No Thought of Past Flailings

The Angels insist they have moved on, that they’re not giving any thought to the way they were mowed down by Chicago White Sox pitching six months ago in the American League championship series.

“I don’t think anybody in here thinks about it,” said left fielder Garret Anderson, part of an Angel offense that batted .175 and scored only 11 runs in five games against a White Sox staff that closed out the series by pitching four consecutive complete games.

“The only time we think about it is when somebody brings it up. Players don’t think about the past.”

Said Kelvim Escobar, whose ninth-inning split-fingered fastball in Game 2 that may or may not have been caught by Josh Paul ignited a major brouhaha: “It’s already in the books. That was last year, and this is a new year.”

But the White Sox, who return to Angel Stadium tonight for the first time since October, are hoping to provide a refresher course in the three-game series behind scheduled starters Freddy Garcia, Jose Contreras and Jon Garland, each of whom logged a complete-game victory at Angel Stadium in the ALCS.

The right-handed Contreras clinched the playoff series with a nine-inning gem in Game 5, following the lead of Game 2 winner Mark Buehrle, Game 3 winner Garland and Game 4 winner Garcia.

Garcia, Contreras and Garland have maintained their winning form this season. The trio has combined for an 8-2 record and logged quality starts of six innings or more and three earned runs or fewer given up in eight of 12 appearances.

“They all know what they’re doing,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said of the White Sox starters. “They all pitch deep into the game. They’ve got a great game plan against any team they’re pitching against.”

The Angels, who are without injured ace Bartolo Colon, just as they were in the ALCS, will counter with starters Jeff Weaver, Escobar and Ervin Santana.

Escobar said the White Sox, who have won eight of their last 10 games and lead Detroit by 1 1/2 games in the AL Central, have fortified themselves with the additions of slugger Jim Thome and pitcher Javier Vazquez.

“You always want to play the best, and they seem to be good this year again,” Escobar said. “We’re just looking forward to making a statement and doing our best.”

Chicago also features first baseman Paul Konerko and closer Bobby Jenks, two players who came close to wearing Angel red. Konerko toured Angel Stadium and Orange County during the off-season before agreeing to return to the White Sox for five years and $60 million, and Jenks is a former Angel prospect whom Chicago claimed off waivers in December 2004.

Jenks has converted all six save opportunities this season but was not needed against his former team in the ALCS with the White Sox starters in lockdown mode. Chicago held Angel leadoff batter Chone Figgins and catcher Bengie Molina to identical .118 batting averages in the series and limited Vladimir Guerrero, the 2004 AL most valuable player, to one hit in 20 at-bats.

Were Guerrero’s struggles the result of being in a prolonged slump or facing great pitching?

“It was a combination of both,” Scioscia said. “I’ve seen Vladdy hit terrific pitching when he’s on. Unfortunately, he was in a bit of a funk, and they matched it with exceptional pitching. That might have been the best five starts for a team in any playoff series.”

Just as exasperating to the Angels as Chicago’s pitching was the controversial Game 2 call by umpire Doug Eddings, who ruled that Paul, the Angel catcher, had trapped Escobar’s third strike to A.J. Pierzynski with two out in the ninth inning. While Paul rolled the ball toward the mound, thinking the inning was over after Eddings balled his right hand into a fist, indicating strike three, Pierzynski raced toward first base and eventually scored the winning run, prompting an angry reaction from the Angel dugout.

Six months later, the Angels have cooled considerably.

“I don’t think there’s any what-ifs,” Scioscia said. “We needed to get into our game, and that would have beat the White Sox, not that one call going the other way. That call could have gone the other way and we might have played 22 innings that game and not scored. You never know.”

Said Anderson: “They pitched well. You’re talking about something that’s already past. It’s done and over with.”

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Times staff writer Mike DiGiovanna contributed to this report.