Scioscia Defends Team for Turning Other Cheek

If, after watching it a handful of times on the late news, the Angels had a change of heart in the matter of Manny Ramirez’s cleat vs. Matt Walbeck’s soft-tissue area, it would have to wait. Ramirez, who slid into home with spikes up in the fourth inning of Saturday’s game, sat out Sunday because of a sore hamstring.

Ramirez apologized to Walbeck before his next at-bat, a show of contrition he might have believed would save him from being hit by a pitch.

The Angels did not retaliate, and Manager Mike Scioscia on Sunday took a stern view of those who questioned why Ramirez went unpunished.

“If anyone doubts the intestinal fortitude of this club, as far as playing the game hard, they have to be almost moronic,” he said. “There’s no club I’ve seen in this league that has the heart of this club.

“Hitting Manny Ramirez is not going to be the indication that we’re a tough club. What makes us a tough club is the discipline and courage to play the game hard. I’m sure some guys grow up with a different philosophy. This is the philosophy instilled in me.”

Scioscia said Ramirez’s apology was good enough for him. After Saturday’s game, he reminded the players that the best revenge is to continue to play hard.

“Without getting into the details of the meeting, that’s a constant part of our game all year,” Scioscia said. “It takes discipline to keep your composure when things are going badly. This is not a march through the roses. It’s not an easy path. It takes a lot of discipline not to blow up, not to overreact, to think about the task at hand. We’ll do that.”

*

Walbeck, besides being spiked in the groin by Ramirez, was hit in the right knee by a pitch Saturday. He said he wasn’t that sore and that he was available to play Sunday, but Bengie Molina caught starter Brian Cooper.

*

The Angels have a chance to become the fourth team in history to have three players hit 40 home runs.

At their current paces, Troy Glaus will hit 45 home runs, Garret Anderson will hit 43, Mo Vaughn 38 and Tim Salmon 35. The club record for home runs is 39, set by Reggie Jackson in 1982.

In 1973, the year the American League adopted the designated hitter, Atlanta established the record with Davey Johnson (43), Darrell Evans (41) and Hank Aaron (40).

It has since been matched by the Colorado Rockies in 1996 (Andres Galarraga 47, Ellis Burks 40 and Vinny Castilla 40) and 1997 (Larry Walker 49, Galarraga 41 and Castilla 40).

A month ago, it appeared Toronto might have four players hit 40, but only Tony Batista (33) and Carlos Delgado (32) have maintained a reasonable pace.

*

Darin Erstad is hitless in his last 11 at-bats, which matches his longest hitless streak of the season. He was 0 for 5 Sunday, and he has fallen off the pace to match George Sisler’s major league record of 257 hits in a season. Erstad is batting .362.

*

Left-hander Jarrod Washburn, who had a strained left biceps, will come off the disabled list tonight and start against Boston. To make room on the roster, the Angels could waive reserve outfielder Edgard Clemente and carry 12 pitchers. The club also has the option of returning one of the recently promoted relievers, Lou Pote or Juan Alvarez, to triple-A Edmonton.

*

Vaughn returned to the lineup Sunday after resting his sore left biceps for most of Saturday. Vaughn suffered the injury in his last at-bat Wednesday.

*

Facing the expiration of their working agreement in Edmonton, the Angels are mulling a new location for their triple-A franchise. Fresno and Salt Lake City are possible destinations.

ON DECK * Opponent--Boston Red Sox, three games.

* Site--Edison Field.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Fox Sports Net, all three games.

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

* Records--Angels 57-55, Red Sox 56-51.

* Record vs. Red Sox--2-1.

* Tickets--(714) 663-9000.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ JARROD WASHBURN

(6-2, 3.87)

vs.

RED SOX’ TOMO OHKA

(0-1, 5.68)

* Update--The Angels’ month of contenders continues at Edison Field with three games against the Red Sox, followed by three against the Yankees. The real treat is Pedro Martinez’s second start of the season in Anaheim, where he beat the Angels on April 9. He gave up one run and had 12 strikeouts and one walk in 7 1/3 innings. Martinez, the Red Sox starter on Tuesday, is 9-0 with a 1.21 ERA in 11 road starts. He has lost once since May 23. A smattering of statistics for Martinez: left-handed hitters bat .150, right-handers .185. Opposing batters hit .079 against him with runners in scoring position, .089 with two out and runners in scoring position. A shouting match between Carl Everett, who returned from a 10-game suspension Saturday, and Manager Jimy Williams hasn’t hurt the Red Sox, who remain thick in the playoff races. “People get awful excited around here when a manager and a player [have] their voices raised,” Williams said. “But maybe I’d like to be a fly on the wall in some of you people’s houses sometimes.”

* Tuesday, 7 p.m.--Ken Hill (5-7, 6.52) vs. Pedro Martinez (13-3, 1.42).

* Wednesday, 7 p.m.--Matt Wise (0-0, 0.00) vs. Jeff Fassero (7-5, 5.28).