Photos: Angels highlights and lowlights of 2009

July 10-12: The Angels sweep a three-game series from New York, outscoring the Yankees 29-18, despite missing the injured Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero for the entire series and slugger Juan Rivera for two games. The Angels overcome a 5-1 deficit to win the first game, use a seven-run fifth inning to win the second and a four-run fourth to win the third. New York Yankees’’ Alex Rodriguez, left, walks away after striking out to end the game as Angels catcher Jeff Mathis runs to the mound on July 12 in Anaheim. The Angels won, 5-4.  (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Aug. 18: All nine Angels starters — Chone Figgins, Bobby Abreu, Juan Rivera, Vladimir Guerrero, Kendry Morales, Torii Hunter, Maicer Izturis, Mike Napoli and Erick Aybar — finish a 5-4 victory in Cleveland with batting averages of .300 or better. The last team to finish a game at least 100 games into the season with every player in the starting lineup hitting .300 or better? The 1934 Detroit Tigers. The Angels’ Napoli, right, slides safely home as Cleveland Indians catcher Wyatt Toregas looks for the ball in the second inning.  (Tony Dejak / Associated Press)

April 19: The Angels, still reeling from Nick Adenhart’s death, go through the motions in a 3-1 loss in Minnesota that completes the Twins’ three-game sweep. “We’re still down. You can feel it in the clubhouse,” Torii Hunter said. “There’s no music playing. Guys are kind of in a quiet mood. You can tell it still affects the club. … It’s like, the at-bats are not us. It’s kind of like we’re daydreaming.” Minnesota Twins shortstop Nick Punto, right, throws to complete a double play on Chone Figgins after the force-out at second of the Angels’ Erick Aybar, left, in the third inning.  (Jim Mone / Associated Press)

May 15-17: The Angels are swept and completely outplayed in a three-game series by Texas to fall 4½ games behind the confident Rangers in the American League West. The Texas Rangers’’ Elvis Andrus (1) congratulates Ian Kinsler, right, after his two-run home run that scored Andrus off a pitch from the Angels’ Joe Saunders in the third inning.  (Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)

June 11: After a sloppy 11-1 loss at Tampa Bay, Manager Mike Scioscia airs out the club in a team meeting. “We need to get better,” he said. “We need to play with consistency. And if the guys in that clubhouse aren’t going to do it, then we’re going to have to look at some changes.” The Angels were 29-29 after that game; they are 62-35 since. The Tampa Bay Rays’’ Evan Longoria is hit in the face by a wild pitch from the Angels’ Ervin Santana (not shown) as catcher Jeff Mathiswatches in the third inning at St. Petersburg, Fla.  (Reinhold Matay / Associated Press)

Sept. 16: The Angels blow three leads in a 9-8 loss in Boston and fume about a pair of calls they felt were missed in the last inning. Closer Brian Fuentes accuses umpires of being intimidated by the Fenway Park crowd, and Torii Hunter wonders whether some teammates are intimidated by the Red Sox. “If you play nervous, you’re going to make mistakes,” Hunter fumed. “Show some [guts]!”  (Reinhold Matay / Associated Press)