Angels Call on Their Past to Forget Game 2 Debacle

It has been as much a trademark of Mike Scioscia-led Angel teams as aggressive base running, the hit-and-run play and the five-man infield.

Since Scioscia brought his one-game-at-a-time mantra to Anaheim in 2000, the Angels have had an uncanny ability to bounce back from the most devastating losses, the most horrific endings.

After Francisco Rodriguez had missed a routine throw back from the catcher on Aug. 11, allowing Oakland’s Jason Kendall to race home from third with the winning run, the Angels reeled off four straight victories to regain the lead in the American League West.

After extra-inning losses in Toronto on July 27 and 28, the second of which went 18 innings and depleted their bullpen, the Angels traveled to New York and whipped the Yankees the next night, 4-1.

After blowing four-run, eighth-inning leads to the Yankees in a pair of 8-7 losses July 30 and 31, the Angels won nine of their next 13 games.

But this latest disappointment, the 2-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox in Game 2 of the American League championship series Wednesday night, when the Angels discovered that it’s one, two, three strikes you’re not out at the old ballgame ... this one could put the Angels’ recuperative powers to the test.

Wednesday’s loss, which evened the best-of-seven series, 1-1, with Game 3 tonight in Angel Stadium, was not your run-of-the-mill walk-off job.

Added to the normal frustration of such a loss were anger and a feeling that the Angels were robbed when home-plate umpire Doug Eddings ruled Angel catcher Josh Paul had trapped, not caught, a third strike to A.J. Pierzynski, who raced to first in the ninth inning when Paul rolled the ball to the mound.

Pierzynski was replaced by pinch-runner Pablo Ozuna, who stole second and scored the winning run on Joe Crede’s double off Angel reliever Kelvim Escobar.

And unlike the regular season, when heartbreaking defeats can be passed off as “one of 162 games,” this was one of a possible seven playoff games, when one momentum-turning play, one emotional victory, can shift a series.

Remember how David Ortiz’s walk-off homer in the 12th inning of Game 4 turned last October’s ALCS toward the Boston Red Sox? Remember how Dave Henderson’s dramatic Game 5 home run off Donnie Moore, when the Angels were one strike away from the 1986 World Series, swung that ALCS toward the Red Sox?

That Angel team never recovered, losing Games 6 and 7 in Boston and blowing a 3-1 edge in the series. How will these Angels respond?

“The same way we respond to anything that goes against us -- it’s a tough loss, it’s in the past, we’ll show up the next day,” pitcher Jarrod Washburn said. “But a game like this, it stays with you longer.”

Angel fortunes could hinge on how long that bitterness lingers.

If they’re unable to put the controversy behind them, it could affect their play. If they adopt the slogan that, ironically, Paul had printed on T-shirts and distributed to teammates in spring training -- “Wear it. And like it.” -- they should be fine.

The White Sox are expecting the latter.

“If we think things are magically going to go our way because we won that game, it’s not going to happen,” White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko said before Thursday’s workout in Angel Stadium. “Because if I’m the Angels, I’d have a little chip on my shoulder and would be trying to prove a point.”

Even as much as the Angels disagreed with Eddings’ ruling, they did not use it as an excuse.

“There’s a lot of focus on that play, but we didn’t play to a high enough level to win the ballgame,” Scioscia said. “That’s the bottom line.”

Said Angel first baseman Darin Erstad: “It’s over. We lost. What happened, happened. We’ll move on to Friday.”

Even Escobar, who thought he had completed his third scoreless inning of relief, only to return to the mound and give up Crede’s game-winning hit, was anything but distraught.

“Yes, I’m [ticked] off, but there’s nothing you can do about it,” he said. “It was a good game. Give credit to [White Sox pitcher] Mark Buerhle. He threw a beautiful game.”

Besides, the Angels, who will send right-hander John Lackey to the mound to oppose Chicago right-hander Jon Garland tonight, have other things on their minds.

Like, when will leadoff batter Chone Figgins, who is batting .143 with nine strikeouts in seven playoff games, begin to set the table as he did for most of the season? And when will Vladimir Guerrero, hitless in eight ALCS at-bats and hitting .231 with one RBI in the playoffs, begin to drive the ball, as he did all year?

“We have to play at a higher level,” Scioscia said. “We didn’t play well [Wednesday night]. That one play didn’t beat us. Our play beat us.”

Scioscia’s comments did not go unnoticed in the other manager’s office.

“I keep telling you guys, I have more respect for Mike Scioscia now than I did [Wednesday],” White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen said Thursday. “I say that from the bottom of my heart.”

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The Angels do not plan to beef up security in the right field area where Eddings will be working.

Angel spokesman Tim Mead said additional security hired for the division series will also be present today.

“You try to focus your attention wherever the concern is,” Mead said. “We don’t anticipate a need for more. We have a good reputation with our fan base and with their conduct.”

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Times staff writer Steve Henson contributed to this report.