Angels aren’t home free

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Not only is home-field advantage for the playoffs slowly slipping away, it appears more and more likely the Angels will open the American League division series next week in what for them is the most dreaded stadium in baseball: Boston’s Fenway Park.

The Angels lost to the last-place Texas Rangers, 3-1, Tuesday night, with reliable reliever Darren Oliver giving up three runs in the sixth inning for his first loss since Aug. 4, 2006, and Erick Aybar hitting his first big league home run in the fifth.

The AL West champion Angels fell to 92-66 with four games left and are two games behind AL Central champion Cleveland (93-63) and 1 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox (93-64), who are closing in on the AL East title. The Red Sox and Indians both hold the tiebreaking edge over the Angels should they finish with the same record, so the Angels would actually need to make up three games on the Indians and 2 1/2 games on the Red Sox.

If the Indians edge out the Angels, they would open the playoffs at home against the Yankees, assuming New York wins the wild-card.

If the Red Sox finish ahead of the Angels, they would open at home against the Angels, who are 14-22 in Fenway Park -- including a 2004 playoff loss -- since 2000.

The Angels also have a major league-best 54-27 record at home and are 38-39 on the road.

“We have a really tough time winning there, no doubt about it,” closer Francisco Rodriguez said. “But if we carry that with us, we won’t be able to play our game. We have to have the same confidence on the road that we have at home.”

At least three Angels don’t care where they open next week -- they just want to be part of the playoff roster.

One is Dustin Moseley, who has spent most of the season in the bullpen but threw four scoreless innings, giving up four hits, striking out three and walking one, in an emergency start Tuesday night. He is 4-3 with a 4.40 earned-run average this season.

The others are reliever Chris Bootcheck, who gave up one hit in a scoreless eighth inning Tuesday night and is 3-2 with a 3.68 ERA, and starter Ervin Santana, who is 7-14 with a 5.80 ERA but has pitched well in two career relief appearances.

The Angels will carry 10 pitchers in the first round, four starters -- John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders -- and six relievers. Rodriguez, Scot Shields, Justin Speier and Oliver are bullpen locks, leaving three others, Moseley, Bootcheck and Santana, for two spots.

“One thing is for sure, we’re going to have some terrific arms to pick from,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “They will be tough decisions for the individuals involved, but as a staff, it makes us stronger, and that’s good.”

Santana has been erratic but probably has the best stuff of the three, and the Angels seem to like the idea of the right-hander pitching out of the bullpen.

Bootcheck has a 95-mph fastball and is more of a short man. Moseley is more of a finesse pitcher who can give the Angels length.

“I know only 25 guys are going to move on, and I’m sure it would be hard to be on this ride the whole season and not be part of it,” Bootcheck said. “You don’t know what they’re thinking, but I’ve dealt with this before, coming out of spring training,” not knowing if he was going to make the team or not.

“I don’t think one outing is going to make or break you,” he continued. “I’m just going to put my best out there and let the chips fall where they may.”

Scioscia is not looking forward to informing a pitcher who has been with the Angels all season that he won’t be on the playoff roster.

“It’s never easy,” Scioscia said, “but it’s our obligation to get the roster with the most depth and one we feel gives us the best chance to win.”

No matter where they start.

--

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com