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Angels Are a Real Bargain--for Indians

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Just what the Angels needed . . . more turmoil.

Just what the Cleveland Indians needed . . . the Angels.

The Indians, struggling with injuries and trying to regain their punch, scrapped out a 4-0 victory before 22,013 at Edison Field Monday. The Angels, meanwhile, struggling with injuries and watching for the next haymaker, merely put up a good fight.

Their 20th loss in 25 games since the All-Star break came a day after a baseball source said Disney officials have talked about selling the team.

It was one more thing for players to deal with on top of the injuries and finger pointing that have helped unravel the Angels’ season.

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“I can’t let it bother me right now,” outfielder Tim Salmon said. “We can’t let anything like that affect us. Like everything else that has happened this year, we can’t take our focus off what it should be on.

“If they sell the team, they will find another owner. It doesn’t matter. It’s not like baseball would let them sell the team to some flake. If they sell it, fine. There will still be a team here and I will still be playing.”

The Angels may have been focused, but they were also shut out for the third time in the last 10 games.

Cleveland’s Bartolo Colon gave up seven hits and struck out five for his first shutout this season. He didn’t exactly finesse his way around batters. He registered 98 mph on his last pitch, catching Salmon looking.

“It was one of the best jobs I have seen,” Angel Manager Terry Collins said. “He was hitting 97, 98 in the ninth inning. I don’t even think he used his curveball that much.”

It gave Colon (11-4) five victories in his last six decisions, as he continued to help his team through tough days.

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The Indians are 11-14 since the All-Star break. In the last two weeks they have lost center fielder Kenny Lofton (hamstring), his replacement, Jacob Cruz (torn ligaments)--pitchers Jaret Wright (shoulder) and Dwight Gooden (shoulder).

They were already playing without third baseman Travis Fryman (knee), outfielder Wil Cordero (broken hand) and catcher Sandy Alomar (knee).

Of course, don’t look for the Angels to shed any tears, not with the five months of triage they have been through. The Indians may be hurting but they are leading the Central Division by 15 1/2 games.

The Angels have not weathered injuries so well.

“We’re getting our guys back now, but we need them back and playing well,” Collins said. “It’s been a tough year. A bad year. Just give me two players having good years, not career years.”

Thus the Angels, long out of the pennant race, are merely looking for quality moments in games. They had two Monday, catching two Indian runners at the plate.

Jesse Levis tried to score from first on Omar Vizquel’s double to right in the third, but was cut down by shortstop Gary DiSarcina’s relay throw.

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Jim Thome bombed a doubled off the right-field wall in the fifth, scoring Vizquel from second. But second baseman Trent Durrington’s relay nailed Manny Ramirez at the plate.

“For myself, it doesn’t take a lot of motivation to get me to play,” shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “But when you have a first-place team in town, you don’t want to embarrass yourself. It adds a little extra to your drive.

“With the lineup they have, you have to be ready to play because they are so good.”

The Indians lead the American League in hitting and runs, and had loads of opportunities Monday. They capitalized on a few.

Roberto Alomar had a sacrifice fly in the first and Enrique Wilson had another in the third, although it was all the Indians got from a bases-loaded, one-out situation. Ramirez hit a home run in the eighth, increasing his major league in runs batted in to 114.

It wasn’t a lot, but it was plenty. Angel pitcher Ken Hill lasted six innings, giving up three runs (two earned). He had little of the sharpness he showed in his four starts since returning from elbow problems.

Still, Hill made 122 pitches, the second most he has needed in a game this season.

“It has been awhile since I threw that many pitches,” Hill said. “We’ll see how it feels tomorrow.”

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