Since then, the Angels are 11-6.

"It was important, something that the team needed to do, just as a family," Reagins said. "We had a chance to express our feelings among one another. A lot of the players didn't get an opportunity to go back (to Maryland for the funeral), and it was important to have a memorial for them. Nick touched a lot of people in the organization."

"I'll never forget it," Hunter said. "That closed that chapter a little bit. We cracked some jokes. People spoke about how funny he was. It wasn't a sad service. It was a happy service. It was a going-away party. We laughed. I think that helped give us some closure."

Adenhart's fellow starters are among those who knew him best, and their performance this year has made for a compelling tribute. Weaver's 2.45 ERA is second only to Zack Greinke in the American League. The only issue with his outing on Tuesday — seven innings, one earned run — is that he was pulled after 98 pitches, leaving plenty of time for three relievers (Jose Arredondo, Darren Oliver, Scot Shields) to enable a Boston comeback.

As he began warming up before the game, Weaver carefully tapped the likeness of Adenhart, 22, imprinted on the wall in center.

"He was a great kid," Weaver said. "Our thoughts and prayers are still with him. They're going to be with him probably forever."

The Angels should, in time, overtake the Rangers and win yet another division title. But this team still has its share of weaknesses.

They have hit only 24 home runs in 31 games, the second-lowest total in the AL. The absence of power was apparent again on Tuesday, when the Angels stranded 10 runners and allowed 24-year-old starter Justin Masterson to twist from a series of jams.

The bullpen is a sore spot, now that the team has traded Francisco Rodriguez's record-setting 62 saves for Brian Fuentes' 5.40 ERA. (Without Hunter's over-the-wall catch to rescue Fuentes in Sunday's ninth, the winning streak might not have made it through the weekend.) Key setup men Arredondo and Shields have struggled.

"It's an important part of our team," Scioscia said of the bullpen. "We need guys down there that are going to get outs. Right now, some guys are searching for some stuff."

One month ago, the Angels were dealing with an entirely different set of concerns. And they still are. During those first games after Adenhart's death, Hunter noticed that the team's normal intensity was absent. There weren't any jokes or loud music in the clubhouse. Strikeouts and losses didn't seem to matter as much.

It's a little different now. Not normal. Just different.

"This guy played the game," Hunter said. "He was a competitor — a starting pitcher. They always want to win. He's looking down on us, like, 'Why you guys sad? Play the game. I want you guys to win.'

"I can see him now, looking down, and he's excited that we're getting back on track."

Kansas City Royals News News » Angels almost back to normal, on field at least
Angels almost back to normal, on field at least
ANAHEIM, Calif. - No matter how many games they win, normalcy will remain a myth for the 2009 Angels. Baseball-as-usual ended when star pitching prospect Nick Adenhart died in a car accident hours after a scoreless start in the season's third game. The schedule stopped for one day, but the remembrances have continued. Ushers at Angel Stadium wear black pins with "34" in white. Adenhart's image is on the cover of game programs, not to mention the center-field wall. And starter Jered Weaver traced "NA" on the nape of the mound before Tuesday's first pitch, as he plans to do for the remainder of the season. The Angels went 4-7 during the first 11 games after the tragedy, and it's a wonder they played even that well. Apart from the grief, they dealt with a succession of pitching injuries. Gradually, though, the Angels have started to look like the Angels again. They had won four straight games before their bullpen buckled in a 4-3 loss to Boston on Tuesday night. They've lost only one of their past five series. And they are second in the American League West, 1 1/2 games behind Texas. "I don't think it will ever be normal," general manager Tony Reagins said. "But with anyone who's dealt with the loss of a family member, the loss of a close friend, it gets better with time."