Angels Feeling Good and Lucky

Do you believe in magic?

How about magic beads?

Pitching coach Joe Coleman has been wearing the good luck charms around his neck for two nights and guess what? The Angels, losers of 12 of 14 before the beads, have beaten the winningest team in the league twice in a row.

Wednesday night, they overcame another horrendous pitching performance by Jason Grimsley and a six-run deficit on their way to an 8-7 victory over Cleveland in front of 23,887 at Anaheim Stadium.

Coleman, then Angel bullpen coach, and former Manager Doug Rader picked up a bead necklace at a restaurant during a road trip to Texas in 1989. Coleman wore it and the Angels won 10 of their next 12.

The 1996 Angels obviously were in need of some good karma, so--because the original beads are in storage at Coleman’s home in Fort Myers, Fla.--pitchers Troy Percival and Mike James found new ones, a beyond-camp collection of iridescent purple, green, blue and pink pea-sized balls with a green plastic fish hanging in front.

“They’re not going to let me take them off now,” Coleman said. “You can’t underestimate bead power.”

Who’s to argue? Not Pep Harris, who was traded by the Indians to the Angels along with Grimsley for Brian Anderson. Harris made his major league debut with two outs in the sixth inning and it was smashing.

With the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first, Mark Carreon hit a shot to third. Rookie George Arias made a diving stop and threw to second for a force play that ended the inning.

Harris, the 25th pitcher who has taken the mound for the Angels--one more than the previous team record set in 1993--gave up a leadoff double to Jose Vizcaino in the seventh and then pinch-hitter Brian Giles hit a pop-up to right that eluded second baseman Randy Velarde and right fielder Tim Salmon. But Harris struck out Kenny Lofton and got Omar Vizquel and Jim Thome to pop up to end the inning.

You can bet Coleman was kissing his beads at this point.

“I was trying to make them put the ball in play somewhere,” Harris said. “Fortunately, I got that big strikeout. You have to put [facing Cleveland] out of your mind. I can’t give them too much credit.

“I was more excited than nervous. I can’t put it into words, I’m just so excited about it all.”

In the eighth, Harris struck out Albert Belle, got Manny Ramirez on a shot back to the mound, walked Jeromy Burnitz and then struck out Carreon to end the inning and a most-impressive beginning in an Angel uniform. He gave up one hit and one walk while striking out three in 2 1/3 innings.

Percival came in to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth, picking up his 29th save and his second in as many games.

“[Harris] gave us a tremendous lift,” Manager John McNamara said.

“He pitched outstanding in a pressure situation.”

The Indians sent 11 batters to the plate in the second.

Four of the first five scored, thanks to two-run doubles by Burnitz and Tony Pena, who came up to the plate carrying the burden of a 0-for-20 slump.

Thome and Belle added RBI singles.

Singles by Garret Anderson and Gary DiSarcina, a two-run double by Arias, a single by Velarde and a two-run single by Jim Edmonds added up to a four-run second inning.

Cleveland Manager Mike Hargrove yanked starter Jack McDowell (10-7) in the third after Chili Davis singled, Anderson doubled, J.T. Snow drove in a run with a groundout and DiSarcina walked.

Jorge Fabregas then singled to center to score Anderson and, one out later, Velarde smacked a two-run double off the wall in center.

The Indians pulled to within a run in the sixth when Vizquel and Thome opened the inning with singles and Vizquel moved to third on Belle’s fly to deep center.

Ramirez got an RBI with his legs, just beating out what appeared to be a double play when he hit a slow roller back to reliever Greg Gohr, who pitched four innings, giving up eight hits and one run in earning his first victory for the Angels.

Harris, however, came in to save the day and expand on the legend of the beads.

Coleman won’t be taking them off for a while, but he is making one concession to fashion.

He has a backup necklace--with more conservative brown and white beads--to wear with his suit on the team flight to Boston today.