Young Erstad Keeps His Cool in the Heat of Division Race

It’s usually the young guys you worry about in a division title race, the ones who have never played a must-win game in late September, when every play, every at-bat is magnified.

Then you see the smirk on Angel first baseman Darin Erstad’s face when you ask if he’s feeling any added pressure these days, and you realize experience isn’t necessarily a requirement.

“We’re playing a baseball game tonight, I don’t think about all that other stuff,” Erstad said before Friday night’s game against the Orioles.

Erstad, who is batting .300 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs and has a team-leading 18 stolen bases in his first full major-league season, seems almost oblivious to the pressure.

“I’m just having fun,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t feel any different now than I did during April. I’m just doing what I can to help the team.”

Manager Terry Collins believes the fact that Erstad was the No. 1 pick in the 1995 draft and that he played football at Nebraska, where fans follow the Cornhuskers religiously, have conditioned him to deal with high expectations and tense situations.

*

The domino effect in the wake of center fielder Jim Edmonds’ lower-back strain--left fielder Garret Anderson has moved to center, designated hitter Tony Phillips has moved to left, and Eddie Murray and Jack Howell are sharing designated hitter duties--has forced Collins to downshift offensively.

“We don’t have the foot speed we had before, so we can’t steal or hit and run as much,” Collins said. “I don’t want to put guys in situations where they may not succeed. I’m not going to hit and run with Eddie or bunt Jack--I want those guys swinging away.”

*

Mark Langston, whose return from May 27 surgery has been delayed because of elbow stiffness, will throw in the bullpen today, and if he responds well to the workout the left-hander will make another rehabilitation start for Class-A Lake Elsinore on Thursday night.

TONIGHT’S GAME

ANGELS’ CHUCK FINLEY (11-6, 4.24 ERA) vs. ORIOLES’ SCOTT KAMIENIECKI (7-5, 4.10 ERA)

Anaheim Stadium, 7

Radio--KTZN (710).

* Update--Finley has been one of baseball’s hottest pitchers since July 1, winning his last eight starts, and a victory tonight would leave the left- hander one win shy of the Angel record for consecutive victories, set by Bert Blyleven in 1989 and Ken McBride in 1962. Kamieniecki has been one of the unsung heroes of the Oriole rotation, coming out of the bullpen in the first week of the season and providing several outstanding efforts.