Angels clinch AL West title with win over Mariners, A's loss to Rangers

The end of the AL West race could not have been more fitting given how the last few weeks have played out. While the Los Angeles Angels continued soaring, defeating the Seattle Mariners 5-0 in Anaheim behind C.J. Wilson's gem and C.J. Cron's three-run homer, the collapsing Oakland A's allowed another game against baseball's worst team, the Texas Rangers, to slip through their fingers, losing 6-1 after leading into the ninth inning.

Those results together allowed the Angels to unseat the two-time defending West champion A's, while claming their division crown since 2009.

The scene played out dramatically in Anaheim as the Angels wrapped up their victory about an hour before the A's loss concluded. An estimated 5,000 Angels fans who attended the game stuck around to watch the A's on the big screen at Angels Stadium, hoping for a chance to celebrate with the team.

They would not be disappointed. In the ninth inning, Texas batted around and scored six runs. Rougned Odor keyed the rally with a one-out game-tying double, but it was J.P. Arencibia who provided the clincher with a three-run homer off A's closer Sean Doolittle.

The Angels themselves were reportedly glued to the televisions in the clubhouse as it all played out. Once the A's game went final, they returned to the field to take an emotional  victory lap and celebrate with the remaining fans.

It was a cool scene that capped a tough road back to the top of the division for the Angels.

After adding big name free agents like Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton and C.J. Wilson to the roster, not to mention the emergence of some kid named Mike Trout, expectations have been high over the past two seasons, but results have been disappointing. The 2014 squad aimed to change that, and after falling six games behind Oakland on June 20, they have taken their game to another level.

Since that point, the Angels are an MLB best 57-24, which puts them 11 1/2 games ahead of Oakland with 11 game to play. A remarkable 17 1/2  game swing in three months.

The A's have done their part in escalating the Angels rise, sure. Should Oakland ultimately miss out on the postseason all together, it will be one of the biggest stories of the season. But in no way should the Angels success be downplayed. They currently own the best record in baseball at 95-57, and they may well be the team to beat in the American League.

Time will tell on that, but Wednesday into Thursday morning is all about celebrating and enjoying their accomplishment.

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Mark Townsend

is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813