The Orange County Tribune June 1, 2022

Non-partisan News Opinion Arts & Living Sports

Covering Garden Grove Huntington Beach Stanton Westminster

Printed in Garden Grove, California n orangecountytribune.com n Wednesday, June 1, 2022 n orangecountytribune@gmail.com

Head-On Crash Takes Life of 82-year Old Man Vehicle crossed over center median

BOLSA GRANDE HIGH STUDENTS TAKE FINAL WALK Commencement exercises starting for area schools this week and next (Orange County Tribune photo by Jim Tortolano).

Time for graduation day(s) It’s time for the turning of tassels and the rhythmic repetitions of “Pomp and Circumstance.” It’s Graduation Day for the high school classes of 2022, who may forever be known as the COVID-19 Cohort.

At Bolsa Grande High School in Garden Grove on Tuesday afternoon, traditions were upheld (or resumed) with songs from the choir, speeches

from the school principal, student leaders and the school’s three valedictorians: Fatimah Patel, Chuong Tran and Khanh Giao Pham Tran.

Finally, the awarding of diplomas as family and friends in the packed Bolsa Stadium strained for a look and a photo of their son or daughter taking their last walk as a high school student and Continued on page 2

No rain on this parade Despite some serious cloud cover, it didn’t rain on the annual Strawberry Festival parade on Saturday.

Crowds lined the parade route along Chapman Avenue and Euclid Street for the procession that stepped off at 10 a.m.

Continued on page 2

CELEBRITY MARSHAL KATHY GARVER at the 62nd Strawberry Festival

An elderly man was killed in Huntington Beach Tuesday when his car collided head-on with another vehicle.

According to the Jessica Cuchilla, public information officer for the HBPD, the accident took place on Pacific Coast Highway north of Goldenwest Street.

Police were dispatched to the scene at about 12:30 p.m. A 2005 Toyota Camry heading southbound on PCH crossed over the raised median into northbound traffic and collided with a 2013 Volkswagen GTI.

The driver of the Camry, an 82-year-old Seal Beach man, was declared dead at the scene. The driver of the GTI, a 25-year-old woman from Huntington Beach, sustained injuries not considered lifethreatening and was taken to a local hospital.

Police say it’s unclear whether drugs of alcohol were factors in the incident.

Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or events leading up to it is asked to contact Traffic Investigator Doug Demetre at (714) 5365670.

New coronavirus cases still rising and falling and...

The daily average of new confirmed coronavirus cases in Orange County continues to bounce up and down.

The Tuesday statistics from the county health care agency shows 2,620 new cases over a fourday period. That’s an average of 655 daily cases, compared to last Friday’s average of 991 but relatively close to the previous Tuesday’s figure of 610 per day.

To date, Orange County

has had 571,995 cases of COVID-19 reported, of which 548,126 are considered recovered.

Deaths now total 7,034.

Nationally, The New York Continued on page 2

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2 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

Graduation day(s) are here Continued from page 1

making that symbolic journey into adulthood.

The event concluded with the singing of the BGHS “alma mater” and then the hugs and kisses of “goodbyes” and parental pride.

Bolsa’s commencement was not the only one in the Garden Grove Unified School District on Tuesday. Later in the day, La Quinta High held its ceremonies in the same stadium.

Garden Grove High’s class of 2022 was graduated at the oncampus Monsoor Stadium and Santiago High followed there later in the day.

On Wednesday, Rancho Alamitos and Pacifica will hold commencements at Bolsa, and Los Amigos at Monsoor. Hare Continuation High School will graduate its students on the Hare

campus.

In the Huntington Beach Union High School District graduation exercises will be held later. Edison will have its commencement on Thursday, June 16 at 4 p.m. at Sheue Field on the Huntington Beach High School campus. HBHS will graduate at 4 p.m. at Sheue Field on Tuesday, June 14.

Marina High School will have its commencement at 4 p.m. at Boswell Stadium on June 16 on the Westminster High campus.

WHS will take the field there at 5 p.m. that day. Ocean View will graduate its class of 2022 on Wednesday, June 15 at its oncampus stadium.

Orange High will hold its graduation on Tuesday, June 8 at 7 p.m. at Fred Kelly Stadium on the El Modena High campus in Orange.

No rain, but a lot of fun Continued from page 1

The theme this year is “Essential Workers.” The celebrity grand marshal was Kathy Garver, best know as “Sissy” in the 1960s’ TV show “Family Affair.” The theme grand marshal was Tom DaRe, Garden Grove’s chief of police.

Along with the traditional high school marching musicians, cars carrying celebrities national and local and Shriners careening around,

the crowd was treated to some especially whimsical sights, including the kazoo band from St. Columban Catholic School in Garden Grove. There was a dog dressed up as a dinosaur – part of a “Jurassic Park” movie promotion – and a California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer doing some maneuvers that would win you or me a traffic ticket.

COVID stats JIm Tortolano Editor and Publisher Marilyn Lewis Tortolano General Manager The Orange County Tribune is published on Wednesdays. Address is 9402 Luders Ave., Garden Grove, 92844.

E-mail is orangecountytribune@gmail. com.

Our website is www.orangecountytribune.com.

Phone: (714) 458-1860.

Established Aug. 6, 2016. All opinions expressed in The Tribune, unless otherwise stated, are those of the individual writer or artist and not necessarily those of The Tribune.

A member of The Associated Press and the Online News Association.

Continued from page 1

Times is reporting that – over a 14-day period – new cases are up 14 percent, deaths up 22 percent and hospitalizations up 20 percent.

In California, new cases have risen 69 percent over a similar period, deaths have declined 14 percent, reports Los Angeles Times.

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ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022 3

News&Views n STANTON PLANNING COMMISSION

n WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL

More green coming to streets of the city?

Is there more greening on its way to Stanton?

When the Stanton Planning Commission meets on Wednesday, June 1 it will take action on a list of projects planned for 2022-2023 to make sure they comply with the city’s general plan.

Included are the creation of a “parkette” at Orangewood Avenue and Santa Rosalia Avenue that would adding landscaping and a children’s playground.

Additionally, Premier Park on Chapman Avenue would receive replacement of the playground and installation of a new rubber play surface at the playground.

New swings would be installed, along with new landscaping and lighting and a new water fountain.

A project called

“Greening Stanton” is also envisioned, with shrubs planted to conceal block walls along major streets. The first stretch would be along westbound Chapman Avenue from Santa Rosalia Street to Santa Paula Street.

In 2023-2024, the “greening” would come to westbound Katella Avenue in front of La Lampara Mobile Home Park.

Other projects under consideration are street rehabilitation along Katella Avenue (between Beach Boulevard and Dale Avenue); Cerritos Avenue (Knott Avenue and Beach) and Dale Avenue (Cerritos Avenue and Katella Avenue).

The commission will meet in person at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall, 7800 Katella Ave.

ALAMITOS IS AWARDED

NEW CITY MANAGER CHRISTINE CORDON She joined Westminster as the city clerk

Cordon chosen as the newest city manager Christine Cordon, the one-time city clerk, has been hired as the new city manager of Westminster.

The council voted 5-0 on May 25 to remove the word “interim” from her title. A formal contract will be brought to the city council at its next meeting on June 8.

She came to Westminster as assistant city clerk in 2016 filling the city clerk position in 2018 upon the death of Amanda Jensen.

Also added to her job title was communications

director.

Upon the forced retirement of Marwan Youseff – who only served six months as city manager – Cordon was named “acting” (and later “interim”) city manager in September 2021. She is the fourth city manager Westminster has had in four years.

The council also took up the questions of depiction, design and location of the proposed Quang Tri monument.

After over two hours of

Use seat belts and child safety seats Alamitos Intermediate School’s Club Live was recognized with a Chapter Excellence Award at the Orange County Friday Night Live Partnership Chapter Recognition Event May 13 at the Orange County Department of Education. Club Live helped students lead drug and alcohol prevention campaigns and provide opportunities for students to develop leadership skills. Alamitos Intermediate School began its Club Live chapter this school year with the help of school counselor Lisa Nguyen.

Alamitos is part of the Garden Grove Unified School District.

The Huntington Beach Police Department reminds everyone taking a trip to visit friends or family to always buckle up and keep children in child safety seats.

This year’s “Click it or Ticket” campaign is through June 5. During this time, the HBPD will have additional officers on patrol actively looking for drivers and passengers who are not wearing a seat belt. This includes vehicles where children are not secured in child safety seats.

discussion, questions and comments, the council voted to request a final agreement among members of the Quang Tri Monument committee on depiction and design and bring that agreement back at a future meeting of the council.

On the issue of location of the proposed monument, the city community services and recreation commission recommended that – in view of concerns about the shortage of existing parkland – the council consider: • using private land; • locate it at Westminster Memorial Park • in the civic center But the city council wanted a more specific recommendation.

On a 5-0 vote it asked city staff to do a survey of city parks and come back with a feasibility study on the monument’s location. staff to do a survey of city parks and come back with a feasibility study on the monument’s location.

4 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

Seven people are arrested in OC on charges of illegal gambling SANTA ANA (AP) – Seven people were arrested on suspicion of running illegal gambling dens at Orange County homes after a years-long investigation uncovered a series of alleged crimes that included drug trafficking, bribery and a shooting, authorities said Wednesday.

Among those indicted were a Garden Grove resident and a Westminster resident.

The so-called ``slaphouses’’ were operated inside residences in suburban Santa Ana and surrounding areas of Orange County, California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office said in a statement.

Four of the seven defendants were charged with conspiracy and operating an illegal gambling business that generated thousands of dollars

in profits on a daily basis, the statement said.

Three separate indictments allege defendants tried to extort small businesses and distributed or possessed methamphetamine and heroin, prosecutors said.

A shooting at one of the illegal gambling dens injured an employee in the neck, officials said.

“The number of illegal gambling dens has exploded during the pandemic, dramatically impacting the quality of life in many Orange County neighborhoods,’’ U.S. Attorney Tracy Wilkison said in a statement. “These illicit businesses are a breeding ground for drug trafficking, violence and even police corruption.`` Members of the Orange County Asian Organized Crime Task Force this morning arrested five

defendants – which follows two arrests Tuesday afternoon. All seven defendants are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana. Authorities continue to search for two defendants.

The indictment alleging the operation of illegal casinos charges four defendants: • Niem Ngoc Ha, aka “Dung Body,” 46, of Fountain Valley, who allegedly opened and operated four illegal casinos commonly called “nets” (if they are in a commercial district) or “slaphouses” (for those in residential areas), all of which were located in Santa Ana; • Mindy Bui, aka “Thuy,” 36, of Westminster, who allegedly managed Ha’s illegal casinos; • Honganh Thi Pham, aka “Hong,” 40, of Garden Grove, who also allegedly managed the illegal casinos; and • Sammy Cardona, aka “Peanut,” 36, of Santa Ana, one of two defendants still being sought by authorities, who “would use violence to protect defendant Ha’s illicit casinos,” according to the indictment.

Cardona is currently a fugitive.

These four defendants are charged with conspiracy and operating an illegal gambling business that allegedly generated thousands of dollars in profits on a daily basis.

Ha is additionally charged with bribery for allegedly paying approximately $128,000 to the now-convicted, former Santa Ana Police Officer Steven Lopez in an effort to protect his illicit casinos from law enforcement intervention.

Lopez told Ha in September 2020 that Santa Ana police officers were planning to shut down one of his casinos in the coming days, according to the indictment. Lopez, who pleaded guilty in December 2020 to accepting the bribes, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17.

Authorities are searching for two additional suspects.

ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022 5

Arts&Living

Good grief: comics make history Exhibit at the Billy Ireland ‘Toon Museum

By Andrew Welsh-Huggins and Patrick Orsagos Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – In a series of ``Peanuts’’ comic strips that ran in mid-April of 1956, Charlie Brown grasps the string of his kite, which was stuck in what came to be known in the long-running strip as the “kite-eating tree.’’

In one episode that week, a frustrated Charlie Brown declines an offer from nemesis Lucy for her to yell at the tree.

“If I had a kite caught up in a tree, I’d yell at it,’’ Lucy responds in the last panel.

The simplicity of that interaction illustrates how different ``Peanuts’’ was from comics drawn before its 1950 debut, said Lucy Shelton Caswell, founding curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University in Columbus, the world’s largest such museum.

“The idea that you could take a week to talk about this, and it didn’t have to be a gag in

SOME “PEANUTS” ORIGINALS IN MUSEUM COLLECTION Among the historic panels at Billy Name Museum (Ohio State University images) the sense of somebody hitting somebody else over the head with a bottle or whatever,’’ Caswell said. ``This was really revolutionary.’’

New exhibits on display at the

NO JOKE ... COME ON IN The entrance and lobby to the museum

Billy Ireland museum and at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California, are celebrating the upcoming centenary of the birth of “Peanuts’’ cartoonist Schulz, born in Minnesota on Nov. 26, 1922.

Schulz carried the lifelong nickname of Sparky, conferred by a relative after a horse called Sparky in an early comic strip, Barney Google.

Schulz was never a fan of the name “Peanuts,’’ chosen by the syndicate because his original title, “Li’l Folks,’’ was too similar to another strip’s name. But the Columbus exhibit makes clear through strips, memorabilia and commentary that Schulz’s creation was a juggernaut in its day.

At the time of Schulz’s retirement in 1999 following a cancer diagnosis, his creation ran in more than 2,600

newspapers, was translated into 21 languages in 75 countries and had an estimated daily readership of 355 million.

Schulz personally created and drew 17,897 “Peanuts’’ strips, even after a tremor affected his hand.

The strip was also the subject of the frequently performed play, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,’’ as well as ``Snoopy: The Musical,’’ dozens of TV specials and shows, and many book collections.

Bill Watterson, creator of “Calvin and Hobbes,’’ described in a 2007 Wall Street Journal review of a Schultz biography the difficulty of looking at “Peanuts’’ with fresh eyes because of how revolutionary it was at the time.

Benjamin Clark, curator of the Schulz museum, describes that innovation as Schulz’s use Continued on page 6

6 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

The genius of Charles Schulz and “good ol’ Charlie Brown” Continued from page 5

of a spare line that maintains its expressiveness.

Schulz “understood technically in drawing that he could strip away what was unnecessary and still pack an emotional punch with the simplest-appearing lines,’’ Clark said. “But that simplicity is deceptive. There’s so much in these.’’

The exhibit in Columbus displays strips featuring 12 “devices’’ that Schulz thought set Peanuts apart, including episodes involving the kiteeating tree, Snoopy’s doghouse, Lucy in her psychiatry booth, Linus’ obsession with the Great Pumpkin, the Beethovenplaying Schroeder, and more.

“Celebrating Sparky’’ also focuses on Schulz’s promotion of women’s rights through strips about Title IX, the groundbreaking law requiring parity in women’s sports; and his introduction of a character of color, Franklin, spurred by

a reader’s urging following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. In addition, the display includes memorabilia, from branded paper towels to Pez dispensers, part of the massive ``Peanuts’’ licensing world. Some fellow cartoonists disliked the way Schulz commercialized the strip.

He dismissed the criticism, arguing that comic strips had always been commercial, starting with their invention as a way to sell newspapers, Caswell said.

While 1965’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas’’ is one of the most famous cartoon TV specials of all time, the characters have also returned in dozens of animated shows and films, most recently in original shows and specials on Apple TV. Those Apple programs introduced new viewers to the truth of what Schulz drew, his wife, Jean Schulz, told The

Associated Press last year. She described that truth this way: “A family of characters who live in a neighborhood, get along with each other, have fun with each other, have arguments sometimes with each other, but end up always in a good frame hugging each other or resolving their arguments,’’ she said.

Caswell, who first met Schulz in the 1980s, said one of the exhibit’s goals was to surprise people with things they didn’t know about the man. In that, “Celebrating Sparky’’ succeeds admirably.

Who knew, for example, that Schulz, a hockey and iceskating lover, is in both the U.S. Figure Skating and U.S. Hockey halls of fame? (Perhaps that isn’t surprising, given multiple strips that featured a hockeyplaying Snoopy or Zambonis driven by the little yellow bird, Woodstock.)

By focusing on Schulz, the exhibit also aims to show

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he worked hard to perfect his drawing style before “Peanuts’’ was launched and was intentional about what he wanted the strip to be, Caswell said.

“This was a person of genius who had a very clear, creative focus to his life, and enjoyed making people laugh,’’ she said.

“Celebrating Sparky: Charles M. Schulz and Peanuts’’ at the Billy Ireland museum runs through November and was mounted in partnership with the Charles M. Schulz Museum.

The Charles M. Schulz Museum has two exhibits commemorating Schulz’s birth: “Spark Plug to Snoopy: 100 Years of Schulz,’’ which explores comic strips and artists who influenced Schultz (running through Sept.

18); and “The Spark of Schulz: A Centennial Celebration,`` exploring cartoonists and artists influenced by Schulz (from Sept. 25, 2022, through March 12, 2023).

ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022 7

Sports Week: Angels need relief, Dodgers sail on Continued from page 8

barely above the Mendoza line.

Free agents come and go and that usually works to the Dodgers’ advantage. They have the richest team in baseball, a winning tradition and a climate close to being the best in the nation. The fan base is deep and loyal and the management is sane.

Achievement is routine and drama is – for the time being – rare. The weather’s always good for these guys.

A tough room to work:

There’s been some speculation that – down the road – Major League Baseball may scrap its traditional National-American leagues divide and rearrange the teams based on a strictly geographical basis.

We don’t like that idea; part of the appeal of big league baseball is its rich traditions and past stretching back to 1876 with founding of the NL. But if it did, a Pacific Division of five teams would be the Dodgers, Angels, Giants, A’s and Padres. If that were in place today the Dodgers would (of course) be on top with a .702 winning percentage, followed

by the Padres (.638), Angels (.551), Giants (.543) and A’s (20-30).

So, four of five teams have winning records and are contending for a division title or even a wild card spot. Have to admit, it’s food for thought.

The endless playoffs continue For many high schools in the state, the school year is over.

Diplomas have been handed out.

But the California Interscholastic Federation hasn’t gotten the memo.

The regional baseball playoffs will start on Tuesday with Round 1, followed by the

regional semifinals on June 2 and the regional final on June 4. The state championship games will follow.

As for The Tribune’s coverage area, Huntington Beach (22-9) is seeded sixth in Division I. The Oilers will host La Costa Canyon (24-10) of Carlsbad.

FINAL OUT: “He only got two hits tonight,’’ said Dodger manager Dave Roberts about Mookie Betts after Saturday’s win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. “Kind of a slow night for Mookie.’’

“SportsWeek” is written by Pete Zarustica

Celtics vs. Warriors in the NBA finals Continued from page 8

the Warriors, it’s a chance at a seventh crown _ which would break a tie with the Chicago Bulls for third-most in league history.

It’s also a rematch of the 1964 finals, when Bill Russell and the Celtics topped the Warriors in five games.

“I’ve said it many times: You go to the finals, it’s almost a two-month journey filled with stress and fatigue and everything else,’’ said Kerr, who gave his team Friday and Saturday off before bringing them back to work Sunday. “So, if you can get a little bit of a break, it’s very meaningful. Hopefully, we can get healthy and have a few days of really good prep and be ready to go on Thursday.’’

Golden State won at Boston 111-107 on Dec. 17, behind 30 points from Stephen Curry. The Celtics rolled on Golden State’s home floor in the rematch on March 16, winning 110-88 in the game in which Curry injured his foot – and that’s where his regular season ended.

Curry was ready to go for the playoffs. So were the rest of the Warriors. They’re 12-4 in the playoffs, getting through Denver, Memphis and Dallas to get to the title round.

“It all starts with Steph,’’ Kerr said.

Udoka has a chance to become

the 10th coach to win a title in his first season. Eddie Gottlieb (1947 Philadelphia Warriors), Buddy Jeanette (1948 Baltimore Bullets), John Kundla (1949 Minneapolis Lakers), George Senesky (1956 Philadelphia Warriors), Paul Westhead (1980 Los Angeles Lakers), Pat Riley (1982 Los Angeles Lakers), Tyronn Lue (2016 Cleveland Cavaliers) and Nick Nurse (2019 Toronto Raptors) are eight of the coaches who have pulled off the feat.

The other name on that list is Kerr – who did it with Golden State in 2015, the start of this run of greatness from the Warriors.

That was the beginning of six finals appearances in eight years, the two exceptions being when injuries and a roster reset kept them from the playoffs in 2020 and 2021.

“You can’t take it for granted,’’ Curry said after the West title series. “Nothing’s ever guaranteed. We understand how hard it is to win. We’ve said that until we’re blue in the face the last two years. This is definitely special. Proud of everybody that is in that locker room, that came with it all year. Now we have an opportunity to go finish a job.’’

Udoka played for Popovich and later was a San Antonio assistant. Kerr played for the Spurs, then assisted Popovich with USA Basketball through

last summer’s Tokyo Olympics when the Americans won a fourth consecutive gold medal.

The Warriors’ Draymond Green was on that Olympic team. So was Boston’s Jayson Tatum. They celebrated winning gold together, and now they’ll try to go through one another to get their fingerprints on the gold trophy that goes to the NBA champions _ the Larry O’Brien.

“This is an opportunity that players dream of,’’ Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins said.

“To be put in a position to win it all.’’

And if nothing else, a WarriorsCeltics matchup made Green seem prophetic.

After the Warriors won the West, Green visited the TNT broadcast set after the game and was prodded by Shaquille O’Neal to say which team from the then-undecided East title series that he would like to play.

Green began giving a diplomatic answer, saying that both the Heat and Celtics were tough. O’Neal pressed him to be honest, and Green – never shy with words – gave in.

“You’re asking me who I want to play. I’m gonna tell who I think we’re going to play: We’re going to play Boston,’’ Green said Thursday night. “That’s who we’re going to play.’’

He was right.

8 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

TheSportsPage

Celtics/Dubs; who will be the hottest?

By Tim Reynolds AP Basketball Writer

MIAMI (AP) _ Somewhere, Gregg Popovich must be pleased.

Ime Udoka and Steve Kerr played for Popovich with of the San Antonio Spurs, both served as assistant coaches under him, and neither makes any effort to hide the affinity they have for the NBA’s career victory leader.

And now, Udoka and Kerr are about to go head-to-head _ in the NBA Finals.

The title matchup is set: It’ll be Udoka and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics facing Kerr and the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors, a series that begins Thursday night in San Francisco. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, each winning on the other’s home floor.

The Warriors have been waiting for an opponent since this past Thursday after needing only five games to beat Dallas for the West title. The Celtics got there the hard way, winning Game 7 in Miami on Sunday night to capture the East.

“We stayed with it. We believed in each other. We made a commitment on the defensive end,`` said Celtics forward Al Horford, who, after 141 playoff games, is headed to the NBA Finals for the first time.

“That was the biggest thing, defending.”

For the Celtics, it’s a chance at an 18th NBA championship _ which would break the tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history. For Continued on page 7

ANOTHER MVP FOR THE ANGELS? Taylor Ward has been a key part of the Halos’ strong offense, but weak relief pitching is keeping the team from fulfilling its promise so far in 2022 (Associated Press photo).

They Can’t Get No Relief As the Los Angeles Angels continue their streak their streaky spring, one element seems clear. Despite their impressive offensive might, the bullpen is performing, well, offensively.

In the Halos’ fifth straight loss on Sunday, the relief corps twice was unable to hold a lead, and the result was an 11-10 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

“We’ve had several games over the last seven to 10 days where we should’ve put them away and we haven’t,’’ Angels’ manager Joe Maddon said.

In most games, 10 runs ought to be enough to win; a three-run lead in the late innings looks like a respectable cushion. The

SportsWeek Angels are the second-best hitting team in MLB with an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging) at .748.

But take a look at the pitching records of the Angels. Overall, the team is 11th. But “top” relievers are struggling. Raisel Iglesias is 1-3, Aaron Loup is 0-2 and Jose Suarez is 0-2.

Their ERA’s are – respectively – 3.71, 4.82 and 6.11.

Frankly, it’s tougher to get a lights-out late reliever than it is a slugger because they’re so valuable, as we’ve seen. Maybe we can see if Troy Percival is willing to try a comeback.

The Dodgers’ golden age still continues Some day, in the far-distant future, perhaps, the Blue Crew will have a losing season and not be in the World Series conversation. But if that dark day happens, fans will have many great years to look back on, and this season looks like another.

The team has among the best records in Major League Baseball at 33-16. The offense is best (OPS at .766) and the pitching is, too, with a team ERA of 2.67. Other teams are batting .216 against them, Continued on page 7