This Time, the Angels Riding Momentum Into Ranger Series

You start comparing the Angels and Texas Rangers by position, and the question immediately comes to mind: How on earth are these teams tied for the American League West lead going into tonight’s Showdown Series II, a three-game set in Edison Field?

The edge at first base goes to Texas, with Will Clark over Chris Pritchett or an injured Darin Erstad. Second base is a push between Angel Randy Velarde and Ranger Mark McLemore. Give the Angels’ Gary DiSarcina a slight edge over Royce Clayton at shortstop. Texas has the edge at third with Todd Zeile over Troy Glaus.

Catching? Don’t even ask. Ranger Ivan Rodriguez is the best in the game. Texas is stronger in right field (Juan Gonzalez over Garret Anderson) and left field (Rusty Greer over Gregg Jefferies/Orlando Palmeiro), while Jim Edmonds is better than any Ranger center fielder.

Tim Salmon gives the Angels an edge at designated hitter, the bullpens are comparable, and injuries to Angel right-handers Ken Hill and Jack McDowell give the Rangers, with Rick Helling, Todd Stottlemyre and Aaron Sele, an edge in starting pitching.

The Rangers have a player (Gonzalez) with 44 homers and 154 RBIs, two (Clark and Greer) with 100 RBIs, and two pitchers (Helling and Sele) with at least 18 victories. Salmon leads the Angels with 26 homers, and Edmonds has a team-leading 88 RBIs. Chuck Finley leads the pitching staff with 11 wins.

What’s more, the Angels have been so devastated by injuries their starting lineup Sunday night included one player who began the season at double A (Glaus) and two who began at triple A (Pritchett and Palmeiro).

“I look at Seattle, and they have a guy with 53 homers [Ken Griffey] and a guy with 40 homers [Alex Rodriguez],” Manager Terry Collins said. “There are teams out there with two 17-game winners. We don’t have a guy with 12 wins. And we’re tied for the [division] lead.

“I don’t understand it. It’s been unbelievable. There hasn’t been a guy out here who hasn’t done something big to win a game for us. When we finish this year, whether we’re in the playoffs or not, not one guy will leave here saying they didn’t do something to help the team.”

It will take that kind of total team effort, the kind that was lacking last week when the Angels lost twice to Texas, to win this series. The Rangers ripped Angel starters (Finley and Steve Sparks) for a combined nine runs on 16 hits in 8 1/3 innings, and the Angels, with the exception of their six-run outburst in the first two innings Thursday, were flat offensively.

But the Angels have rebounded nicely, carrying the momentum from two impressive wins over Seattle into this series, while Texas has lost two straight to Oakland.

Before last week’s two-game series, the Angels suffered a lackluster, 8-1 loss to Tampa Bay Tuesday night, while Texas erased a five-run deficit in a thrilling, 6-5 victory over Baltimore.

The Rangers appeared to have their defensive problems ironed out during an eight-game errorless streak, but that string was broken by Greer’s miscue Saturday night and four errors Sunday, including three in the fifth inning that helped Oakland snap a 3-3 tie en route to a 6-3 win.

“They have a great team, no question, but momentum is everything in this game,” Salmon said. “It can carry over, and hopefully this puts us in good shape.”

The Rangers, all of a sudden, are feeling a sense of urgency.

“We’ve got to win, no ifs, ands or buts about it,” Texas Manager Johnny Oates said after Sunday’s loss. “We’ve got to play better, pitch better, hit better and catch the ball better. If you don’t do those things you’re not going to win.”