BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Salmon Keeps Up Torrid Pace in Arlington

The Angels caught a flight to Seattle after Sunday’s 5-0 victory over the Texas Rangers, but right fielder Tim Salmon probably hated to leave The Ballpark at Arlington.

With three singles and two runs batted in Sunday, Salmon improved his 1995 average in Arlington to .682 (15 for 22) with three home runs, eight RBIs and nine runs scored.

“It’s luck,” Salmon said. “Two broken-bat singles and a jam shot? That’s definitely luck, but you have to have luck to win.”

The Angels will take it. Salmon’s two-out single in the first inning gave them their first lead in 75 innings, and his RBI single in the fifth made it 4-0, just enough of a cushion over the Rangers’ potent lineup to ease the mind of pitcher Jim Abbott.

“That was terrific,” Abbott said. “Ideally you want to keep your focus the same, but any time you get runs it makes it easier. It changes their approach at the plate, and that helps.”

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Abbott went the distance on a three-hitter Sunday for his sixth career shutout and first since Sept. 4, 1993, when the left-hander threw a no-hitter against Cleveland as a Yankee.

Abbott (11-8) also embellished his reputation as the road warrior of the Angel pitching staff. Since the July 27 trade that brought him to Anaheim from the Chicago White Sox, Abbott is 5-1 with a 1.51 earned-run average on the road but 0-3 with a 6.96 ERA at home.

His last scheduled start of the regular season is Friday at home against Oakland.

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Angel left-hander Mark Langston, suffering from tendinitis in his biceps, said his arm felt much better Sunday, but Manager Marcel Lachemann still is considering moving his next start back a day.

Shawn Boskie will face Seattle’s Andy Benes Tuesday, and Langston is scheduled to oppose Tim Belcher Wednesday, but Lachemann might replace Langston with Chuck Finley for Wednesday’s game.

The good news for the Angels is they won’t have to face Seattle left-hander Randy Johnson, who is 16-2 and leads the major leagues with 275 strikeouts.

“That’s a rare miss--we usually get him every time,” shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “But Benes and Belcher are quality pitchers too.”