It Took a While to Get There, but Trip Worth the Trouble

The Angels were a little bleary eyed when they got to the Ballpark in Arlington on Friday, but their bats didn’t seem any worse for wear.

Their 12-hit effort--eight for extra bases--in an 8-4 victory over the Texas Rangers came after an overnight flight from Ontario to Dallas and a 7 a.m. arrival at their Arlington, Texas, hotel. A 1-hour, 43-minute rain delay during Thursday night’s loss to the Cleveland Indians set the Angels travel schedule back considerably.

“It’s weird getting off the plane when the sun is coming up,” said pitcher Chuck Finley, who gave up four runs on nine hits in six innings Friday night.

“It’s kind of like what those guys must have went through at Woodstock--they got up in the morning, rubbed their eyes, shook their heads and said, ‘Oh, is the concert over?’ ”

This was not a new experience for the Angels. Two years ago, they flew all night after a home game to Minneapolis, arriving at about 7 a.m. and hammering the Minnesota Twins that night.

“One time in the minor leagues, we bused all night 13 hours, from Reading [Pa.] to Quebec,” Manager Terry Collins said. “We got to the park, had just enough time to put our uniforms on and played a doubleheader.”

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Ranger Manager Johnny Oates could empathize with Collins, who has lost starters Mo Vaughn, Jim Edmonds and Gary DiSarcina to the disabled list, but he didn’t show much sympathy.

“You certainly don’t want to go to war without all your ammunition, but we’ve been down that route before,” said Oates, who was without slugger Juan Gonzalez for a month in 1997 and two months in 1995.

“Some may not remember, but we started Matt Perisho and Todd Van Poppel [who were both bombed] in a big series against Anaheim last year. What goes around comes around.”

In fact, Oates couldn’t recall a recent series against the Angels in which both teams were at full strength.

“It seems like every time we play each other,” he said, “someone is missing.”

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With a run-scoring single in the third inning, Gonzalez has 92 runs batted in against the Angels in 97 games . . . Texas third baseman Todd Zeile’s home run in the second was his 12th in the American League. Six have come against the Angels. . . . The Ranger shortstop Royce Clayton sat out Friday because of a strained muscle in the back of his right shoulder. He is listed as day to day.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ OMAR OLIVARES (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RANGERS’ RICK HELLING (0-1, 15.00 ERA)

The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, 5:30 PST Channel 9, Radio--KLAC (570)

Update--In keeping with the tradition of freak injuries suffered by the Angels, especially their pitchers, Olivares suffered a contusion on his left knee Thursday night when, while sitting on the top step in the back of the Angel dugout, he was struck by a foul line drive. The injury, however, was not serious, and Olivares shouldn’t be affected tonight. Helling, a 20-game winner in 1998, was bombed in a season-opening loss to the Detroit Tigers on Monday, giving up seven runs on seven hits, including two homers, five walks and two hit batters.