Rangers Looking to Survive the Cut : Baseball: Texas would rather think about making the playoffs rather than just focus on catching the Angels.

They had gone 3-14 since July 17. One of their feared sluggers, Juan Gonzalez, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday (retroactive to July 27) because of neck and shoulder problems. They came into Anaheim Stadium down 11 games in the standings.

Is there still enough time for the Texas Rangers to catch the Angels in the AL West?

Even with a 6-4 victory Friday, the Rangers aren’t sure.

“We’re going to need help just getting into the playoffs,” Ranger Manager Johnny Oates said. “We’re need a lot of help to catch California.

“Right now our goal is to make the playoffs. I’ll take what I can get.”

The four-game series this weekend is not the last time Texas goes head-to-head with the Angels. There’s a three-game series in Arlington starting Sept. 22. But it could be the Rangers’ last stand regarding the division title if they don’t have at least three victories after their final at-bat Monday. Maybe all four.

“You never know in baseball,” said Otis Nixon, who was on the 1991 Atlanta Braves team that overcame the Dodgers’ 9 1/2-game lead at the All-Star break to win the NL West. “The Angels definitely have a great team; they’re playing with a lot of confidence. What would stop them would be some kind of major turnaround.

“That season in Atlanta was a miracle season. We don’t have the pitching the Braves did, which will make it tougher,” Nixon said.

He singled twice, scored three times and drove in a run.

“When you go head-to-head with the team in first you want to win as many as you can,” said Mickey Tettleton, whose eighth-inning home run off Chuck Finley, his 21st, gave Texas the lead for good. “A sweep would be great, but if we didn’t it wouldn’t be the end of the world.

“We’re still looking for that second-half spark. One win has been a roll for us.”

Friday was a good start. Rogers, 7-1 lifetime against the Angels, has never lost to the Angels in 10 career starts. (His only defeat came June 28, 1991, in relief.)

He would have had much less trouble recording his 10th victory of the year if he didn’t have to face Tim Salmon, who drove in all four Angel runs with two homers.

“The Angels’ lineup is almost as good as Cleveland’s,” said Rogers, who went 7 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits, walking three and striking out eight. “But if you make your pitches against even good hitters, most of the time you can get them out.

“Are the Angels out of reach? I don’t know. But we can’t think about catching up if we keep playing the way we have.”

Certainly the Rangers have obstacles. They’ve only had one winning August in the past eight seasons. After Rogers, the starting pitching is in turmoil--Kevin Gross, Roger Pavlik and Scott Taylor are 10-18 combined.