Angels’ Sweep Is Merely a Warmup

Good against the last-place Oakland Athletics is one thing, but good against the Rangers, the Mariners and the Rockies?

After defeating the A’s, 7-6, before 23,389 Sunday at Anaheim Stadium, the Angels will soon find out whether they’re legitimate contenders or simply also-rans in the American League West.

Tonight, they begin a key nine-game trip to Texas, Seattle and Colorado. When they return, it figures to be much easier to determine the category in which they fall.

The Angels seemed to sense this after completing a four-game sweep of the A’s.

“The next seven games are going to be the biggest part of our season,” said center fielder Jim Edmonds, who drove in the winning run in the seventh inning Sunday. “This is our season right here.”

Any giddiness was limited to booming music in the clubhouse. No one dared stand up and say the Angels are threatening to seize first place and make it theirs for the remainder of the season.

They are far too bruised and battered to get cocky at this point. Plus, at least a dozen players have flu symptoms to a varying degree. Left fielder Garret Anderson was the latest casualty, sitting out Sunday’s game.

“I’m not too excited about getting on an airplane with 12 sick guys, I’ll tell you that,” Manager Terry Collins said.

The Angels have faltered badly on the road against Texas and Seattle under the best of circumstances, but when you add nagging injuries to Edmonds, first baseman Darin Erstad and second baseman Luis Alicea, the task becomes more difficult.

Then there’s the matter of trying to pitch effectively in the hitter-comfortable confines of the Ballpark in Arlington, the Kingdome in Seattle and Coors Field in Denver.

“Our pitchers have to rise up,” Collins said. “We hold [the opposition], we’ve got a chance to beat them.”

Collins, who managed the Houston Astros for three seasons, is familiar with Coors Field, but is troubled by his first visit to the Kingdome.

“I’ve never been there, but one of the Dodgers told me the other day that Seattle is like a mini Coors Field,” Collins said.

At times Sunday, Anaheim Stadium resembled either ballpark.

Angel starter Chuck Finley gave up only six hits, but three landed beyond the outfield fence. He had 10 strikeouts, a club high this season, but gave up six runs.

He lasted 6 1/3 innings, but left with the Angels trailing, 6-5, with one out in the seventh.

Edmonds’ run-scoring single in the seventh, strong relief pitching and shoddy defense by the A’s enabled the Angels to come from behind to win, however.

After the tying run scored on Oakland catcher George Williams’ wild throw to center field as Dave Hollins stole second base, Edmonds knocked in the game-winning run off reliever Aaron Small (5-4).

Pep Harris (1-2), Mike James and Troy Percival (eighth save) then preserved the lead.

The Angels rallied from deficits of 2-1, 4-3 and 6-5.

“They’ve got the kind of club that puts the ball in play a lot and they took advantage of our mistakes,” Oakland Manager Art Howe said. “They are aggressive, run a lot and seemed to score runs after we did to stop our momentum. It wasn’t always our pitcher’s fault either, and that hurt us all series.”

Sunday’s fielding flubs included:

* Jose Canseco’s failure to hustle after Chad Kreuter’s line drive into the right-field corner, which allowed the Angel catcher to stretch a double into a triple and ignited a two-run fourth inning.

* Rafael Bournigal muffed Orlando Palmeiro’s grounder to shortstop one batter later. It was kindly ruled a double.

* Williams’ moon ball into center field that scored the tying run in the seventh.