Rookies Staying Cool in Pennant Race Heat

If it’s September and your team features two rookies in its starting rotation, that team is almost certainly playing for next year. This September, the Angels are rolling toward the playoffs with a rotation that includes rookies John Lackey and Mickey Callaway.

The Angels have won all three of Callaway’s starts, including Saturday’s 4-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. They have won 10 of 14 games started by Lackey, and the two rookies have combined for a 3.06 earned-run average.

Angel pitching coach Bud Black played for the Kansas City Royals in 1984, when talented rookies Bret Saberhagen and Mark Gubicza arrived in the major leagues. The Royals advanced to the playoffs that year and won the World Series championship in 1985.

Black isn’t about to compare talent just yet, but he sees the same composure in the Angel rookies that he did in Saberhagen and Gubicza, the same ability to take a deep breath rather than yield to pressure and adrenaline.

“It’s their makeup,” Black said. “They’ve got good heads on their shoulders.”

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In a pregame meeting with Black and Manager Mike Scioscia, Aaron Sele reiterated his desire to pitch again in the regular season. Sele, diagnosed with a partially torn rotator cuff Aug. 21, is scheduled to throw off a mound Monday, for the first time since doctors detected his injury.

The Angels aren’t counting on him to return this year. But, in a best-case scenario, he could return in two weeks and pitch a few innings before season’s end.

“If all I can do is get one batter out, I’ll do that,” Sele said.

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TODAY

ANGELS’

JARROD WASHBURN

(16-5, 3.38 ERA)

vs.

ORIOLES’

PAT HENTGEN

(0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Camden Yards, Baltimore, 10:30 a.m. PDT

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

Update--The Angels plan to bring Washburn back on three days’ rest against Oakland on Thursday, so they would love to get a big lead and remove him short of 100 pitches. Hentgen, a three-time All-Star, returns to the major leagues for the first time since reconstructive elbow surgery 13 months ago.