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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Anaheim Angels are going to have to do
more than win four of six games against the Los Angeles Dodgers
every year to replace them in the hearts -- and wallets -- of
Southern California's baseball fans.
|  | | Angels rookie Seth Etherton pitched six innings and allowed one run. |
And they know it.
"We've got to win a World Series. When that happens, things
will take a turn for the best for us," Angels first baseman Mo
Vaughn said after Saturday's 6-2 victory. "We're trying to make a
name for ourselves. And until we do that, that's the way it's going
to be. But I don't think we feel inferior to anybody."
The Angels came within one pitch of making it to the World
Series in 1986, but have never finished in first place since then.
That's the closest they've come to upstaging the Dodgers in their
40-year rivalry.
"I don't think it's ever going to be taken away from the
Dodgers because of all the tradition," said Angels hitting coach
Mickey Hatcher, whose two home runs in the 1988 World Series helped
the Dodgers win their last championship.
"But if these guys get into the playoffs a few years in a row,
I think the interest will be there. But we have to win to do that.
If the press, media or whatever don't want to take off on the
Angels, we're still going to have a good season. We've got a lot of
great fans down there. So we're really on the right track."
Rookie Seth Etherton (4-1) won his fourth consecutive start and
Bengie Molina drove in three runs as the Angels took two of three
at Dodger Stadium.
Etherton allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits over six
innings in his seventh career start and first for the Angels since
beating Minnesota on June 23 at Edison Field. The right-hander was
demoted to Triple-A Edmonton right after that game to make room on
the roster for Kent Bottenfield.
The Angels built a 3-0 lead in the first two innings against
Chan Ho Park (9-7) on RBI doubles by Tim Salmon and Orlando
Palmeiro and Molina's bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
Park, who has lost three consecutive starts after winning his
previous five decisions, was lifted after 109 pitches in five
innings. The right-hander allowed three runs on six hits and tied a
season high with seven walks.
"Pitching is going to dictate how far you're going to go. I've
never seen a team win with lousy pitching," Dodgers first baseman
Eric Karros said. "We're struggling a little bit, pitching-wise,
and we haven't been clicking offensively -- which makes for a real
bad-looking team. And that's where we're at right now."
After the Dodgers stranded the tying run at third base in the
fifth, the Angels loaded the bases in the sixth against Antonio
Osuna on Darin Erstad's leadoff double and two-out walks to Salmon
and Troy Glaus. Molina followed with a two-run single for a 5-2
lead.
Glaus, who homered in all three games against the Dodgers, drove
an 0-1 pitch from Matt Herges down the left-field line in the
eighth for Anaheim's final run.
Erstad had two hits, raising his major league-leading hit total
to 149 -- one more than he had all of last season in 585 at-bats.
Gary Sheffield, who had no homers in his final eight games
before the All-Star break, homered for the fourth time in three
games since the three-day hiatus to trim Anaheim's lead to 3-1 in
the third.
"He's imposing at the plate," Etherton said. "He stands so
close to the plate and his hands are so quick inside, you just hope
you make the right pitch at the right time. I went 3-2 on him and
he crushed it. I'm just glad I'm not the only one who's giving them
up to him."
Sheffield's homer was his major league-leading 31st of the
season and sixth against the Angels in 15 at-bats -- one more than
in his previous 141 career at-bats against them.
"Next time, we're going to try the one-hop cricket pitch and
see if that's going to work against him," Angels manager Mike
Scioscia joked. "Fortunately, we held the rest of their lineup in
check and got out of here with a couple of wins."
Game notes
Kevin Brown's stiff right shoulder was examined Saturday by
Dr. Frank Jobe, who did not consider it necessary to give the
Dodgers' ace an MRI. "I don't think it's anything serious, and I
think that he probably won't miss a start," Jobe said. ... This
year marked only the third time since 1985 that the Dodgers and
Angels have had winning records at the All-Star break, including
1991 and 1997. The two Southern California rivals have not led
their respective divisions at the All-Star break in the same season
since '85, when the Dodgers won the NL West and the Angels finished
second behind Kansas City in the AL West. ... The Dodgers finished
their interleague schedule with a 6-9 record. The Angels are 10-5
against with three games left, beginning Sunday at San Diego. ...
Despite the loss, the Dodgers are 11-9 against the Angels during
four seasons of interleague play, including 2-4 this season against
Anaheim.
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Baseball Scoreboard
Anaheim Clubhouse
Los Angeles Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 6
Pittsburgh 4
Boston 6
NY Mets 4
Detroit 11
Houston 6
Atlanta 7
Baltimore 3
Oakland 6
San Francisco 2
Philadelphia 7
Toronto 3
Texas 6
Arizona 5
Anaheim 6
Los Angeles 2
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Tampa Bay 1
Florida 0
NY Yankees 0
Chi. White Sox 15
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Colorado 4
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