Angels Discover Late-Inning Magic Twice in One Day

The Angels were 2-78 in games they trailed entering the ninth inning before Tuesday. They are now 4-78 in such games after stunning Kansas City with two late-inning rallies to sweep a doubleheader from the Royals, 8-6 and 6-5, before 11,290 in Kauffman Stadium.

Tim Salmon hit a three-run home run in the ninth inning of the first game, and the Angels used a bit of derring-do in a two-run ninth-inning rally in the nightcap to win for the eighth time in nine games.

After the second of Mark Quinn’s two-run homers--the Royal rookie became the fourth player in major league history to homer twice in his first game--gave the Royals a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning of the second game, Todd Greene opened the ninth with a single and pinch-hitter Jim Edmonds walked.

Looking to counter Trent Durrington’s bunt, the Royals ran the “wheel” play, in which the third baseman and first baseman charge, the shortstop covers third and the second baseman covers first.

Durrington missed his first attempt and then suggested to third-base Coach Larry Bowa he try the “slash” play, also known by the Angels as the “butcher boy” play, in which the batter squares to bunt, pulls back and swings through.

Durrington hardly butchered it, grounding a ball to center to score pinch-runner Jeff DaVanon with the tying run. Darin Erstad then ripped a game-winning RBI single to center, and Troy Percival threw a scoreless ninth for his 29th save.

“What Durrington did was textbook,” Angel interim Manager Joe Maddon said. “That was absolutely perfect.”

Said Durrington, a .218 hitter: “Something went right for me for a change.”

For the Angels too. They scored seven runs in the last three innings of the first game, and homers by Troy Glaus and Mo Vaughn helped them win the second game, handing the Royals their 29th and 30th blown saves of the season.

“With the season we’ve had, we’re grateful for wins,” Salmon said. “To get two in one day, we can appreciate that more than most teams.”

Starter Tim Belcher was bombed for five runs on eight hits in two innings of the opener, leaving because of tightness in his right forearm, and the Angels trailed, 6-1, going into the seventh.

But Royal shortstop Rey Sanchez’s throwing error in the seventh allowed two runs to score, Matt Luke lined a pinch-hit, two-run homer off reliever Scott Service in the eighth, and Salmon followed leadoff singles by Erstad and Edmonds with his three-run homer in the ninth.

The first game also featured a bizarre play in which Kansas City’s Johnny Damon singled into a double play and drove in a run. With the bases loaded, Damon beat out a tapper toward first, as Jeremy Giambi scored.

Damon and Erstad, the Angel first baseman, collided, and reliever Al Levine’s throw skipped past Erstad. Second baseman Jeff Huson backed up and threw to shortstop Gary DiSarcina, who caught Ray Holbert over-running second base.

As DiSarcina ran Holbert toward third, Sal Fasano ran from third to home. DiSarcina threw to catcher Bengie Molina, who ran Fasano back toward third as Holbert, who was on second, ran to third.

With Holbert standing on the base and Molina chasing him, Fasano, figuring he was out, ran past the third-base bag. Molina tagged him, then came back and tagged Holbert on the bag.

Maddon came out to discuss the play with umpire John Shulock, who, with assistance from first-base umpire Derryl Cousins, eventually ruled that Holbert had passed Fasano on the basepaths and was automatically out.