Fallen Angels Rise to Occasion : Baseball: Jackson and Owen come to life with early home runs to help Langston and Angels to 5-4 victory.

It is perhaps the most cruel and painful transition of an athlete’s life.

One day you’re a star, the focus of media and fan attention, knowing that your teammates rely on your talent. The next thing you know you’re on the bench, willing to give anything just for another opportunity to prove you can still play.

No one will ever confuse Angel teammates Bo Jackson and Spike Owen, but on Wednesday afternoon in the Angels’ 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Anaheim Stadium, they felt as if they never had more in common.

Jackson and Owen each hit first-inning home runs that not only helped provide Mark Langston (3-4) his first victory in five starts, but showed the baseball world that it might be foolish to give up on either of them.

“People can say what they want about me,” said Jackson, who in 107 at-bats has seven homers with 28 runs batted in, “but I speak with my actions. You look at my numbers, and look around the league at guys who play every day, and I’ve got nothing to be ashamed about.”

Jackson, one of the world’s most famous athletes, realizes that he no longer will play every day. Rookie Jim Edmonds has the starting left-field job. Jackson will be used only in spot starts against left-handers and pinch-hitting duties.

Is he complaining?

“I’ve accepted not playing every day,” Jackson said. “If that’s what (Manager Marcel Lachemann) wants to do, that’s fine. Besides, I’m getting old, I can’t be running out there every day.”

This could be the final year of Jackson’s career, but Owen suddenly is resurrecting his. The final year of his three-year, $7-million contract expires after the 1995 season, but if this keeps up, Owen says he may want to play another five years.

Owen, thrust into the starting third-base job when Damion Easley went on the disabled list, continued to show why the New York Yankees paid him that much money in the first place.

Owen became the first Angel in two years to lead off a game with a homer, and Jackson compounded Twin starter Jim Deshaies’ misery by hitting a two-run homer that ended the scoring in the first inning. Owen continued to punish Deshaies in the second inning, hitting a two-run double to left field.

Owen, who never had played third base before this season, has become a savior since Easley’s injury. He has started the last eight games at third base and has been stellar. He has hit safely in the last 10 games, batting .382 with two doubles, one triple and one homer.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen to me when people start getting healthy,” said Owen, “but I’m trying to make a case for myself.

“I know I’m one of the older guys on a young team, but I’m showing people I can still play this game.”

Said Langston: “Spike’s been unbelievable. It’s been difficult for him to go from being an everyday player to sitting on the bench. But look at him, he’s the ultimate leader.

“The same goes for Bo. You don’t see him going around moping about not playing. He may not have the range he had before the hip injury, but he proved today he can still play.”

The early lead provided by Owen and Jackson proved to be the perfect cure-all for Langston and the Angels (25-34). Langston, who had not lasted longer than six innings in his five previous starts since returning from his April 12 elbow surgery, yielded four hits and two runs, striking out seven in seven innings.

The mystery behind Langston’s woes, he said, was hidden behind his closet door. He was rummaging through his closet Tuesday, noticed a few game films from his days in Seattle and sat down for a viewing session.

Besides being amazed at how young he looked six years ago, he was astonished at his discovery. He challenged hitters back in those days. Now, he suddenly realized, he had lost his aggressiveness.

This day, instead of nibbling at the corners, he came right at the Twins. He threw sliders that had them buckling at the knees. Curveballs were snapping over the plate. Fastballs were whizzing past.

“He looked like he had the stuff to throw a no-hitter,” Twin second baseman Chuck Knoblauch said. “He supposedly has a sore arm. I’d hate to see him 100% healthy.”