BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Salmon Kept Swinging Away

Four hitless at-bats Wednesday and nearly six games at Anaheim Stadium without having hit a home run couldn’t get Tim Salmon to alter his approach when he faced the Cleveland Indians’ Derek Lilliquist with two out in the 15th inning Wednesday night.

“I didn’t change my swing, and I’m not going to change my swing,� he said. “I just wanted to put good wood on the ball. I was trying to hit a line drive up the middle.�

His line drive on Lilliquist’s 2-and-1 pitch found the middle of a section in the left-field seats, giving the Angels a 3-2 victory and Salmon his first Anaheim Stadium homer.

Manager Buck Rodgers didn’t plan to change the pitching rotation after Thursday’s day off and will simply give each starter an extra day’s rest. . . . Rodgers said he was pleased with Mike Butcher’s 3 1/3 scoreless relief innings Tuesday. That outing followed a stretch during which Butcher had given up three runs in 1 2/3 innings in three appearances. . . . Rodgers also said he is hopeful Tim Fortugno can regain confidence he might have lost in his start against the Indians on Tuesday, when he gave up six earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. “If he can regain his composure and self discipline he can be a solid (reliever) and spot starter,� Rodgers said. “The arm you can work with. The head is the hardest thing to fix with any pitcher.�