Hard to Cruise if Top’s Down

The speed demon at the top of the Angel order who was supposed to disrupt the New York Yankee pitching staff and defense has trudged back to the dugout after all eight playoff plate appearances, the latest affirmation of one of baseball’s oldest adages: You can’t steal first base.

The No. 3 hitter, whose supreme confidence and detached demeanor have helped immunize him from postseason pressure, is hitless in eight at-bats with five weak groundouts and a popup.

The dangerous cleanup hitter, whom the Angels feared would see as many pitches to hit as Barry Bonds with first base open and two out, has had several choice offerings but done little with them, collecting one harmless single in eight plate appearances.

Considering the Angels have gotten such little offense out of Chone Figgins, Garret Anderson and Vladimir Guerrero, who are a combined one for 22, they have to feel very good about splitting the first two games of the American League division series, which resumes with Angel right-hander Paul Byrd opposing Yankee left-hander Randy Johnson in Game 3 tonight.

But if the Angels are to win at least once in Yankee Stadium to force the series back to Anaheim for Game 5 or win twice to advance to the AL championship series, Bengie Molina, Juan Rivera and Orlando Cabrera are going to need a little help.

The Angels showed some pop (home runs by Molina and Rivera) and some pluck (clutch two-out, run-scoring hits by Molina and Cabrera) in Game 2 Wednesday night, and they even dusted off their little-ball game, with two sacrifice bunts during the seventh-inning rally that keyed their 5-3 victory.

But let’s face it: If not for Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez botching Cabrera’s routine chopper to open the sixth and pitcher Chien-Ming Wang’s throwing error in the seventh, the Angels might well be staring at a pair of towering obstacles tonight in Yankee Stadium -- the 6-foot-10 Johnson and an 0-2 playoff deficit.

“Fortunately some other guys swung the bats well enough to win [Wednesday], but we need Vlad and G.A. [to hit] and Figgy to set the tone,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “You’re not going to have every guy swinging well the whole time, but when you talk about the middle of the lineup, especially Garret and Vlad, we’re absolutely going to need offense from them if we’re going to get by this series.”

Don’t expect a breakout night in Game 3, though. A slump-buster, Johnson is not -- he has a 15-6 record and 2.93 earned-run average in 29 career starts against the Angels and has done a number on several of them individually.

Anderson, a career .295 hitter against left-handers, has three hits in 18 at-bats against Johnson for a .167 average. Guerrero, who has one home run in 52 at-bats since Sept. 15, is six for 30 with two home runs. Figgins is one for six.

The only Angels who have had success against Johnson are Cabrera, who is eight for 22, Molina, who is three for nine, and Darin Erstad, who is five for 20.

“We know Garret and Guerrero haven’t really made an impact ... but those were two ballgames that were pitched very well,” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said of the first two games.

“We need to dominate. We need to control the game with pitching, because if you don’t, with their type of offense, they can be distracting and do a lot of things. So, we’ve been fortunate. We’ve kept Figgins off base, and that’s given us a chance to win.”

Johnson had mixed results against the Angels in two starts this season, giving up two runs and four hits in a six-inning no-decision in Anaheim on July 21 and six runs and six hits, including home runs by Bengie and Jose Molina, in a 7 1/3 -inning no-decision in New York on July 31.

And in what has to be one of baseball’s oddest statistics, Johnson has lost his last seven division series decisions and is 2-7 with a 4.40 ERA in first-round playoff games.

But the more relevant numbers for tonight: Johnson went 6-2 with a 2.56 ERA from the beginning of August until the end of the regular season, including a 7 1/3 -inning, three-run, five-hit effort in an 8-4 AL East-clinching win over Boston last Saturday. And in his last 13 starts, Johnson has held left-handed batters to an .074 average.

“I’m not the same pitcher as I was when I faced the Angels in July,” Johnson said. “My slider is much better now, my velocity is up, my control is there, and I’m feeling a lot more confident about where I’m at.”

So the Angels will face a tall order tonight, but at least they’ll do so knowing there will be a tomorrow if they can’t beat the Big Unit.

“Absolutely,” Angel second baseman Adam Kennedy said, when asked if it will be a little easier not facing Johnson in an 0-2 playoff hole. “No matter who you’re facing on that staff, being down, 2-0, in a five-game set, you’re looking at trouble.”

Staff writer Ben Bolch contributed to this story.