Angels’ Send-Off Not Too Rousing

First, let us pause to remember how far the Angels have come: They will enter September four games out of a playoff spot, one year after a September in which their manager and general manager resigned amid debate over whether some players quit too. From disaster to contender in 12 months, that’s not bad.

But, since teams do not fly pennants for moral victories, let us also warn that the September stars are not aligned in favor of the Angels.

The Angels hit the road today, deflated by an 11-2 thumping administered Wednesday by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays bombed the Angels for four home runs, including two by designated hitter Brad Fullmer, and peppered Angel starter Matt Wise for 12 hits before dismissing him in the fifth inning.

If the Angels wish to make the playoffs for the first time since 1986, they must win on the road, which they usually do not. They must win with young starters, which contending teams usually do not. And they must win in September, which they usually do not.

“I’m very confident of where we are,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We have enough head-to-head games to keep our destiny in our hands.”

The Angels have won 41 home games, most in the American League. But they have won 27 road games, fewest of any AL team besides the Baltimore Orioles and Texas Rangers.

The Angels play 20 of their next 26 games on the road, including three this weekend against the Chicago White Sox, the team with the best record in the major leagues.

“It certainly doesn’t mean that, if we’re on the road, there’s an intimidation factor,” Scioscia said. “That’s not here.

“We have not played as well as we should have on the road. Obviously, we’ll have to pick that up. I’m very confident we will.”

That will depend largely upon a starting rotation with three young pitchers (Wise, Ramon Ortiz and Scott Schoeneweis), one veteran (Scott Karl) playing for his third team in two years and another (Kent Mercker) playing for his seventh team in six years. Mercker, who missed three months while recovering from a cerebral hemorrhage, is the only one with playoff experience.

Most teams with three kids in their September rotation are playing for next April, not this October.

“This is straight baptism under fire for these guys,” pitching coach Bud Black said. “Everybody’s a rookie at one time. We have three rookies and that’s OK. They’ve shown they can pitch well. They expect to pitch well. We expect them to pitch well.”

Veterans usually survive this challenge better, especially given the pressure of the road, because they have developed a level of consistency. Wise gave up three runs in 6 1/3 innings in beating the Blue Jays in his second major league start Aug. 15, then gave up four runs in the first inning in losing to the Jays Wednesday.

Said Wise: “If we make it to the playoffs, who’s to say the experience we have isn’t enough?”

The Angels also must overcome their traditional September failure. Since 1991, they have posted one winning record in the month--and that was last year, with absolutely no pressure.

Their last game of August belonged to veteran Toronto starter David Wells, who shut out the Angels for five innings, setting a career high with his league-leading 19th victory.

Wells experienced some tightness in his left shoulder and, with a 6-0 lead, the Jays pulled him for precautionary reasons. He said he expected to make his next start.

Fullmer and Tony Batista hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning, with Darrin Fletcher going deep in the third and Fullmer again going deep in the sixth. Fullmer and triple crown candidate Carlos Delgado each drove in four runs.

Mo Vaughn snapped the shutout in the seventh inning, hitting his 33rd home run. The hit gave Vaughn 100 runs batted in, making him the first Angel since Wally Joyner to drive in 100 runs in consecutive seasons. Ron Gant added a home run in the ninth.

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AL WEST RACE

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Team W L GB Seattle 72 61 -- Oakland 69 63 2 1/2 ANGELS 68 65 4

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WILD-CARD RACE

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Team W L GB Cleveland 70 59 -- Boston 69 61 1 1/2 Toronto 70 63 2 Oakland 69 63 2 1/2 ANGELS 68 65 4

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