Angels Bring the ‘A’ Game

Keep the beach balls at home, if you don’t mind. If you won’t come unless you get a free bobblehead doll, stay home.

No gimmicks. No giveaways. This is an old-fashioned pennant race, and this is all the incentive a true baseball fan needs: The two hottest teams in the major leagues play tonight at Edison Field, the first in a four-game series with first place at stake in the American League West.

In the home dugout, wearing red on their heads: the Angels, winners of 10 consecutive games. In the visiting dugout, wearing white elephants on their sleeves: the Oakland Athletics, winners of 22 of their last 23 games.

With Troy Glaus hitting two home runs and driving in four runs Sunday, the Angels dumped the Baltimore Orioles, 6-2, setting up this scenario: If the Angels win three of four games, they’ll move into a first-place tie with the A’s.

“Playoff atmosphere,” Angel closer Troy Percival said.

“It’s going to be four great baseball games,” Angel pitcher Jarrod Washburn said.

The Angels have not played a more important regular-season series at home since 1989, when Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco--and, yes, the notorious Dave Henderson--led Oakland in a three-game AL West showdown that attracted crowds of more than 60,000 to Anaheim Stadium.

The Angels won 91 games that season but lost the division title to the A’s. The Angels could win more games this season and still lose the division title to the A’s, although the loss would not sting nearly as much because a wild-card entry into the playoffs was not available then.

The Angels lead the Seattle Mariners by four games for the wild card, with 20 to play. The Boston Red Sox are virtually eliminated, all but blowing their golden ticket of seven remaining games against the pitiful Tampa Bay Devil Rays by tumbling 8 1/2 games behind the Angels.

In this magical season, the milestones keep on coming for the Angels. For the first time in franchise history, they swept the Orioles in Baltimore. For the first time since 1979, they went undefeated on a trip of six or more games. If the Angels win tonight, they’ll tie the club record for consecutive victories, set in 1964.

And their September demons have been exorcised: The Angels already have won seven games this month, one more than they won last September.

The Angels almost outsmarted themselves Sunday. They plan to bring Washburn, their ace, back on three days’ rest in Thursday’s series finale, assuming he reports no post-start soreness today. So, with a 5-1 lead after six innings, they felt comfortable removing Washburn, who had made 103 pitches.

“I had a little bit left,” he said. “But we’ve got some games against our division coming up. It was time for me to come out of the game.”

For the Angels, the game suddenly got less comfortable. Al Levine, who replaced Washburn, faced five batters, giving up two walks and a hit before the Angels could yank him. Levine, possibly pitching himself off a potential playoff roster, has given up 11 hits in his last 4 1/3 innings.

With the tying run at the plate, Ben Weber replaced Levine and restored order. Weber walked home a run, then shut out the Orioles over the final 2 1/3 innings for his seventh save.

So here come the A’s. Earlier in the week, Oakland pitcher Barry Zito had expressed amazement that the A’s could not lose for three weeks and still not shake the Angels.

“I’m glad they’re thinking about us,” Washburn said. “I’m not going to lie to you: We’re thinking about them.... When they’re winning 20 in a row and we’re chasing them, we’re thinking about them.”

The A’s are coming off consecutive playoff appearances, but the Angels have not advanced to postseason play since 1986. Glaus said that “Nobody around here is not going to get uptight,” and Darin Erstad said he planned to worry about his fantasy football team Sunday night, but Weber debunked any idea that the Angels have spooked the A’s.

“That’s been overblown, with everybody saying they’re concerned about us and we’re just relaxed, watching football in the clubhouse,” Weber said. “They’re a pretty laid-back club, and they’re in first place. We have to go after them.”