offense to continue its lackluster limp through spring.

So, with Vlad having a down moment, Gary Matthews unable to get his game going, Chone Figgins and Howie Kendrick missing a lot of time (again) with injuries, is this what we are to expect this season? More angst in the lineup? A team held together by pitching, set to falter in October against better pitching?

Sheesh, I certainly hope not. The one-and-done postseason pattern is getting quite old.

I know it is far too early to talk about the playoffs (insert Jim Mora's "playoffs!?" rant here), but this team is certainly built for this outcome, if only the on-paper Angels show up and slay the on-field Angels.

Ask Tiger fans what that is like.