Washburn Wasn’t Available

Jarrod Washburn, who was scratched from Sunday’s scheduled Game 4 start, was diagnosed with strep throat and was unavailable for Game 5 Monday night. Instead of flying home with the Angels after their 3-2 loss Sunday night, Washburn stayed in a New York airport hotel and flew home on a commercial flight Monday morning.

Angel doctors were able to get Washburn’s temperature, which reached 102 degrees Saturday night, under control using medication, and Washburn felt well enough to come to Angel Stadium on Monday.

Before Bartolo Colon left Monday night’s game because of an inflamed shoulder, it appeared Washburn might be left off the American League championship series roster. But without Colon, the Angels will have to keep Washburn and hopes he is well enough to start Game 3 or 4.

The Angels are also expected to bump reserve outfielder Jeff DaVanon from their ALCS roster and add another reliever, either right-hander Esteban Yan or left-hander Jason Christiansen.

*

Perspective doesn’t come cheap in New York, where a slow couple of months of baseball put jobs in jeopardy all over the Yankee organization, including, speculatively, Joe Torre’s. The Yankees were the best team in baseball since mid-May, ran down the Red Sox for good in late September, and won at least 95 games for the fifth consecutive season.

Better than anyone, Torre knows the impact of good seasons ending well, good seasons ending poorly, and all that falls in between. The Yankees had not won a World Series since 2000, and several hours later were eliminated again, by the Angels.

And when he reaches for perspective, he often finds the words of former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden.

“The thing that made me feel good about ... not always controlling the final scores is talking to Coach Wooden a couple of times and reading his books,” Torre said. “You know, he touched on the fact that coaches or managers can do so many things, and then sometimes even if you do everything right, it doesn’t mean you’re going to win.”

Torre said he and Wooden met again earlier this season, when the Yankees played the Angels in July.

“He came into my office and it was a very special time,” he said. “He sat in my office for about an hour and everybody obviously wanted to come in and meet him. He brought [Derek] Jeter a little something that he signed. God love him. Sharp as a tack. Very special.”

*

The last time New York Yankee ace left-hander Randy Johnson made a relief appearance, it was in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. He was a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks that night and he helped beat the Yankees.

With another season on the line, Johnson knew he could again be called upon Monday night. And he welcomed it after giving up five runs and nine hits in just three innings of Game 3.

It wasn’t as if Torre had called Johnson aside before the first pitch Monday and told him to get ready.

“He didn’t have to,” Johnson said. “This was do or die.”

Johnson bounced back strongly, holding the Angels scoreless and giving up only three hits in four and one-third innings.

“I made some adjustments,” he said.

That was small consolation considering Johnson won’t pitch again this season.

*

Luis Sojo, the former Angel infielder and current Yankee coach, will manage the Venezuelan team in the World Baseball Classic. Sojo said he had penciled in Francisco Rodriguez and Kelvim Escobar of the Angels for the national team, with Rodriguez as the closer.

The Venezuelan team could also include Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins, Miguel Cabrera of the Florida Marlins, Magglio Ordonez of the Detroit Tigers, Bobby Abreu of the Philadelphia Phillies and Melvin Mora of the Baltimore Orioles.

Although Yankee owner George Steinbrenner has expressed reluctance to let his stars play because of the injury risk, Angel owner Arte Moreno preferred to stress baseball’s growing international popularity.

“The rookie from Colorado [Clint Barmes] got hurt carrying a slab of meat up the stairs,” Moreno said.

“If you’re going to get hurt, you’re going to get hurt. For a lot of guys playing baseball, there’s a lot of pride in playing for your country.”

The WBC will be held in March, with first-round games in Japan, Puerto Rico, Arizona and Florida. The finals will be played in San Diego, with two second-round sites -- one in Puerto Rico, and one to be selected from Angel Stadium, Chase Field in Arizona, Minute Maid Park in Houston and Safeco Field in Seattle.

“Anaheim is very attractive to us,” said Paul Archey, MLB’s senior vice president of international operations.

“What’s always been attractive is the demographic makeup of Southern California, when you look at the countries that could play in the second round.”

The field in Anaheim could include the United States, Mexico, Japan and South Korea.

*

Angel shortstop prospect Brandon Wood, who led the minor leagues with 43 home runs this season, hit four home runs Monday in an Arizona Fall League game.... The two Angels who have won the American League’s most-valuable-player award participated in the first pitch ceremony, with Don Baylor pitching and Guerrero catching.

*

The Yankees’ 3-2 victory over the Angels in Game 4 Sunday night recorded an impressive overnight rating of 9.7 with a 15 share of the audience, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Those numbers were the highest for a division series Game 4 on Fox and marked a 45% increase over the comparable game last year -- Game 4 of the St. Louis-Dodger series -- which drew an overnight 6.7/10.

In Los Angeles, Sunday night’s game received a 15.8/29. It got a 23.1/33 in New York and a 10.6/10 in Chicago.

The final national rating will be available today.

*

Times staff writers Bill Shaikin, Steve Springer and Larry Stewart contributed to this report.