Angels Starting to Believe

After a spring of false starts, the Angels might be for real this time. The Angels just might get the chance to defend their World Series championship in October.

The All-Star break begins Monday, the time when teams decide whether they can make a playoff push this season or whether they ought to start playing for next year. As the Angels defeated the Minnesota Twins on Friday, 5-0, General Manager Bill Stoneman declared the Angels can win now.

“I’d say we’re in it,” Stoneman said.

The Angels never have given up, but neither have they played with the consistency of champions. But here they come, with 10 victories in 14 games, four by shutout. They’ve hopped past Minnesota and the Toronto Blue Jays in the wild-card race, climbing into third place, 6 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox. They’re four games over .500 for the first time this season, with a team earned-run average under 4.00 for the first time since April 15.

The star of stars Friday was second baseman Adam Kennedy, whose dazzling defense electrified an Edison Field crowd of 43,442. As the Angels tied a club record with their 14th sellout of the season, Ramon Ortiz, Scot Shields and Brendan Donnelly teamed on a four-hitter.

Tim Salmon and Scott Spiezio each hit a two-run home run, for Spiezio his first homer as a right-handed hitter this year. The Angels have hit 10 homers in their last six games, 18 during this 14-game roll.

Kennedy’s name strikes fear in the hearts of Minnesota fans. The last time the Twins saw Kennedy, he hit three home runs in Game 5 of the American League championship series, the game that sent the Angels into the World Series and sent the Twins home for the winter.

Kennedy hit no home runs Friday. Indeed, he got no hits.

Instead, he spooked the Twins with four spectacular defensive plays, two of which greatly assisted Ortiz in keeping Minnesota off the scoreboard.

“Oh my God. He was unbelievable,” said Ortiz, whose 11 victories are one shy of the league lead.

In six innings, Ortiz walked four, hit a batter and stranded five men in scoring position.

In the third, Chris Gomez smacked a drive off Ortiz’s glove. Kennedy read the carom, dived to pick up the ball with his bare hand and, with the ball inches off the ground, shoveled it to first base for the out. Without that play, the Twins have the bases loaded and one out.

In the fifth, with Luis Rivas on first base, Gomez grounded to second. Kennedy charged to field the ball, swiped a tag on Rivas, then threw off balance to first to complete the double play. Without that play, three and perhaps four runners reach base in the inning.

In the seventh, Kennedy saved third baseman Troy Glaus from an error, leaping high to snare a wayward throw and descending to swipe a tag on Rivas. In the eighth, Kennedy robbed A.J. Pierzynski of a hit, intercepting a ground ball near first base with a sprint and full-extension dive.

“From where he was three years ago to where he is now,” Manager Mike Scioscia said of Kennedy, “he’s the most improved defensive player I’ve ever seen.”

Said Kennedy: “You always like to hit. If it’s not happening, I’ll take a game like tonight.”

As the July 31 trading deadline approaches, Stoneman said he would be in search of help for this year, but not with any urgency.

“We still have the same balanced club we had last year,” he said. “We don’t have [Brad] Fullmer for the second half, but Jeff DaVanon is here, and he’s pretty good. There’s no glaring weakness in a particular spot.”

And teams seeking help can forget about tapping the Angel bullpen.

“If it’s something that weakens us for now,” Stoneman said, “that’s not something we’re interested in doing.”