Scioscia Looks to the Playoffs

That one-game-at-a-time mantra has served Mike Scioscia and his Angels handsomely, but the manager wasn’t fooling anyone Monday.

He was clearly looking ahead, thinking about the Oct. 1 playoff opener.

Scioscia framed it in terms of flexibility during the last week of the season, but in making it official, in saying that Jarrod Washburn will face the Oakland A’s tonight on three days’ rest, he was unofficially saying that Washburn will start the Angels’ first playoff game since 1986.

The way Scioscia put it is that if the decision to move his 18-5 ace up a day works the way he envisions, “the postseason slot will be there for him.”

He would add, of course, that the Angels have to get there first, but get real.

Only a mathematics nerd would think Seattle and Boston are still alive in the wild-card race.

The only question confronting the Angels is this:

Do they open the playoffs as American League West champions, meeting the Minnesota Twins with home-field advantage in Games 1, 2 and 5 of the best-of-five series, or do they go to New York to open against the Yankees as the wild card?

If the answer could be clearer by Thursday’s conclusion of this four-game rematch with the A’s, it seemed to come as news in the East Bay that the AL West lead is at stake.

Coming off their playoff-caliber series in Anaheim last week, the Angels and A’s played the opener before about 35,000 empty seats and a crowd of 22,326 at the Networks Associates Coliseum.

Of course, the Giants were battling the Dodgers on television.

And with the A’s and Angels virtually assured of a playoff berth, some potential patrons may have concluded, “what’s the big deal?”

Too bad.

They missed the fifth straight bell ringer in this home-and-home series. They missed the A’s wiping out Troy Glaus’ three-run homer in the first inning and winning, 4-3, as Miguel Tejada resumed his most-valuable-player antics with a decisive single in the ninth.

Big deal?

Well, the A’s and Angels are tied for the West lead, and Oakland Manager Art Howe said it is big indeed because “we’re looking at bragging rights and home-field advantage and the fact that nothing is clinched yet.

“If you don’t think both teams want the division title, why do you think the Angels are moving Washburn up tomorrow? They want him set up to pitch the playoff opener.”

Does he think that’s premature?

“It’s not for me to question,” Howe said. “I have respect for everybody on their side.”

That may be true, but are the A’s juggling? Are the A’s looking at the playoffs? Are the A’s thinking of starting only their Big Three of Barry Zito, Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson in that five-game opening series.

“I don’t want to think about the postseason,” Oakland General Manager Billy Beane said. “We don’t talk about what we’d do if we get there. It’s not superstition. I just don’t want to set myself up to look stupid.”

Now here comes Washburn, making his first start on three days rest since he was pitching at double-A in 1997.

No problem, he predicted.

“I like pitching, and the sooner the better when I’m healthy,” he said. “Last year at this time I wouldn’t have been able to do it, but the way my body feels now it’s like the first month of the season.

“I don’t think any of us would be thinking about doing this if we felt there was going to be a problem.”

By starting on short rest tonight, Washburn will come back on regular rest to face Seattle Sunday. Then, deciding on the status of the race, he would start on three days’ rest against Texas on Sept. 26 or on four days rest against Seattle on Sept. 27, the first game of the final series. If the race isn’t a factor, it is believed Washburn will throw a few innings against the Rangers on the 26th, allowing him to come back in the playoff opener on full rest.

Of course, with three starts, Washburn has a shot at becoming the first Angel to win 20 games since Nolan Ryan in 1974. That, too, is a goal (“any pitcher who says it isn’t is probably lying,” Washburn said), but the “main goal is to win the division. If I’m chosen to pitch the first game of the playoffs it will be an achievement when you consider the caliber of our staff. I’ll feel pretty much like I did when I was chosen to pitch the season opener. Of course, I’d be honored to start any game in the playoffs.”

Last year, Washburn opened the season on the disabled list because of a strep throat, lost 12 pounds over the course of the summer, never pitched after Aug. 8 because of shoulder tendinitis and finished 11-10.

This year, he said, he has been strong from start to near finish, and he has tried to protect his stamina and stability by not throwing between starts for the last month.

“I feel that my mechanics have been good enough that I can get away that, and I want to stay as fresh as I can,” he said.

“Of course, when you’re asked to pitch important games at this time of the year, the adrenaline can take the edge off any soreness.”

More than a physical concern, the Angels had worried about Washburn’s mental reaction to the recent public exposure that he was being investigated for alleged sexual assault. The Orange County District Attorney did not prosecute because of insufficient evidence, and Washburn dismissed his club’s concern by working 7 1/3 strong innings of a victory over Texas last Friday.

The short rest won’t prompt him to change his approach, Washburn said.

He is 1-1 with a 6.55 earned-run average against the A’s this year and 5-6 with a 4.03 ERA in his career. However, looking ahead, Washburn said, “I’m hoping to have a lot of fun over the next two weeks, and to even more over the three after that.”