Angels Turn On Power, Jolt Rockies

Mike Scioscia managed his tail off for the Angels on Saturday at Edison Field. Players were stealing bases, taking extra bases, moving runners over. All those things that can steal a run or, maybe, even two.

While that was going on, he sat back and watched the Angels hit four home runs in a 6-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

So much for strategy.

Of course, 22,958 in attendance didn’t get worked up about situational hitting, but they got a chance to roar when Darin Erstad, Mo Vaughn, Bengie Molina and Garret Anderson homered, giving the Angels seven home runs in the first two games of this interleague series.

The Rockies are used to this kind of power display, although usually in the mile-high thin air of Coors Field. They had three players with 20 home runs before the All-Star break in 1997.

Two teams have done it this year--Toronto and the Angels, with Troy Glaus (25), Anderson (25) and Vaughn (23).

Scioscia has tried to downplay the Angels’ power. Trouble is, they keep hitting home runs.

“The more I keep saying that home runs are not what this team is all about, they keep proving me wrong,” Scioscia said. “I think this team has more to offer than hitting home runs. We stole a couple bases today and moved guys over.

“We are in the middle of the pack in runs scored. So home runs are not enough.”

They were Saturday and, try as he might, Scioscia couldn’t dodge the facts.

“Obviously the home runs were important,” Scioscia said.

Erstad and Vaughn homered in the first, giving pitcher Ken Hill a 3-0 lead. Hill went 5 2/3 innings, giving up only two runs, although he did spend much of his time wiggling out of jams.

He gave up eight hits, including a home run to Terry Shumpert in the fourth. He also left the bases loaded in the fourth and got double plays to get out of trouble in the first and third.

“I felt better today,” said Hill, who lasted only 1 2/3 innings in his last start. “But I got myself into trouble. . . . I had trouble finishing off innings.”

Fortunately for Hill, the Angels were able to finish off the Rockies quick enough.

Molina homered in the fourth, his second in as many games, for a 4-1 lead. Anderson finished things off with a solo home run in the eighth, giving the Angels their ninth four-homer game this season, which tied the club single-season record set in 1995.

The Angels are second in the American League with 140 home runs and are well ahead of the pace needed to break the team record of 192 set in 1996.

“You go up there and have a solid at-bat and you have a chance to hit a home run,” Vaughn said. “But all we want to do is drive in runs. We want to get the big hit and keep getting big hits. That is what will help us win.”

There will be days when the Angels will have to scratch for runs, instead of relying on power.

“That puts a lot of pressure on our big guys to drive the ball,” Scioscia said. “We need to manufacture some runs and take that pressure off.”

For now, though, they will enjoy the ride.

“These things come in bunches,” Erstad said. “There will be stretches when we will have to execute the little things, like getting a guy in from third with less than two outs. I’ve been horrible at that this season.”

That has been about the only thing lacking in his game.

Erstad, whose 140 hits leads the major leagues, got the Angels started by lining left-hander Brian Bohanon’s second pitch into the right-field seats for his 17th home run. He also stole his 17th base in the second, but it did not produce a run.

After Erstad homered, Benji Gil walked and Vaughn then hit towering drive to right for a 3-0 lead.

Bohanon had given up only two home runs to left-handers this season. He gave up three to left-handers Saturday. Erstad also had a run-scoring single off Bohanon in the fourth.

“The key for me is I’m swinging at strikes and laying off balls,” said Erstad, who is hitting .349 against left-handers this season. “I have laid off those sliders away. Once you chase one, they keep throwing them. I’ve shown that I’m not going to do that and I’m getting pitches in the zone.”