BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Smith Rushes to Work, Wild Ending

Lee Smith, whose trips from the bullpen to mound have averaged 1 minute 20 seconds, jogged in during the ninth inning Sunday, making it to the mound in a season-low 47 seconds.

What’s the hurry? Smith had to catch 6:30 p.m. flight to Louisiana so he could spend today’s off day “fishing and playing with my rug rats.”

Smith, who started the ninth in each of his 10 previous appearances, inherited runners for the first time. He gave up an infield single to Frank Thomas to load the bases and caught Warren Newson looking at a third strike for the second out.

Robin Ventura then looped an RBI single to right, and Tim Raines, who was on second, was almost thrown out at home after a base-running gaffe that might make the bloopers reel.

Raines, thinking right fielder Tim Salmon had caught Ventura’s hit for the third out, stopped between third and home. Salmon threw to second baseman Damion Easley, and only when Easley relayed a throw home did Raines step on the gas pedal and slide under the high throw.

The ball got past catcher Andy Allanson and allowed the runners to advance to second and third, but Smith got Craig Grebeck to fly to center for the game’s last out.

“I thought he was trying to bait Damion into making a throw, but I guess he thought Tim caught the ball and the game was over,” Angel Manager Marcel Lachemann said. “Either it was a brilliant play or a bad mistake.”

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All four American League West teams won Sunday for the second day in a row. Don’t look now, but the A.L. West, considered the worst division in baseball entering the season, is now the only division in which all teams are better than .500. . . . Former Angel Bo Jackson, who retired last winter, was a post-game visitor in the Angel clubhouse. . . . Pitcher Brian Anderson, on the disabled list because of a strained left quadriceps, did not throw Sunday because his arm was sore, and it’s doubtful he’ll be able to return to the rotation this weekend, as was hoped.