Lovullo Steps In, Steps Up and Stands Out : Angels: Third baseman doing everything at right time to earn a job.

Torey Lovullo stepped up to the plate in the fourth inning of the Angels’ 5-2 victory over Texas on Wednesday evening and jacked Ranger starter Kevin Brown’s third pitch over the right field fence. What else is new?

The Angels’ official 1993 California vanity plate on this guy:

L vullo.

If not for Lovullo and his sparkling .318 batting average, what would have happened at third base when Kelly Gruber’s shoulder shredded? Who would have taken over when Rene Gonzales came up with a bum thumb? Who would have been given the chance when Gary Gaetti produced another batting average resembling a good speed in the Indianapolis 500?

The Angels handed Lovullo an opportunity and he seized it like a dog latching onto that last pork chop.

“I never dreamed I’d have this many at-bats at this point in the season,” said Lovullo, who has 110. “No way. I’m just fortunate to have a manager who has confidence in me.

“That’s my role, and I’m happy with it. I’m one of 25 guys, and I feel like a part of the team. Sometimes on teams I’ve played on, I felt like an outsider looking in.”

Lovullo’s latest opportunity came this week, after Gruber dinged his shoulder in Monday’s game. The substitute third baseman collected two hits on Tuesday and two more Wednesday.

His homer in the fourth pulled the Angels into a 1-1 tie. Then, after a walk in the fifth, he singled up the middle in the seventh.

The homer, on a fastball, was the most dramatic. Lovullo said he simply sat on a fastball and swung early.

“(Brown) is such a heck of a pitcher, and it was a fastball situation,” Lovullo said. “I cheated and luckily got enough bat on the ball. It came at a good time.”

A good time? Angel Manager Buck Rodgers was ecstatic.

“Torey got us started with that big home run,” Rodgers said. “That broke the ice and it seemed like things cruised for us from there.

“We had to break the ice, and that was a big ice breaker.”

Lovullo is developing a habit of hitting homers against the other team’s top pitcher. He has three homers this season--all while batting left-handed--against Boston’s Roger Clemens, Rick Sutcliffe of Baltimore and Brown.

His batting average with runners in scoring positions is .385--the best of all Angels with 50 or more at-bats.

And his batting average leads all Angels except Gruber, who has only been around for the last week.

“He’s doing a good job for us,” said J.T. Snow, who was a teammate of Lovullo’s at triple-A Columbus last season. “I played with him all of last year and got to see what type of player he is. He’s real solid.

“I’m just glad to see him get an opportunity here. He deserves it.”

Lovullo, who has never had more than 87 major-league at-bats in a season, is thrilled.

“It’s something I never expected, 100 at-bats at this time,” Lovullo said. “I thought I’d be an occasional fill-in player. But I welcome the challenge. I have a lot of confidence.”

Gaetti, who might still be in Anaheim if not for Lovullo’s play, could certainly attest to that. And so can Gruber, Gonzales, and a whole bunch of others.

As for Lovullo, he was happy he could help keep the Angels within 1 1/2 games of the Royals.

“It was a huge win for us, getting a chance to go against a tough pitcher like Kevin Brown. But Chuck (Finley) kept us in the game. If we can just take off the rest of this home stand. . . .”

He meant take off like a rocket, not take off as in vacation. Even when he has a day off, Lovullo certainly doesn’t think about taking time off. Third base might be just a sprained ankle away.