Angels Ease Some of the Sting : They Rally Past Rangers, 4-3, to Cap 2-8 Finish

There are two ways to look at the Angels’ latest late-season nosedive, which ended somewhat surprisingly with a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Texas Rangers Sunday at Anaheim Stadium.

You can look at the Angels’ 2-8 record in their final 10 games and conclude that this is a lousy way to wrap up a 91-victory season and third-place finish.

Or you can look at it the way Wally Joyner did.

“Well, we did better than last year,” Joyner said with a grin.

Last year, the Angels went 0-12 to finish the season, setting a franchise standard for consecutive losses as well as on-field indifference. That record should stand awhile.

But the 1989 Angels, owners of the third-best record in franchise history, came perilously close to an 0-10 send-off, with only Bert Blyleven’s 2-0 shutout Thursday night and Sunday’s two-run rally in the eighth inning saving them.

Ninety-one victories after back-to-back 75-87 finishes ordinarily would be applauded, but there was little applause as the Angels cleaned out their lockers and packed.

“If we go 2-8 to finish the season, that’s not something we’re particularly proud of,” said Angel Manager Doug Rader. “But 91 wins is. More good things happened than not.

” . . . You can say what you want about the people here, you can write what you want. But the effort was there, if the productivity wasn’t always.

“Things didn’t work out as well as they could have, but they still worked out well.”

This marks the third September-October fadeout the Angels have had in as many seasons, a tradition that has been observed every year since the Angels wasted a three-games-to-one lead over Boston in the 1986 American League playoffs.

Team Steadfast, this isn’t.

Angel Notes

Brian Downing, who doubled in the eighth inning to set up the Angels’ game-winning rally, wasn’t sure if he had played his final game Sunday afternoon. Downing, who turns 39 next week, signed a one-year contract last winter, with the club holding an option for the 1990 season. Sunday, Downing said he didn’t know if the Angels wanted him back--or if even he wanted to come back. . . . Before Sunday’s game, the Angels handed out their annual awards. Bert Blyleven and Chili Davis were voted by their teammates as co-recipients of the Owner’s Trophy, given to the club’s most valuable player. Blyleven was also named top newcomer, Jim Abbott was chosen most inspirational and Doug Rader was presented with a plaque that the club generically labeled a “special award.” Said one Angel official: “We had to give him something.”