Salmon’s Homers Sink Rangers, 15-3

It hardly made up for Texas’ crucial five-game sweep of Anaheim last September, but the Angels gained a small measure of revenge this weekend, denying the Rangers home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

Tim Salmon smashed a two-run home run in the fourth inning and a three-run homer in the seventh to lead the Angels to a 15-3 romp over the Rangers before 33,239 at Edison Field Saturday night.

The Angels’ second straight win over Texas kept the Rangers two games behind Cleveland in the race for the league’s second-best record. Texas must travel to New York for the first two games of the American League division series beginning Tuesday, while Cleveland will host Boston Wednesday.

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General Manager Bill Bavasi’s resignation Friday may have eliminated any chance Joe Maddon had of being named manager.

“I would think with Bill in place my chances would have been enhanced, that’s common logic,” said Maddon, the team’s interim manager. “Now we’ll have to wait and see.”

Maddon, 45, has been an Angel for 18 years--in fact, the only time he has worked in something other than an Angel uniform was when he coached independent league teams in Bakersfield and Santa Clara in 1979.

But with coaches’ contracts expiring Oct. 31 and a new general manager and manager to be hired in the next month or so, Maddon realizes he may soon be looking for work.

“I see [the end of my Angel career] as a very real possibility, it would be foolish to think otherwise,” said Maddon, who has guided the Angels to an 18-10 record since taking over for Terry Collins on Sept. 3.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ JARROD WASHBURN (3-5, 6.11 ERA) vs. RANGERS’ JEFF FASSERO (5-14, 7.24 ERA)

Edison Field, 1 p.m.

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090)

* Update--Angel first baseman Darin Erstad missed his second straight game after aggravating a right knee injury and is not expected to play in today’s season finale. Shortstop Gary DiSarcina was scratched Saturday night because his sore right shoulder acted up.