Angel Hitters Nail A’s

The persistent sounds of jackhammers and buzz saws can be irritating, the occasional cannon-like blasts can rattle a pitcher out of his windup, and the scaffolding, concrete and cranes are a bit of an eyesore.

But the Angels like the new Oakland Coliseum, hard-hat area and all. J.T. Snow, Rex Hudler and Jim Edmonds each homered and the Angels pounded out 12 hits Wednesday night in a 6-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics before a crowd of 6,721 in this stadium-turned-construction site.

It marked the second straight offensive outburst here for the Angels, who mustered only 14 runs in five games in Milwaukee and Chicago before coming to Oakland. But outstanding relief pitching and defense were just as responsible for the victory.

Shawn Boskie, demoted from the rotation to the bullpen on April 18, relieved starter Phil Leftwich in the fourth, quelled an Oakland uprising sparked by Mark McGwire’s grand slam and pitched four scoreless innings to gain the victory.

Mike James retired the side in order in the eighth, and Troy Percival, making his first appearance in a week, struck out McGwire and Terry Steinbach and got Phil Plantier to line out to right field to end the ninth for his ninth save.

The Angels also turned two double plays--one on McGwire to preserve a two-run lead in the sixth--and Edmonds kept the Angels out of danger, leaping to catch Geronimo Berroa’s eighth-inning drive to deep center and holding on after crashing into the wall.

“That catch didn’t even surprise me,” Hudler said. “Anything close to the wall, he’s going to catch it. He should have won the Gold Glove last year, and I definitely see a Gold Glove in his future. He’s one of the best young athletes in the game.”

He’s also one of the American League’s best young hitters, which he showed again Wednesday, getting a single in a three-run rally in the first and capping a three-run second with his ninth homer of the season. With three hits Tuesday and two Wednesday, Edmonds raised his average to .326 in a park that is quickly becoming one of his favorites.

The city of Oakland and Alameda County are enclosing the stadium to increase seating capacity for the Oakland Raiders, a project that seems to have had a direct impact on the flight paths of batted baseballs.

“They’re just flying out of here,” Edmonds said.

The statistics support his claim. In the seven games here this season, teams have combined for 21 home runs, including six in two games by the Angels.

After Hudler’s game-opening double, Edmonds’ single and Tim Salmon’s RBI fielder’s choice, J.T. Snow hit a two-run home run to right field, his first homer of the season after hitting 24 in 1995.

Hudler drilled a two-run homer off Oakland starter Todd Van Poppel in the second, and Edmonds sent Van Poppel’s next pitch to almost the exact same spot for a 6-0 lead. But relievers Don Wengert, Mike Mohler, Bill Taylor and John Briscoe blanked the Angels the rest of the way.

Leftwich, who missed most of last season because of a shoulder injury and was making his first major league start since Aug. 7, 1994, retired the first nine batters.

But trouble materialized quickly in the fourth when Allen Battle singled off George Arias’ glove at third, Jason Giambi, whose hitting streak ended at 19, walked and Berroa reached on an infield single to load the bases.

Leftwich then grooved on 0-1 fastball to McGwire, who knocked it over the center-field wall for his seventh career grand slam, and third against the Angels. Steinbach singled, but Boskie came on and got Plantier to hit into a 1-6-3 double play, and the A’s managed only three hits off him.

“When I come out of the bullpen my arm feels strong and I just let it fly for a few innings,” Boskie (2-0) said.