Angels Fight for Everything They Can Get

The Angels did not gain any ground on the Seattle Mariners in the American League West or the New York Yankees in the wild-card race Friday night.

But at least they left Anaheim Stadium feeling a little bit better about themselves after an 8-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals before a crowd of 25,259.

An error by Royal shortstop Jay Bell opened the door for the Angels to score three unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and snap a 5-5 tie and a three-game losing streak.

Pep Harris threw 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out three, to gain the victory, and closer Troy Percival struck out two of four in the ninth for his 24th save and the team’s first since Aug. 31.

The Angels still have lost eight of their last 10 games and 18 of their last 26, and their 5 1/2-game deficit in the West will be difficult to overcome, considering there are only 15 games left.

But no victory is hollow considering the depths this team has reached this past month, so maintaining the status quo in the standings--at least for a day--is a step in the right direction.

The Angels’ winning rally began when Bell overthrew first base on Rickey Henderson’s one-out grounder to the hole. Tony Phillips walked and, after Tim Salmon popped out, Dave Hollins walked to load the bases.

Jim Edmonds worked the count full against reliever Matt Whisenant before walking on an inside fastball, forcing in Henderson for a 6-5 lead. Darin Erstad then looped a broken-bat, two-run single to right-center on an 0-and-2 pitch for an 8-5 lead.

The Angels snapped a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the fourth when Luis Alicea singled, took third on Gary DiSarcina’s single and scored on Henderson’s RBI fielder’s choice, his first RBI since Aug. 30.

Reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa, who replaced starter Allen Watson in the fourth, gave up only one hit in 2 1/3 innings, but it cost him dearly.

Pinch-hitter Jose Offerman led off the seventh with a double to right-center, took third on Johnny Damon’s grounder and scored on Bell’s sacrifice fly to right off Harris to make it 5-5.

The Big A field will be bigger when renovations are complete in 1998--the left-center-field gap will go from 370 feet to about 400 feet, and the right-field wall will more than double in height from eight feet to 17 feet.

Watson can’t wait. This stadium doesn’t seem big enough for the Angel left-hander, who gave up three more home runs Friday night, increasing his major league-leading total to 35.

The Angels built a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Phillips singled, Salmon walked and Hollins singled to center off Royal starter Jose Rosado, who entered with a 2-0 record and 1.42 earned-run average in three career starts against the Angels. Phillips scored on Hollins’ hit, and Salmon scored on first baseman Jeff King’s error.

But Royal third baseman Dean Palmer sliced the lead in half when he drilled a solo home run deep into the left-field bleachers in the second. Angel catcher Chad Kreuter’s two-run homer in the bottom of the second made it 4-1, but Watson gave it all back in the fourth.

King homered to left, making it 4-2, Palmer singled, and Yamil Benitez homered to straight-away center to make it 4-4. Mike Sweeney reached on Hollins’ error, and Shane Halter walked before Manager Terry Collins replaced Watson with Hasegawa.

The Angel reliever walked Jed Hansen to load the bases but caught Bell, the No. 3 hitter, looking at a full-count slider on the inside corner to end the inning.

Watson seemed dominant at times--he struck out seven and walked none--but his 3 2/3-inning, four-run, seven-hit effort meant he has given up 21 earned runs on 32 hits, including six homers, in 17 1/3 innings of his last four starts.

“He doesn’t want to walk people, and he challenges hitters,” Collins said, searching for an explanation for Watson’s home run totals. “He just has to make better pitches in certain situations.”