Ex Marks the Spot Again for Angels in a 10-7 Win

It’s plausible that the Angels could run away with the American League West Division title--if they could face a few more of their former pitchers.

That theory, and Angel pitcher Jason Dickson, got some support in a 10-7 victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday. By the time former Angel prospect Matt Perisho was finished being roughed up, the 32,914 at Edison Field had to conclude that getting nothing for him was a pretty good deal.

It was the second consecutive game that the Angels had thumped a former teammate. Todd Van Poppel lasted only two innings in an 8-3 loss Saturday. But while Van Poppel spent only the 1997 spring training with the Angels, Perisho was home grown.

He made eight starts for the Angels last season, going 0-2. They traded him for third baseman Mike Bell during the off-season, then lost Bell to Arizona in the expansion draft. The Angels finally got some return on the deal Sunday.

They batted around in the second and third innings, scoring 10 runs off Perisho for their 18th victory in 21 games heading into tonight’s interleague game against the Dodgers. The Angels lead the Rangers by 2 1/2 games and have won five of seven games against Texas in the last 10 days.

“This shows that we’re definitely a team that is going to contend,” Dickson said. “It shows other people that when us and Texas get together, we’re going to win the series. When you pound them into the ground, it can really affect them.”

Dickson, a prospect the Angels have clung to, benefited from the pounding. He went six innings to win his seventh consecutive game and fourth since returning to the starting rotation. Dickson, who was 13-9 as rookie last season, is tied with Ken Hill for the team lead with eight victories.

“I don’t want to say I’m there, because as soon as you do, something steps up and bites you in the butt,” said Dickson, who was 1-4 with a 9.13 earned-run average at one point this season. “I was on the verge of pitching in [triple-A] Vancouver. They had every reason to send me there. They stuck with me.”

The only concern about Dickson on Sunday was his right index finger, which he broke Wednesday while taking batting practice. But Dickson retired the first 11 batters Sunday. By the time Rusty Greer singled for the first Ranger hit, the Angels had a 10-0 lead. Dickson gave up four runs, but struck out six and walked only one, demonstrating the control that made him successful last season.

“We knew he had it because we’ve seen it,” Collins said. “Maybe moving to the bullpen relaxed him and he got confidence in his stuff again.

“He is a young guy and young guys are unpredictable.”

Perisho, another young pitcher, followed his recent form. He gave up six earned runs in 2 1/3 innings last Tuesday in his first start after being called up from triple-A Oklahoma. That now ranks as his good outing.

He lasted 2 2/3 innings Sunday, as 12 of the first 18 Angel batters reached base. Darin Erstad drove in four runs, three with a bases-loaded double in the second for the Angels’ first runs. He has 10 runs RBIs in the last five games and a team-high 55 for the season.

Seven of nine Angel starters had at least one hit in the first three innings. Perisho gave up 10 hits, walked five and hit one batter before being removed after walking Damon Mashore on four pitches with the bases loaded.

The Ranger bullpen gave up only four hits after that and the Texas offense chipped away. It made Collins concerned enough to use closer Troy Percival, who got the final two outs for his league-high 23rd save.

“You play the Texas Rangers, with their offense, it’s going to get scary,” Collins said. “They have scored a lot of runs this season. We’re not going to hold them down.

“Now we just take a deep breath and tomorrow we get ready for the Dodgers.”

The bad news? The Dodgers don’t have any ex-Angel pitchers.