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Imagine a team winning 20 games in a row. Imagine their top three starting pitchers combining for a league-high 53 victories. Imagine their fourth starter throwing 45 innings and allowing only one earned run. Imagine their shortstop, who is widely considered to be the Most Valuable Player, seemingly getting better every game.

And yet, somehow, this team finds itself in the closest pennant race in baseball, leading their division by just one game. What can they possibly do to capture first place? This is a question that manager Art Howe and the Oakland Athletics must ask themselves on a daily basis, as they find themselves in a dead-heat with the amazing Anaheim Angels.

While Oakland was busy winning 23 out of 24 games, no one bothered to notice that the Angels won ten in a row and 16 of 17 around that same time. And why would they? The Angels lineup consists of players like David Eckstein, Adam Kennedy, and Scott Spiezio. Their major free agent offseason acquisition to bolster their offense was Brad Fullmer. A nice pick-up and solid hitter, but nothing that reasonably explains 20 more wins than a season ago.

So, how do the Angels maintain their winning ways? How do they have a better record than Seattle, Boston, and even the Yankees?

It's two simple words: small ball. In a time, when homeruns are being hit by the dozens, the Angels play a different, more old-school type of game. They make contact and constantly make the opposing pitcher throw strikes. They have struck out the fewest times in the American League and are third in stolen bases.

They don't have a player with more than 28 homeruns. And while 28 homeruns might sound like a lot, consider that 18 other teams have at least one player with more. Yet, they are fourth in the league in runs scored. They simply play great fundamental baseball. They hit sacrifice flies, get the bunt down, and rarely strike out. The Angels, unlike most teams nowadays, don't sit back and wait for a three-run blast. They get the job done by hustle, determination, and heads-up baseball.

Besides patience at the plate and aggressive baserunning, the Angels pitching staff, specifically the bullpen, has been remarkable. Their bullpen ERA is ranked first in the American League, allowing the fewest runs of anyone. Led by veteran closer Troy Percival, Anaheim has been almost untouchable once manager Mike Scioscia makes a change at the mound.

Ben Weber, Brendan Donnelly, and Scot Shields are all having incredible years. Donnelly is a 29-year-old rookie who never really panned out in the minors as a starter. Scot Shields was also a career minor leaguer. Now both post 2.25 ERA's to give great depth to Anaheim's tremendous bullpen.

Finally, Anaheim is led by workhorse and 18-game winner Jarrod Washburn. In case you missed it, the A's and Barry Zito were in a wonderful pitcher's duel this week with Washburn and the Angels. They both pitched shutouts through nine innings before Tim Salmon won the game with a homerun off the A's bullpen in the tenth.

"It was almost a throwback game to the old days of (Juan) Marichal and (Sandy) Koufax," Howe said afterward.

The Angels couldn't have been more pleased with Art Howe's quote. That's just the type of game they've been playing, and winning, the entire season. So, in a time when the trend is to hit the long ball, the Angels are content to be a little different than the rest. They have played baseball the old-fashioned way and are now smiling all the way to the playoffs. Almost unimaginable, huh?

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