No Magic as Angels’ Lead Disappears

In 1995, the Angels staged one of the epic collapses in baseball history. In six weeks, an 11-game lead vanished.

This could be an eerie 10th anniversary for the Angels. In 19 days, an 8 1/2 -game lead has vanished.

“It feels entirely different to me,” said Joe Maddon, the lone coach remaining from the Angels’ 1995 staff.

The Angels now share the American League West lead, with those rampaging Oakland Athletics. The Angels lost to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 6-4, on Saturday night at Angel Stadium, falling into a first-place tie with an Oakland team that trailed by 8 1/2 games on July 18.

The Angels are 7-10 since then. The A’s are 16-2.

That, to Maddon, explains the difference between then and now. In 1995, the Angels went 8-26 and lost the lead late in September, not early in August.

“It’s not like we’re playing poorly, or tightly,” Maddon said. “The other team has just been pitching so well, and playing so well. When we gave it up all those years ago, we just gave it up. There’s plenty of time to go. We’ll play our game and we’ll be fine.”

With 52 games to play, they’re even. The teams face each other in 10 of those games, including three in Oakland starting Tuesday.

“The standings will become relevant as you’re getting into the last couple weeks of the season,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Right now, we’re into a 50-plus game season. Your destiny is in your own hands. You have to focus on how you’re playing the game. There’s no need to scoreboard-watch. There’s no need to worry about what the other team is doing.”

On Saturday, while the A’s were winning by 15 runs, the Angels were losing to Tampa Bay left-hander Mark Hendrickson and his 6.77 earned-run average. The Angels, who could not or would not add a right-handed bat at the July 31 trading deadline, fell to 15-17 against left-handed starters.

They did, however, get the tying run to the plate three times in the final two innings.

In the eighth, Jeff DaVanon was thrown out trying to steal second base. In the ninth, Orlando Cabrera hit into a double play.

And, after Juan Rivera’s infield single again brought the tying run to the plate, Vladimir Guerrero grounded out to end the game.

The Angels rallied from a 6-1 deficit in the sixth inning, starting with consecutive doubles from Cabrera, Rivera and Guerrero.

Garret Anderson beat out an infield single, chasing Hendrickson and bringing the would-be tying run to the plate.

Bengie Molina’s fly ball died on the warning track, a few feet from becoming a three-run homer. The Angels did get a sacrifice fly out of it, with Guerrero scoring to cut the deficit to 6-4.

Casey Kotchman walked, Jose Molina struck out and Adam Kennedy walked, so the Angels had the bases loaded with two out.

But leadoff batter Chone Figgins flied out. That out extended his hitless streak to 15 at-bats, although he singled in the ninth.

Chris Bootcheck, who pitched so splendidly in Yankee Stadium last weekend, pitched poorly Saturday. With Jarrod Washburn expected to be activated from the disabled list next Saturday, Bootcheck’s second start for the Angels this season might have been his last.

He did not survive the fourth inning, getting 11 outs while giving up 10 hits and six runs. Kevin Gregg pitched 4 1/3 innings of sterling relief, giving up one hit and striking out a career-high six.