Angels Still Have Yankees’ Number : Angels Still Have Yankees’ Number

If this is a playoff preview, the Yankees had better worry.

Anaheim came from behind to beat New York for the third straight time, with Reggie Williams hitting a go-ahead, two-run homer that led the Angels to a 6-4 victory Wednesday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.

“We re still human; there’s no doubt about that,” Yankee reliever Mike Stanton said.

New York, which wasted a 2-0 lead, has allowed 41 runs in its last five games and looks nothing like the powerhouse that raced to a 94-32 record before the skid. The Yankees have lost four straight for the first time since last Sept. 1-6.

“Now, all of a sudden, the question isn’t who we’re going to play in the World Series, it’s how we’re going to get there,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “Funny what happens in a week.”

The Angels, who began the day with a 3 1/2-game lead over Texas in the American League West, are 6-3 against the Yankees this season--the only team to lead New York in the season series--and could open the playoffs at Yankee Stadium.

“Nothing means anything until you get to the postseason. In 1988, we beat them 11 out of 12 and lost to them in the playoffs,” said David Cone, remembering how the Mets dominated the Dodgers during the regular season 10 years ago.

Jeff Juden (1-2) won for the first time in 11 starts since June 26 and for the first time in four starts since the Angels acquired him from Milwaukee on Aug. 7. He allowed four runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings.

“There were some great defensive plays made behind me,” Juden said.

Troy Percival, who hasn’t allowed an earned run in 18 1/3 career innings against New York, got three outs for his career-high 37th save as the Angels won for the eighth time in 10 games. Percival tied Boston’s Tom Gordon for the AL lead.

Anaheim Manager Terry Collins seemed surprised the Angels won the first three games of the five-game series.

“We might have gotten them at the right time,” he said. “If you took a poll, there’s probably a few guys in [the Angels] clubhouse that didn’t think we’d win three straight.”

Ryan Bradley (1-1), who won in relief last Saturday in his major league debut, started for the Yankees after Ramiro Mendoza had a wart removed from his buttocks and was scratched. Bradley opened with four shutout innings, but gave up three runs in each of the next two.

In all, Bradley struck out eight in five-plus innings, allowing five earned runs, seven hits and four walks.

Tino Martinez’s 23rd homer--a drive off the facing of the right-field upper deck--put New York ahead in the second, and Paul O’Neill had an RBI double in the third.

Gary DiSarcina had an RBI double in the fifth and Williams followed with his first major league homer for a 3-2 lead. Tim Salmon hit an RBI double in the sixth and scored on Garret Anderson’s single, which finished Bradley.

After second baseman Chuck Knoblauch made a throwing error trying to complete a double play, Matt Walbeck had an RBI single off Graeme Lloyd.

Knoblauch chased Juden with an RBI single in the seventh and Derek Jeter singled in a run off Rich DeLucia. With runners at the corners and one out, O’Neill flied to short center and Bernie Williams was retired on a hard shot to first.