Angels Find Winning Substitute

Maybe, finally, the Angels have found the secret to some success. It’s all in the timing.

Wait until the eighth inning, then yank shortstop Gary DiSarcina. Strange, but effective.

Friday’s 4-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics in front of 29,911 at Edison Field was the third time that formula has worked since DiSarcina returned to the lineup this week. And, at this point, the Angels will gladly become superstitious.

An infield single by Jeff Huson, DiSarcina’s replacement, drove in Troy Glaus with the winning run with two out in the ninth, giving the Angels their third victory in four games against American League West teams.

“Good things happen when I leave the game,” DiSarcina said. “That’s going to be my line for the year.”

So far, he’s three for three.

The Angels trailed, 3-1, when DiSarcina was pulled in favor of Huson, who then singled to start a rally that climaxed in Mo Vaughn’s two-run single that tied the score. An inning later, Glaus doubled with one out and went to third on Matt Walbeck’s groundout.

Huson hit a grounder up the middle that shortstop Miguel Tejada just reached. Tejada spun on the outfield grass and fired a one-hop throw to first that John Jaha couldn’t scoop. Huson was awarded a hit and the Angels had their third come-from-behind victory in the last four games.

The common denominator: DiSarcina, who has played in four games since returning from a broken bone in his left forearm that had kept him out all season.

On Tuesday, he was pulled in the eighth in favor of Huson, who started a three-run rally in a 4-2 victory over Seattle. Two nights later, Matt Luke hit for DiSarcina in the eighth and walked. The Angels scored six runs and won, 12-7.

“We got a guy back who is a pretty big part of this club, and maybe it does lift our spirits,” Angel Manager Terry Collins said. “But we also now get to use Andy [Sheets] and Jeff in the roles they have been most successful.”

And the time is now. The Angels, who trail the first-place Texas Rangers by 8 1/2 games, are in the midst of a 15-game stretch against American League West teams.

“We can’t say, ‘We’re going to sweep Oakland and sweep Texas and get right back in this race,’ ” Collins said. “We need to talk about winning a series. If we win 10, we will make up some games.

“That was the biggest thing about tonight. Wins right now have the utmost importance. We have got to keep scratching and pounding to get ourselves back into this thing.”

That happened Thursday against the Mariners, when the Angels scored nine runs in the last two innings, six on a pair of three-run home runs by Vaughn.

“I thought it was outstanding,” said DiSarcina, who had one hit and scored the Angels’ first run Friday. “I had a blast watching it. That was something you can definitely build on.”

If the Angels were building, they took a coffee break for seven innings. All they managed off Athletic started Jimmy Haynes was a run-scoring single by Randy Velarde in the third inning.

Haynes retired 12 consecutive batters from the fourth through the seventh innings, as the Angels appeared to slip back into an offensive funk. They had scored four or fewer runs in 25 of 27 games before Thursday.

“We have to forget about last night,” Collins said. “We can’t go, “Wow, we’re out of it.’ We have to keep plugging along.”

Omar Olivares did, navigating a minefield in the Athletics’ order. Jason Giambi, Jaha and Matt Stairs all entered Friday’s game with better than .400 averages against Olivares.

He handled them as best he could, throwing a shutout before Giambi homered with two out in the sixth. It was his 10th career hit off Olivares, five of which are home runs.

Jaha followed with a single and, after Stairs walked, Eric Chavez singled for a 2-1 lead.