A.L

Sporting News, The, August 6, 2001

Anaheim Angels

www.sportingnews.com/baseball/teams/angel

53-51

3rd West

Team hopes Erstad gets a lift from the No. 2 slot

CF Darin Erstad's up-and-down season currently is on the down side. After hitting .242 in April, he hit .299 in May and .311 in June. But entering the week, Erstad was hitting. 186 for July, and his average was down to .263. Last season, he hit .355 from the leadoff spot. With the emergence of SS David Eckstein at leadoff this season, Erstad was moved to No. 2 in the order, then No. 3. He has had his most success hitting No. 2 (.298), so manager Mike Scioscia has put him back there for now.... OF Garret Anderson doesn't consider himself the prototypical cleanup hitter, but he has hit like one since being moved to the No. 4 spot. Anderson, who leads the team with 75 RBIs, says he has had success from the spot because he hasn't changed his approach, hitting the same way from the fourth position as he would from the third, fifth or sixth slots.

SCOUTING REPORT: Since winning the starting job last season, C Bengie Molina has continued to improve behind the plate, particularly in calling a game. He is known for working well with the pitchers, and the results are evident in the Angels' staff ERA (3.88), which ranks third in the league. He considers offense secondary but has shown a knack for getting clutch hits--he's batting .293 with runners in scoring position. However, his offense overall is down. After hitting .281 with 14 homers in 2000, Molina is hitting .261 with two homers.

SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Scioscia has a quick hook for his starters at his time of the year if he sees something is little off, regardless of the score. For instance the RHP Pat Rapp was removed in the sixth inning against the Orioles last week despite having shutout going. Scioscia explained Rapp appeared to be coming out of his mechanics. When a pitcher comes out of his proper mechanics, more stress is put on the pitcher shoulder, increasing the possibility of injury. Some of the teams pitcher might be given a little more leeway before being removed, but Scioscia and pitching coach Bud Black are extra sensitive with the pitchers after the All-Star break. --Joe Haakenson

JULY GRADES

OFFENSE: C The club has shown signs of breaking out of a season-long slump.

PITCHING: B The starters continue to go deep into games, averaging 6 1/3 innings.

DEFENSE: B It's always on its toes--the result of a staff that keeps the ball in play.

BATTERS        AVG    G    AB    R     H    HR

Gil           .337    69   184   28    62    8
(*)Wooten     .320    64   181   22    58    8
Kennedy( )    .300    86   310   34    93    4
(*)Eckstein   .283    97   368   54   104    3
Anderson( )   .280   104   436   47   122   18
Palmeiro( )   .279    66   140   21    39    2
Spiezio(#)    .268    82   250   31    67    8
Erstad( )     .263   102   411   60   108    8
B. Molina     .261    48   161   17    42    2
Glaus         .247   103   384   66    95   26
Fabregas( )   .210    35   100    4    21    1
Salmon        .202    82   277   36    56   10
Nieves        .000    12    11    1     0    0

BATTERS       RBI    OBP   SB   K    BB    E

Gil            33   .359    2   35    7    9
(*)Wooten      31   .340    2   32    5    2
Kennedy( )     25   .357    9   41   23    6
(*)Eckstein    23   .357    9   40   29   12
Anderson( )    75   .301    7   65   15    1
Palmeiro( )    15   .338    4   15   11    1
Spiezio(#)     30   .327    2   40   20    0
Erstad( )      49   .335   18   74   39    1
B. Molina      17   .331    0   25   13    4
Glaus          68   .358    6   98   66   14
Fabregas( )    12   .229    0   10    3    3
Salmon         28   .365    6   79   66    2
Nieves          0   .083    0    5    1    1

GRAND SLAMS: Anderson(1)

PITCHERS            ERA    W-L     IP     H    R    ER

Levine              2.04   5-5    53.0    41   15   12
Percival            2.21   3-2    40.2    23   12   10
(*)Weber            2.68   6-1    50.1    44   16   15
Pote                3.40   1-0    50.1    48   20   19
Washburn( )         3.42   9-4   126.1   127   56   48
Hasegawa            3.55   3-4    33.0    31   15   13
Valdes              3.94   7-5    93.2    92   41   41
Ortiz               4.12   8-7    13.1   141   70   60
Holtz( )            4.50   0-0    24.0    23   12   12
Rapp                4.62   3-9   124.2   124   68   64
Schoeneweis( )      4.94   7-8   136.2   152   77   75
(*)Lukasiewicz( )   6.32   0-2    15.2    16   13   11

PITCHERS            HR    K   BB   SV   AVG.

Levine               3   31   15    1   .224
Percival             1   46   11   27   .161
(*)Weber             4   30   26    0   .233
Pote                 9   35   19    2   .244
Washburn( )         12   89   41    0   .260
Hasegawa             4   26   15    0   .250
Valdes               9   56   21    0   .252
Ortiz               11   88   47    0   .274
Holtz( )             3   29    7    0   .256
Rapp                12   58   51    0   .262
Schoeneweis( )      12   66   55    0   .285
(*)Lukasiewicz( )    3   18    6    0   .267

SHUTOUTS: None

COMPLETE GAMES: Rapp, Schoeneweis, Valdes, Washburn (1)

(*) Rookie

( ) Lefthanded

(#) Switch hitter

League leaders in bold

Statistics provided by STATS Inc. through Saturday, July 28.