Don’t Overlook the Red Sox

Although the American League West race is between the Angels and Texas Rangers, some have broadened that competition to include Cleveland, reasoning that if the West champion finishes with a better record than the Central-leading Indians, they won’t have to face the formidable New York Yankees in the first round of the playoffs.

But as the Angels were reminded in a 6-1 loss to Boston on Saturday, it’s not as if playing the Red Sox in a five-game series will be any treat.

Boston ace Pedro Martinez is better than any of the five Yankee starters, and left-handed hitters Mo Vaughn and Troy O’Leary know how to use Fenway Park’s Green Monster to their advantage. Both doubled off the wall against Angel closer Troy Percival on Friday night, and O’Leary homered over the wall Saturday.

“Any team that plays Boston will see Martinez twice, and when you back him up with [knuckleballer] Tim Wakefield, those are two good weapons,” Angel Manager Terry Collins said.

“When it starts getting toward the end of September, people are going to look at playoff matchups, and these guys are not going to be much fun to face. They’re going to win the wild card with the second best record in the league, which means they’re pretty good. They’re not to be taken lightly.”

Said Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina: “You can never underestimate this team, and when they put Pedro on the mound they’re especially tough. They’re not eight or nine games up in the wild-card standings for nothing.”

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Reserve infielder Craig Shipley is on the disabled list, but that didn’t prevent him from being ejected from Saturday’s game at the beginning of a brief rain delay before the bottom of the fifth inning.

Shipley was upset at the umpires’ decision to play the top of the fifth in a downpour that was just as, if not more, severe than the rains that caused a 43-minute delay in the middle of the fourth.

The Red Sox were ahead, 6-1, when it began pouring before the fifth. Had the game been rained out at that point, the teams would have had to replay the game in its entirety.

But the game became official after Martinez retired the Angels in order in the top of the fifth, meaning the Red Sox would have been awarded the victory had the game been rained out.

“I’ve been in enough of these situations to know exactly how they’ll be handled,” Collins said. “The umpires are going to do the best they can to get the game in.”

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Gregg Jefferies had a .542 career average (13 for 24) with one home run against Martinez in the National League, but as the left fielder discovered Saturday during his Angel debut, Martinez has evolved even more since his days as a Montreal Expo.

“I’ve never seen Pedro throw more off-speed pitches,” said Jefferies, who singled in four at-bats against Martinez. “In the National League, 85-90% of his pitches were fastballs. I saw two fastballs today. He’s a different pitcher here than he was in the National League.”

Martinez would agree.

“That’s why [Jefferies] had a better average against me in the National League,” Martinez said. “I was a fastball/changeup pitcher before, but now I have better command of my cut fastball and curve and can throw all four of my pitches for strikes.”

Today

ANGELS’ JEFF JUDEN (1-2, 5.61 ERA) vs. RED SOX’S TIM WAKEFIELD (15-5, 4.19 ERA)

Fenway Park, Boston, 10 a.m.

TV--Channel 9.

Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090).

* Update--Angel center fielder Jim Edmonds left Saturday’s game in the fourth inning and was sent to a nearby hospital for precautionary X-rays on his ribs. Collins said Edmonds probably will sit out today, but he is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday in Cleveland. The Angels optioned outfielder Reggie Williams to double-A Midland to make room for Jefferies. Because Midland’s season ends this weekend, Williams will rejoin the Angels when teams are allowed to expand their rosters Tuesday. O’Leary has 22 home runs, the most by a Boston outfielder since Dwight Evans hit 34 in 1987.