They’re Accident-Prone Tourists

The Angels finally found a stroke of luck in this month of misfortune. It had nothing to do with a baseball game, but when you’re the Angels and you’re part of an accident involving a plane and a bus and no one gets hurt, you don’t complain.

After landing at San Francisco International Airport early Thursday morning, the Angels were about to board buses for their hotel when one of the buses drove right into the wing of a plane.

The wing went through the windshield and, according to several witnesses, came within a foot of the driver’s head by the time the bus stopped.

“The question of the day,” Manager Terry Collins said, “is, ‘Is that plane flying today?’ ”

It being late, around 2 a.m., and these being baseball players and coaches, there was a fair share of wisecracks during the delay, as police investigated the accident. Collins said the best one-liner came from pitching coach Marcel Lachemann.

“Lach wanted to put his suitcase in the baggage compartment under the bus, and the driver was trying to figure out how to open it,” Collins said. “So Lach said to the guy, ‘It’s right next to the Remove the Wing switch.’ ”

*

Collins was still trying to figure out Thursday how the Angels could be outscored, 25-3, and outhit, 29-15, in three critical losses to the Texas Rangers this week.

“I saw guys unable to pull the trigger on their swing and guys swinging at balls in hitting counts that weren’t strikes,” Collins said. “I thought everything was in our favor for that series.

“We were coming in off two wins over Seattle, they had lost twice to Oakland. We were fired up, into it, and didn’t get anything done. We’re a good defensive team and didn’t play good defense. We’re a good hitting team and didn’t hit. And we couldn’t stop them.”

It should come as no surprise that Ranger pitchers Todd Stottlemyre and Rick Helling dominated the Angels in the first two games of the series. But John Burkett, who has given up more earned runs than any other American League pitcher, limiting the Angels to one run on two hits and striking out seven--four looking--Wednesday night?

“We’re not that bad, and Burkett is not that good,” shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “You can only tip your hat so many times. John pitched a good game, but we have to make adjustments, and we should have started to hit his good pitches.”

*

Designated hitter Tim Salmon, who has played almost the entire season with a painful tear in a left foot ligament, has decided to undergo surgery immediately after the season.

Several players with similar injuries, including Texas first baseman Will Clark, opted for rest instead of surgery and have recovered fully.

But because Salmon’s ligament is 75% torn, doctors believe severing the ligament during surgery will provide the most relief and minimize the chances for reoccurrence. Recovery time is three to four months.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ OMAR OLIVARES (9-8, 3.83 ERA)

vs.

ATHLETICS’ KENNY ROGERS (15-8, 3.21 ERA)

Oakland Coliseum, 7 p.m.

TV--Ch. 9. Radio--KRLA (1110), XPRS (1090), KIK-FM (94.3).

* Update--Angel second baseman Randy Velarde returned to his home in Midland, Texas, Thursday because of an illness in the family, but he is expected to return in time for tonight’s game. Velarde is not likely to regain his No. 2 spot in the order after DiSarcina, moved up from the No. 9 hole, had five hits Thursday night. Rogers, the A’s left-hander, is 10-0 at home this season and 10-5 with a 3.48 ERA lifetime against the Angels, including a perfect game as a member of the Rangers in 1994.