Angels Just About Out of Magic Now

What was this, some kind of tease? The Angels stunk up Edison Field for three nights against the Texas Rangers, getting swept because their offense was worthless and weak, so what happens Thursday night?

They bust loose for a 10-6 victory over Oakland before a puny crowd of 9,268 in the Oakland Coliseum, ripping three A’s pitchers for 13 hits--seven for extra bases.

They score more runs in the first inning--five--than they did in three games combined against the Rangers. They get more hits from shortstop Gary DiSarcina--five--than their entire team managed in losses to the Rangers Tuesday and Wednesday night.

The question among Angel fans and even those in the Angel dugout: Where was this when we really needed it?

“I can’t really explain it,” Manager Terry Collins said. “All I know is when you get knocked down a peg, you have to step back up. . . . It was obvious we didn’t say this [division] race is over and we’ll just play it out. We played the game the way we’re supposed to, advancing runners with grounders to the right side, scoring runners with outs.”

It probably won’t matter. The Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners, 9-3, Thursday night to maintain their three-game lead over the Angels in the American League West with three games to play.

One Ranger victory over Seattle or one Angel loss to Oakland this weekend will clinch Texas’ second division title in three years. But at least the Angels, who must face A’s ace Kenny Rogers tonight, could feel a little better about themselves Thursday night.

“There’s still a mood of disappointment in this clubhouse, and we’re not going to get away from that,” Collins said. “But when we’ve been down this season, we’ve managed to pick ourselves up.”

Did Collins’ mind wander back to the three-game series against the Rangers, who outscored the Angels, 25-3, to take control of the West?

“I don’t think you can allow yourself to wonder what might have been,” Collins said. “It’s two different scenarios, and two different results.”

DiSarcina tied his career high for hits in a game with two doubles, three singles and three runs, designated hitter Tim Salmon added three hits, including a double and an RBI, and Darin Erstad went 0 for 4 but drove in three runs with groundouts.

How stunning was the Angel first? In the three games against Texas, the Angels sent 103 batters to the plate and scored three runs. After five batters Thursday night, the Angels scored four runs.

Edmonds reached on error to start the game, and DiSarcina, moved from the ninth to second spot because of Randy Velarde’s absence, singled. Salmon doubled a run home, and Erstad’s RBI groundout made it 2-0.

Todd Greene, in the lineup because Oakland right-hander Jimmy Haynes had given up twice as many homers to right-handed hitters (16) as left-handed hitters (eight) this season, then drilled a two-run homer to left, the Angels’ first homer since last Friday and Greene’s first homer since Aug. 19, 1997.

Matt Walbeck doubled with two out and scored on Troy Glaus’ single for a 5-0 lead, but the Angels and pitcher Jack McDowell, making what was likely the last start of a storied but injury-plagued career, nearly gave it all back in the bottom of the first.

Rickey Henderson doubled and Glaus, the Angel third baseman, misplayed Ryan Christenson’s chopper on a play that was generously ruled a single. Jason Giambi singled a run home, and Christenson scored when Glaus cut off the throw from the outfield and threw wildly to second in an attempt to catch Giambi.

Matt Stairs’ RBI groundout made it 5-3, but the Angels counter-punched in the top of the second, adding two more runs on back-to-back doubles by Edmonds and DiSarcina and Erstad’s RBI groundout.

DiSarcina’s RBI double made it 8-3 in the fourth, but Eric Chavez’s two-run double and Mike Macfarlane’s RBI single in the bottom of the fourth trimmed the Angel lead to 8-6.

RBIs by Salmon and Erstad in the sixth made it 10-6.

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* RANGERS WIN: Texas made it four in a row and clinched a tie for the AL West championship with a 9-3 victory over Seattle. C8