Angels Open Gate for Pennant Drive

The Angels--who headed off to New York on Sunday evening singing, “If we can make it there, we’ll make it anywhere,” or something like that--are feeling pretty good about themselves.

OK, they aren’t 60-some games over .500 like the Yankees, but they’ve won 11 of the last 15, are 2 1/2 games ahead of Texas in the American League West and, well, things just seem to be falling into place, a very un-Angel-like state of affairs.

Take Sunday’s game, for instance. For the second day in a row, the Angels flailed and mostly failed against a Toronto starter, but quickly turned the game around when they got into the Blue Jay bullpen and came away with a 3-2 victory in front of 34,142 sun-baked fans at Edison Field.

So there’s a subtle difference in the clubhouse these days, as if the Angels are starting to really feel like a first-place team.

“We’ve overcome most of the injuries, we’ve overcome the month of July [when they were 9-18],” said Chuck Finley, who pitched well for the umpteenth time in a row but earned only his second victory since June. “Now, everybody is just concentrating on playing hard.

“We’ve got a lead and we know all we have to do is play well to keep it. We’ve got five weeks left and this is where you want to be, this is what we’ve worked for all year.”

The Angels are well aware of the Yankees’ success rate at home--48-9--and equally aware that building a lead during this homestand was important. After all, a victory over the Tigers or Blue Jays counts the same in the standings as a win in New York.

“These games were so important,” said Randy Velarde, whose two-run triple in the seventh lifted the Angels’ record on the homestand to 5-2. “We’re playing good defense, getting great pitching and doing enough [offensively] to get it done.”

Finley, who gave up six hits and two runs and struck out seven in 7 2/3 innings, will pitch on three days’ rest so he can get a start against the Yankees on Thursday. But getting their ace on the mound in New York isn’t going to do much good if the Angel batters continue to act as if he was pitching against them.

Toronto starter Woody Williams gave up just two hits and a run, but apparently started to wilt in the 96-degree heat and left after six innings. The Angels were glad to see reliever Carlos Almanzar crawl over the bullpen fence--the gate was stuck and five Edison Field maintenance men were still working on it when the Angels rallied to take the lead.

Almanzar gave up a single to Matt Walbeck. Then Norberto Martin, starting at shortstop in place of Gary DiSarcina, attempted to sacrifice.

Toronto first baseman Carlos Delgado charged the plate and grabbed Martin’s bunt with plenty of time to force Walbeck at second, but his throw bounced past shortstop Alex Gonzalez into center field and Walbeck ended up on third with Martin at second.

“It worked out perfectly,” Delgado said, “until I threw the ball.”

One out later, Velarde sent a missile over the head of center fielder Jose Cruz Jr.

Craig Grebeck opened the eighth with a single off Finley and Gonzalez followed with a single to center. Shannon Stewart sacrificed the runners to second and third, but Finley struck out Shawn Green looking at a 3-2 pitch before giving way to Troy Percival.

“That was a tremendous pitch and it says so much about Chuck,” Angel Manager Terry Collins said. “He knew that was his last batter, he knew he had to strike him out. Whether he’s got his best stuff or not, he just seems to always make the pitch he has to make.”

Percival struck out Jose Canseco and gave up only a walk in the ninth to pick up his 35th save.

“You know how much I hate bringing in Percy in the eighth inning,” Collins said, “but it’s pennant time.”

The Angels have seen their title hopes evaporate in the heat of a swing through the East Coast before, but Collins and his players seem confident it will still be “pennant time” when they return home Sept. 3.