Angels Fall Further Behind

ARLINGTON, Texas â€”  In gloomy, overcast, rain-filled conditions that seemed to foretell impending doom, the Angels found a silver lining Sunday at Ameriquest Field.

It wore No. 15 and went by the name of Tim Salmon, who, in his waning days as an Angel, clubbed a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning to provide a feel-good ending to an otherwise miserable 8-1 loss to the Texas Rangers.

For a few brief moments, as they mobbed Salmon in the dugout, the Angels could forget about their fading playoff hopes and their seven-game deficit behind Oakland in the American League West with 12 games left, and celebrate the career of the player known as Mr. Angel.

“It’s only fitting, with the numbers he’s put up in this park, for him to hit a home run in his last at-bat here,� Darin Erstad said.

“As much as he’s meant to this organization, as great a teammate as he is, you still root for the guy, regardless of the situation.�

Salmon, who will retire after this season -- his 15th with the Angels -- had some of his best moments in this park. In addition to batting .378 (104 for 275) with 18 home runs and 63 runs batted in here, the Angels clinched the AL wild card, and Salmon’s first playoff berth, here in 2002.

And Sunday, with his mother in attendance, seldom-used Salmon, who has 45 at-bats since the All-Star break, drove a Ron Mahay pitch into the left-field bleachers for home run No. 298.

“It’s kind of amazing,� said Salmon, 38.

“My last swing in Texas, in my favorite park, with my mom here ... I was pretty pleased. This place has been good to me. I wasn’t sure if I’d get another at-bat here, and I got one and hit a home run. It’s still good to me.�

Manager Mike Scioscia said Salmon’s shot could earn him more playing time against left-handers Jorge De La Rosa and Odalis Perez in Kansas City this week. Salmon, who returned this season after missing all of 2005 because of shoulder and knee surgeries, would welcome more at-bats, but he’s not going to lobby for them.

“I see the big picture here,� said Salmon, who gave the home run ball to his mother.

“If I can contribute, I’ll do whatever I can.�

Salmon played regularly early in the season, starting 34 of the team’s first 60 games, but when Juan Rivera got hot in July and injuries relegated Garret Anderson to designated hitter, Salmon’s playing time all but evaporated. Not that he was about to complain.

“As much as I’ve wanted to play more this season, two or three years from now I will be very thankful I didn’t play as much,� Salmon said.

“That first month, I didn’t think my body would last much longer at that pace. I didn’t want to risk the future. In two weeks or so, I’m going to walk away from this game healthy.�

The Angels walked away from Sunday’s game with their playoff hopes looking about as robust as their offense, which failed to score after loading the bases with no outs in the seventh, the rally ending when pinch-hitter Kendry Morales struck out and pinch-hitter Rivera grounded into a double play on the first pitch.

Scioscia juggled Sunday’s lineup, returning Chone Figgins to the leadoff spot, resting Orlando Cabrera and Rivera and replacing struggling rookie Howie Kendrick with Robb Quinlan at first base. Scioscia was concerned enough about Kendrick, who is mired in a seven-for-49 slump, to meet with him privately before the game.

“Mentally, he’s really pressing,� Scioscia said. “We want to get him into his game.�

Kendrick went three for 26 (.115) in his first big league stint in late April and May, and after a two-month demotion to triple-A, he returned to the Angels in July and hit .375 (51 for 136) with 18 RBIs through Aug. 30.

But pitchers began feeding him breaking balls and changeups, and Kendrick has been expanding his strike zone in September.

“He made some great adjustments early, but right now he’s fallen into some of the habits he had his first time around,� Scioscia said. “It’s a learning curve, and he has to be patient.�

*

[email protected]