Angels Display Some New Life in Comeback

The Angels, who might be looking to shake up their roster, might also be on the verge of turning things around.

They beat the Cleveland Indians, 5-4, Tuesday in front of 29,916 at Edison Field. It was only their second consecutive victory, but it came after spotting the Indians a 4-1 lead.

Shortstop Gary DiSarcina broke a 4-4 tie with a single to score Troy Glaus in the eighth. Troy Percival, who has a history of poor performances against the Indians, then pitched a perfect ninth for his 30th save.

The victory kept the Angels a half game behind Texas in the American League West. It came a day after the Angels thrashed the Indians, 11-4, a bright spot coming on the heels of a 9-20 streak.

“These are two big wins,” said designated hitter Tim Salmon, who had a season-high four hits, including his 20th home run.

“I know Cleveland would probably say they’re not playing their best, but neither are we.

“You don’t turn that around with one victory. You have to build on it. You get to the point where you stop thinking, ‘We need to win tonight,’ and just go out and win.”

That sort of attitude was apparent in Percival, who has been hammered by Cleveland four times in his career. He gave up three runs in one inning against the Indians on April 10 and took the loss.

But Percival blew through Travis Fryman, Mark Whiten and David Justice, striking out the last two, for the save.

It was also seen in DiSarcina, who drove in the tying run and the winning run.

“Gary doesn’t get RBIs in games we’re losing 10-1, he gets big RBIs,” Manager Terry Collins said. “I’m never worried when Gary is at the plate, because I know he’s not going to strike out. He’s going to find a hole. He did so tonight.

“Tim Salmon gets big hits. He did so tonight. He is going great right now.”

Absent, though, was Cecil Fielder, who has not played in the last three games.

Todd Greene is completing his rehabilitation assignment in triple-A Vancouver on Thursday and the Angels, who want Greene’s bat in Anaheim, might make a move. A decision could come by the end of the week.

Angel officials had no comment.

Greene, a catcher, is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. But it hasn’t affected his hitting. He has seven home runs and has driven in 19 runs in 28 games in Vancouver.

Fielder, who will make $2.8 million this year, had his playing time reduced when the Angels called up Glaus from Vancouver. With Glaus at third, Collins moved Dave Hollins to first.

“This is the time of year you want to be in the lineup,” Fielder said, “but whatever my role is, I just want to help the team.”

Asked what that role might be, Fielder said, “Go ask the manager.”

Collins said he planned to use Fielder and Hollins as situations merited. The Angels have scored 22 runs in the last three games without Fielder.

They were held in check by the Indians’ Dave Burba Tuesday, but broke loose when Burba left with a tight hamstring after five innings. Salmon’s homer--his seventh against Cleveland this season--was the only run Burba allowed.

But the Angels scored three in the sixth, two on Matt Walbeck’s double. DiSarcina followed with a single to tie the score, 4-4.

“We were sleepwalking for a while,” Walbeck said.

The woke up too late to help Chuck Finley, who has had little luck since beating San Francisco for his eighth victory on June 30. He is 0-1 in his last six starts, including a no-decision Tuesday. He had left three of those games early because of minor injuries, twice when he was hit by line drives.

Tuesday it wasn’t how hard he was hit by line drives, but how hard Manny Ramirez hit his pitches.

Ramirez, a .167 lifetime hitter against Finley, homered in the first, giving the Indians a 2-0 lead. He singled home a run in the third and hit a home run in the sixth.