For Gant, Joining His New Team Was a Trip

Ron Gant sat in the back of an airplane filled with former teammates early Monday morning. He was on his way to a clubhouse filled with future teammates.

“I didn’t say much,� Gant said. “I didn’t know how the guys felt about me being on there. But, it was good. I got a chance to say goodbye to a lot of good friends.�

Friends are one thing, though.

Pennant races are another.

Traded to the Angels for pitcher Kent Bottenfield, Gant took the Philadelphia Phillies’ charter to San Diego, where a limousine sent by the Angels waited. “The closer I got,� Gant said, laughing, “the more nervous I got.�

He arrived to the seventh place in the Angel order, as the designated hitter and one more powerful bat in a lineup of them. He has six home runs in 46 at-bats since the All-Star break, after hitting 14 in 297 at-bats in the first half.

Gant said he shortened his stroke, an approach that might also help his .148 average with runners in scoring position.

“It’s wonderful,� said Gant, who is in the American League for the first time in 13 big-league seasons. “I’ve had some experience in the playoffs and in runs for the pennant. It’s fun for me again.

“From what I’ve seen, there’s nobody out there who swings the bats better than these guys.�

*

Rookie catcher Bengie Molina deferred to the veteran Gant and gave up his No. 5.

Molina will wear the un-catcher-like No. 1, instead.

An agreeable sort, Molina asked equipment manager Ken Higdon for a list of available numbers.

When Higdon said, “Well, there’s 1 . . . ,� Molina said, “I’ll take it.�

“I was taking the first number out of his mouth,� Molina said.

*

Ken Hill, the active veteran starter who was not traded by the non-waiver deadline, sat in his usual corner chair Monday afternoon and said he was mildly surprised he didn’t find himself in a foreign clubhouse.

“Being a free agent at the end of the year,� he said, “I figured they might want to get a guy or two.�

At the same time, he added, this is no time to be giving up on pitching.

“We’re still in this thing,� Hill said. “We’re six down in the division, two out of the wild card. We still have a chance to win. You just can’t give away pitching.�

Hill, 5-6 with a 6.56 earned-run average, is scheduled to pitch Wednesday’s series finale against the Tigers.

*

Troy Glaus has committed a team-high 20 errors, many of those on poor throws. Glaus insisted that his shoulder is sound, and in the clubhouse before the game windmilled his arm to prove it.

“It’s fine,� he said curtly.

*

Left-hander Kent Mercker will make a rehabilitation start Friday for Class-A Lake Elsinore. It will be his first live competition since May 11, when he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while pitching against Texas.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ BRIAN COOPER

(4-5, 5.05)

vs.

TIGERS’ ADAM BERNERO

(FIRST CAREER START)

Edison Field, 7

TV--Fox Sports Net.

Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

* Update--Cooper has lost three of four decisions since his three-hit shutout of Oakland on June 30. His ERA since is 9.64. He gave up four home runs in his