Angels on life-support entering a lone-star showdown.

I'm usually not one to say that four game series in July are make-or-break, but this four game series in Texas starting tonight is indeed "the season" for the Angels.

The Angels have "slumped" for most of this season and sit five games behind the AL West leading Rangers. I put "slumped" in quotation marks because I have a hard time seeing how a team with a 51-46 record is disappointing, but there certainly is something very disappointing about this season.

The season started with a void of familiar faces (Vladimir Guerrero, Benedict Lackey, Chone Figgins) and a ton of new ones (Hideki Matsui, Fernando Rodney, Joel Pineiro). The Angels stumbled out of the games, much like they alway do, and it was only after slugging first baseman Kendry Morales broke his leg celebrating a walk-off grand slam did the Angels start to pick it up. And allthough we might be telling a different story had Morales not broken his leg, maybe it was the wake-up call these Angels needed.

However, despite a winning record and a 4-2 record to start the second half of the season, there has been very little to write home about. Torii Hunter has had a solid, fringe MVP season, and Jered Weaver should be a top 3 Cy Young contender. Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar, Ervin Santana and Mike Napoli (doing most of his work filling in for Morales at first) have had solid seasons as well. And Pineiro has outpitched Lackey, the man he replaced in the rotation for about $10 million less.

But the bad outweighs the good. Scott Kazmir has been atrocious, and curently sports an ERA close to seven (he is on the DL for "shoulder fatigue." A.K.A "suckitis") Brandon Wood has been equally as bad, hitting below his weight. Matsui, brought in to replace fan favorite (and 2010 AL All-Star) Guerrero, but has struggled badly against lefties and along with Guerrero's monster season in TEXAS OF ALL PLACES has made this swap look like a fail. Joe Saunders has been marginally inconsistent throughout the season, as have Bobby Abreu, Jeff Mathis, Juan Rivera, and the entire Angels bullpen. Speaking of the Angels bullpen, Brian "Daisy" Fuentes has been about as bad as you can be in a closing role, yet still finds himself there.

Yet for all that bad, the Angels are still just five games back entering their four game showdown with Texas.

Now obviously a sweep is a season killer. I also thinking losing three-of-four is as well. A split isn't ideal, but I dont think it kills you season; unlike other Angel fans will lead you to believe. However the Angels NEED to take three-of-four or outright sweep this series. Is that likely? Honestly, with the Angels bullpen the way it is, I don't think so. But, the Angels will send out Weaver (against Cliff Lee TONIGHT!), Santana, Saunders and Sean O' Sullivan, fresh off a steller performance in the Bronx. So we'll see.

The bottom line is this. The Angels NEED to take this series in Arlington. Like Torii Hunter said last year, this team needs to show some nuts. It's time.