Without Pressure, Victories Come

Throughout their struggles of April, May, June and July, the underachieving Angels always maintained there was time to get back into playoff contention.

But now that August is winding down, time is running out and the Angels have virtually no shot at winning the American League West, they are more relaxed, more confident and playing some of their best ball of the season.

“Maybe some of the pressure of being the team to beat is gone,” right fielder Tim Salmon said. “Were those expectations realistic? We all believed they were, but in hindsight you start to say, ‘Were they?’ It goes to show you there’s a lot more to being a good team than just looking good on paper.”

Though the Angels lost to the Orioles, 5-4, Saturday night, they have already won five games on a 10-game East Coast trip that usually leaves them defeated and demoralized. They have also won seven of their last 11.

“There’s a no-holds-barred, run-when-you-want, just-go-out-and-play kind of attitude,” Salmon said. “That may not be the formula for success over the long haul, but maybe it is for now. We’ve got nothing to lose. We’ve been beaten up all year, and we’re tired of it.”

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Salmon snapped an 0-for-14 skid Saturday night with a sixth-inning single that started a two-run rally. He also made the game’s best defensive play, gunning down Roberto Alomar at the plate in the first inning, when Alomar tried to score from second on Brady Anderson’s single. . . . Angel right-hander Pep Harris gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings of his first major league start, but it could have been worse--the Orioles went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position in the first three innings. . . . Joe Maddon, who replaced interim Manager John McNamara last week, when asked what he’d like to be called: “How about interim squared? Or I2D2?”

There was some concern Saturday when Oriole Manager Davey Johnson, who was hospitalized Thursday because of an irregular heartbeat, had not arrived at Camden Yards by the time Baltimore starting batting practice. Not to worry. Johnson is fine--he just overslept on an afternoon nap and arrived about two hours before the game. . . . Graig Nettles, the former New York Yankee third baseman who is managing Bakersfield’s co-op team in the Class-A California League, has expressed interest in the Angel job. . . . Reliever Chuck McElroy (strained tendon in left thumb) will rejoin the Angels Monday in Anaheim but will not be ready to come off the disabled list . . . Oriole shortstop Cal Ripken (36) and Salmon (28) celebrated birthdays Saturday . . . Wondering about all those goatees on the chins of Angel players? The Walt Disney Co., unlike the Autry family, does not have a team policy banning facial hair.