Angels Face Crucial Test on Road

Pennant races (and now the wild-card chase) really start in September. But for the Angels, the pressure begins Tuesday.

Before Anaheim returns on Sept. 4, it has five games against the Yankees, three against the Red Sox and two against the Indians.

Ten games that could determine their chances of winning the American League West Division, which they haven’t won since 1986.

“We do know how important the next 10 games are,” Tim Salmon said. “First off, we are in first place, but there’s not much margin for error. Second, we’re facing the top three teams in the league. But we can play them well.”

They’ll need to. The Texas Rangers, who trail the Angels by 2 1/2 games, just staggered through a 13-game gantlet against the same three teams. Now the Rangers will try to fatten up on Detroit and Chicago.

“We’re playing the tough teams and Texas is getting the weaker ones,” said Randy Velarde, whose two-run triple in the seventh Sunday was the difference in Anaheim’s 3-2 victory over Toronto. “But it’s our destiny; we have control of it. The teams we play now could be the teams we’ll see if we get to the playoffs. This is an ideal time to see how we match up.”

So far this season the Angels have held their own against the Yankees (3-3), Red Sox (4-4) and Indians (3-6). And they’ve been an excellent road team; their 34-26 away record is third best in the league.

At the same time, New York, Boston and Cleveland began play Sunday a combined 120-57 at home, although the Yankees sort of warp the curve at 48-9.

Chuck Finley, who got the victory Sunday with relief help from Troy Percival, is the lone Angel left from the 1986 team. He said the current core group of players are mentally ready for the task ahead.

“In 1995, even though we had that big lead, I don’t think we were ready to win,” Finley said. “We’re more mature now. We didn’t get any big-time guys before the trade deadline, but we’ve held together. We keep surprising people, winning games we’re not supposed to. That shows heart.”

Other Angels are of the mind-set the trip could make them but won’t break them.

“I still think [the division] will come down to the head-to-head games with Texas,” Garret Anderson said. “You can put an asterisk next to the Yankees in the East; otherwise the good teams in a division tend to stay close to each other.”

It will be Terry Collins’ job not to let the trip define the Angels’ season. There will be 22 games left after the trip, and five against Texas. Besides the Rangers, the only other upcoming Angel opponent playing .500 or better is Baltimore.

“We cannot concern ourselves with tomorrow. We are concerned with today,” Collins said. “Yes, the Yankees, Red Sox and Indians are outstanding. But we are going to compete. If we pitch, catch and put the ball in play, we’ll be OK.

“What if we go 0-10 and Texas goes 10-0? First off I don’t think that will happen. But this trip will be good for the guys who went through 1995 and last year. It’s up to us to continue to improve. And part of that is getting ready for the big series.”