Erstad Has Hot Time in Desert

The Angels could have selected Kerry Wood, now a flame-throwing phenom with the Chicago Cubs, with the first pick of the 1995 draft. Current Toronto left fielder Jose Cruz Jr. and Colorado first baseman Todd Helton were also available.

They chose Darin Erstad, though, and if there was even one shred of doubt among Angel critics about that decision, it is gone today.

Erstad continued his torrid offensive pace with a two-run home run, a triple and two singles Thursday night to lead the Angels to a 10-5 interleague victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks before 41,954 in Bank One Ballpark.

Dave Hollins added a two-run homer in the first inning and a solo homer in the ninth, Matt Walbeck had a three-run homer in the first, and Garret Anderson hit a two-run homer in the fifth, as the Angels won for the 10th time in their last 12 games.

Angel starter Jason Dickson gave up five runs on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings to improve to 6-4.Troy Percival struck out Yamil Benitez with the bases loaded to end the eighth and retired the side in order in the ninth for his 19th save, which tied him with San Francisco’s Robb Nen and Boston’s Tom Gordon for the major league lead.

After an uncharacteristic six-for-47 skid in 11 games from May 24 through last Friday, Erstad has 15 hits, including two homers, in 23 at-bats in his last five games, raising his average from .303 to .333. And he’s gaining admirers at every tour stop.

“He’s one of my favorite players in the American League,” Arizona Manager Buck Showalter said. “I love watching him play.”

Showalter made those comments before a three-game series against the Angels. After Erstad went 10 for 14 against the Diamondbacks and missed hitting the cycle by a few feet--his scorching ninth-inning liner and potential double was caught by first baseman Travis Lee--Showalter was glad to see Erstad leave town.

“If that ball’s two feet to Travis’ left, you can bet he would have gone for the triple,” Showalter said. “You can’t say that about everybody. He’s a guy who’s not going to get comfortable with success.”

On that point, the Angels would agree.

“He’s a workaholic,” Angel bench coach Joe Maddon said of Erstad, who is second in the league in hits and fourth in multi-hit games. “He’ll probably look at the tape and wonder how the first baseman caught that liner.

“He’s played well here from Day 1, and that’s a tribute to his hard work. He’s a very talented athlete, but he works hard too, so this is no fluke.”

The victory moved the Angels to within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Texas Rangers, a team that for the past 2 1/2 months has been something of a mystery to the Angels.

Oh, they’ve seen television highlights and read newspaper clippings and heard all about the Rangers, but the Angels will see them face-to-face for the first time this season when the teams begin an important four-game series tonight at The Ballpark in Arlington.

“Any time you’re 2 1/2 games back and you’re playing the team you’re chasing, it’s big,” Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “If you get swept, you’re 6 1/2 games down, and that’s a big difference compared to being two or three games back. We have a chance to cut into the lead and make things interesting. It will be a good gauge to see where we’re at.”

Everyone knows where the Rangers are at--at the top, or near the top, of several American League offensive categories, including runs (first), hits (first), batting average (second), total bases (second) and homers (third).

They have been in first place in the AL West for all but two days this season thanks to a prolific offense that has been led by right fielder Juan Gonzalez, who is batting .303 with 21 homers, 20 doubles and a major league-leading 80 RBIs.

Gonzalez, the 1996 AL most valuable player, is on a pace for 202 RBIs, which would shatter a record many considered unbreakable--Hack Wilson’s 190 RBIs in 1930.

“Gosh, 80 RBIs,” DiSarcina said, shaking his head. “That’s two years of RBIs for me. It’s incredible.”

Manager Terry Collins said it’s not too early in the season to place an emphasis on this series.

“It’s not early anymore--it’s June 12,” Collins said. “We play these guys seven times in the next 10 days, so they’re big games.”

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* HOLLANDSWORTH SURGERY: Dodger physician says chances are “not very good” that outfielder will return this season after operation on his left shoulder. C13