Anderson Extends Streak to 25 in Ninth Inning

Garret Anderson had been closing in on his teacher, and with a ninth-inning single, his 25-game hitting streak equaled Rod Carew’s Angel record.

“Streaks are made to be broken,” said Carew, the team’s hitting instructor. “He’s swinging the bat real good and coming up with some clutch hits. When you have him up there with runners on base, you know he’s going to get the bat on the ball.”

“I hope he goes way beyond me.”

Anderson was hitless in his first three at-bats Tuesday, but his line drive up the middle against New York Yankee relief pitcher Mike Stanton extended the streak.

Anderson has never been one to talk about streaks.

“The only time it bothers me is when you guys ask me about it,” he said before the game. “Hitting streaks don’t mean anything to me. If I can make a play in the field or take the extra base, anything to help us win, that’s what matters.”

His teammates, though, have been watching.

“If he’s 0 for 3, you start pulling for him to get another at-bat so he can get another chance,” shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “As a player, you start watching his at-bats a little more.”

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Pitcher Jack McDowell will make a second rehabilitation start later this week for Class-A Lake Elsinore. Pitcher Ken Hill has begun throwing split-finger fastballs and is getting closer to a rehab assignment.

It’s still to be seen when they will return and how effective they will be. Until then, Manager Terry Collins will continue to juggle the starting pitchers he has available.

He has used Allen Watson and Steve Sparks as starters and in relief recently. Tuesday, Collins had Omar Olivares, Sunday’s starter, in the bullpen.

“We can’t look any farther than three, four, five days down the road right now,” Collins said. “Allen did a great job last night, I told him that. But right now I don’t know how I will use him next.”

The concern about the Angel starters is keeping designated hitter/first baseman Todd Greene in Vancouver. The Angels are carrying 12 pitchers, but Collins said they will wait until Chuck Finley’s next start before making a move. Finley was hit on the left elbow by a line drive in his last start but is scheduled to pitch Thursday.

“We’ll wait to see about our health and which direction it’s going,” Collins said.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ STEVE SPARKS (3-2, 4.81 ERA) vs. YANKEES’ ORLANDO HERNANDEZ (5-2, 2.43 ERA)

Edison Field, 7:30

TV--Fox Sports West. Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090)

* Update--Sparks, a knuckleball pitcher, pitched three innings in relief Sunday but said he would have no problems coming back on two days’ rest. While the Angels mix and match their starting rotation, the Yankees just keep sending their five out there. Hernandez, who defected from Cuba this year, is part of a rotation that is 54-17.

Tickets--(714) 634-2000.