Angels Get Back Into First Place in AL West

Troy Percival flung the last pitch past Jose Canseco--the potential tying run--for the final out Friday.

He spun around, almost wearily, while his Angel teammates seemed to trudge out of the dugout to do some back-patting. After outlasting the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-5, the Angels were back in first place in the American League West.

“Great, whatever,” designated hitter Tim Salmon said. “It’s something to get excited about. It would be nice to stay there.

“We scratched and clawed for everything tonight. Every game seems to be tough. It would be nice to have an easy one.”

Those have been rare against the Blue Jays this season. The Angels were winless in five games against Toronto before hanging on in front of 27,276 in SkyDome to ease past Texas into first.

The Rangers lost, 6-4, to New York.

Pitcher Allen Watson, making his first start for the Angels in two weeks--and maybe his last--went five innings. He was dinged up here and there, giving up four runs, but got the victory.

Aggressive baserunning sparked one three-run inning, and a Blue Jay error led to another. The bullpen wobbled, but held, to get to Percival, who picked up his 33rd save.

It all added up to a game a team in a pennant race needed to win.

“We just want to stay close with Texas until we play them,” Manager Terry Collins said.

The Angels have done so thus far on crutches, and were without two starters Friday. Randy Velarde had tightness in his right elbow, the same one that kept him out for two seasons. Jim Edmonds had a sore big toe on his right foot. He fouled a ball off it Wednesday, but X-rays were negative.

Both made cameo appearances late, with Velarde driving in a run as a pinch-hitter. But most of the work was done without them.

“That’s a testament to the guys who have filled in,” Salmon said. “We haven’t been at full strength all year. We go out and play hard. We get a few breaks. We get some good pitching.”

Good was an apt way to describe Watson, who will probably be at the heart of the next major decision. With Jack McDowell ready to be activated, the Angels need to make room on the roster and in the starting rotation.

Watson gave up six hits in five innings. On two of the hits, he was just unlucky. Jose Cruz’s bunt rolled dead on the foul line in the second inning. Tony Fernandez got an Astroturf double, chopping the ball over third baseman Troy Glaus’ head, in the fourth.

Both were key hits in two-run innings.

But Watson worked out of trouble in the fifth when, with two on and no outs, he retired Shawn Green, Canseco and Carlos Delgado, the Blue Jays top three run-producers.

“It wasn’t like they were hitting home runs or doubles off the wall,” Watson said.

The Angels staked Watson to an early lead, manufacturing three runs in the first inning.

Orlando Palmeiro beat out a chopper to lead off. Reggie Williams then dribbled a ball into right field on a hit-and-run play. The Angels played hit-and-run again, and Garret Anderson rolled another single into right field for a 1-0 lead. Salmon’s sacrifice fly and singles by Todd Greene and Craig Shipley scored two more runs.

“We were without Edmonds in the middle of the lineup, so we had to get a little bit creative,” Collins said.

Palmeiro was at the center of the Angel three-run fourth. With two on and no outs, he laid down a sacrifice bunt, racing up the line. Fernandez’s throw was high and the Angels had the bases loaded. All three runners scored, one on a bases-loaded walk to Williams, another on Anderson’s double-play grounder. Salmon then whacked a double to the left-field fence to score Palmeiro for a 6-2 lead.

Not that anyone was feeling comfortable. Come-from-behind wins have been the Blue Jays’ way of late. They had five consecutive victories, all after trailing.

“It seemed like every time I looked up, they had the tying run at the plate,” Collins said.

They did, right up to the end.

“Maybe we’re just never going to have an easy one,” Salmon said. “Maybe we’re going to be in fights all year long.”

*

* A GRAND TIME: Two bases-loaded home runs put Baltimore catcher Chris Hoiles in rare baseball company. C6