Outfield Provides Team with Big Assist

Outstanding defense kept the Angels in Tuesday’s game, but it was an odd defensive play that might have cost them two runs in the third inning of their 5-4 victory in Fenway Park.

The Angels led, 1-0, on Tim Salmon’s first-inning sacrifice fly. But second baseman Luis Alicea dropped Rudy Pemberton’s one-out liner, apparently while transferring the ball from his glove to his hand, and threw wildly past first, allowing Pemberton to reach second.

Alicea, who had one error in 19 previous games, was charged with two errors on the play. After Nomar Garciaparra walked, Wil Cordero doubled to left for two runs before being thrown out in a rundown between second and third, a play that began with left fielder Garret Anderson’s throw to the plate.

Orlando Palmeiro and Salmon also had outfield assists Tuesday, as did Boston left fielder Cordero, who threw out pinch-runner Craig Grebeck at the plate in the eighth, and Red Sox right fielder Troy O’Leary, whose ninth-inning throw to the infield resulted in Salmon being caught in a rundown.

“I’ve never seen a game in which all three outfielders [from one team] had assists,” Manager Terry Collins said. “But they tell me a lot of strange things happen here.”

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After Angel starter Mark Langston threw 116 pitches in six innings Tuesday, Collins said he will return to a five-man rotation, meaning knuckleballer Dennis Springer will be called up to pitch Sunday against the Chicago White Sox and George Arias will likely return to triple-A Vancouver.

Collins said before the game that if Langston had a long outing, he would have to scrap his four-man rotation, because he didn’t want Langston coming back Saturday on three days’ rest after such a game.

Langston gave up three runs on seven hits for a no-decision, and he got out of a bases-loaded jam by retiring Shane Mack on a popout to end the sixth, but his control problems pushed up his pitch count.

“After tonight’s game,” Collins said, “it wasn’t even a tough decision.”

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Collins, on why he put Jorge Fabregas behind the plate, moved catcher Jim Leyritz to first and first baseman Jim Edmonds to center field with two out and Darren Bragg on first in the ninth inning of the 3-hour, 49-minute game:

“Jim caught a great game, but Jorge can really throw, and if they were going to steal I wanted it to come against our best thrower. I’m sorry I delayed the game, but I really wanted to do that.”

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First baseman Darin Erstad, out since Wednesday because of a strained right hamstring, took batting practice and ran Tuesday, but not at full strength. Collins said the earliest Erstad could return is Friday. . . . Injured pitchers Mark Gubicza and Troy Percival each threw for 10 minutes at a distance of 120 feet Tuesday in Anaheim and reported no discomfort, but neither is expected to join the Angels on this 12-game trip. . . . The Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays have expressed interest in pitcher Jim Abbott, the left-hander who was released by the Angels before the season. Abbott was with the White Sox in 1995 and courted by the Blue Jays before signing his three-year deal with the Angels before the 1996 season.