Angels Vault: K-Rod is clutch in ALDS

MLB.com is digging back into its massive video vault to uncover classic plays that you have loved, forgotten about or, perhaps, are discovering for the very first time. Watch these moments and many, many more on the MLB Vault YouTube page.

Oct. 4, 2002: K-Rod's two perfect innings in ALDS
Francisco Rodriguez burst onto the scene as a 20-year-old rookie for the Angels in 2002 and helped them win their first World Series with an incredible postseason run. One of his best performances came against the Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Division Series, when he struck out four over two scoreless innings to help the Angels to a 9-6 win. Rodriguez earned the win and posted a 1.93 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings in 11 postseason appearances in 2002.

Sept. 17, 1984: Reggie hits his 500th homer
Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson made history on Sept. 17, 1984, when he became the 13th player to reach 500 career homers. Jackson reached the hallowed mark with a solo shot in the seventh inning of a 10-1 loss to the Royals. And coincidentally, his homer came exactly 17 years after he hit his first career blast in 1967. Jackson ended up retiring with 563 homers, and 123 of those homers came with the Angels from 1982-86.

April 7, 2008: Torii thunders Halos to victory in 9th
The Angels made a big splash when they signed center fielder Torii Hunter to a five-year deal worth $90 million before the 2008 season, and the former Twins star immediately made an impact with his new club. In just his eighth game with the Halos, Hunter hit a walk-off grand slam off Cleveland closer Joe Borowski to deliver a 6-4 win. Hunter, who went 3-for-5 with five RBIs in the game, would go on to win a Gold Glove that season and was a pivotal part of the club winning the American League West with a franchise-record 100 wins.

May 23, 2006: First game? First homer for Morales
Kendrys Morales had an underrated career that saw him hit 213 career homers across 13 seasons. He was signed by the Angels in '04 after he defected from Cuba, and he proved to be a solid switch-hitter. His first career blast came off Rangers right-hander Vicente Padilla during a 7-6 win on May 23, 2006.

May 5, 2004: I'd like to report a theft
Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, known more for his hitting and his elite throwing arm, made a great defensive play to rob Eric Munson of a potential home run. The play came in Guerrero's first season with the club; he won American League MVP honors that season.

Sept. 30, 2000: Glaus swats 47 in 2000
Third baseman Troy Glaus had a breakout year in 2000, when he set the single-season club record for homers, with 47. His 47th (and final) homer of the season came in the second-to-last game, off Seattle's John Halama in a 21-9 loss at Edison Field. Glaus earned his first All-Star selection in 2000 and also won his first Silver Slugger Award. His record stands today.

Sept. 5, 1987: Howell's incredible broken-bat homer
Angels utilityman Jack Howell stunned everyone in attendance at Yankee Stadium when he hit a broken-bat home run to right field off Yankees reliever Tim Stoddard in the ninth. Howell came in as a pinch-hitter with the Angels down by three runs and muscled the ball over the fence for a home run. Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully was on the call and couldn’t believe his eyes, as he said it was the first broken-bat homer he’d ever seen. The Yankees wanted to check the bat, but it was determined Howell did nothing wrong. Howell said in a later interview that he still has the bat as a keepsake.

Aug. 10, 2009: Vlad's 399th, 400th career jacks
Vladimir Guerrero smacked two homers against the Rays to reach 400 career blasts in an 8-7 win. Both of Guerrero's homers were solo shots, as he hit one off Matt Garza in the second inning and another off Russ Springer in the seventh. Guerrero hit 15 homers in 100 games with the Angels that year but departed as a free agent after the season. Guerrero finished his illustrious career with 449 career blasts and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. He remains the only player in the Hall of Fame to wear an Angels cap on his plaque.

Sept. 13, 2008: K-Rod sets save record
Closer Francisco Rodriguez had a historic 2008 season that saw him break the single-season saves record previously held by Bobby Thigpen. Rodriguez recorded his record-breaking 58th save of the year in a 5-2 Angels win over the Mariners on Sept. 13. He finished the season with 62 saves, which still stands as the single-season record. Rodriguez threw the final inning, including striking out the last two batters he faced with runners at second and third to get that record-breaking save.

June 24, 1991: Winfield hits for cycle at 39 years old
Hall of Famer Dave Winfield became the oldest player in Major League history to hit for the cycle when he accomplished the feat against the Royals in a 9-4 win in Kansas City. Winfield was 39 years old and had never hit for the cycle before in his career, but he went 5-for-5 against the Royals and tripled in the eighth inning to complete the cycle. He had a single in the first, a double in the third, a homer in the fifth and another single in the sixth before tripling in the eighth off position player Bill Pecota.