Angels Run the Show in 7-5 Win Over Indians

Sure, opening day is a happening and the second game of the season is not. But two words for those Angel fans who packed Edison Field for the opening-day sellout and skipped Tuesday’s game: Too bad.

The Angels rewarded 20,055 of their most loyal fans--including Paul Pressler, the Disney executive charged with running the team--with an exciting first victory of the season. David Eckstein scored three runs, and the Angels stole four bases in a 7-5 victory over the Cleveland Indians that came without benefit of a home run.

“We have to scratch and claw,” outfielder Darin Erstad said. “Especially in our division, the chances of us getting three hits in a row are not in our favor.”

The rally monkey made its season debut in the sixth inning, with the score tied, 4-4. Call it coincidence or call it primate power, but in that inning Cleveland second baseman Ricky Gutierrez dropped the pop fly that allowed Troy Glaus to score the winning run.

Glaus doubled home two insurance runs in the seventh inning. Ben Weber and Al Levine combined for three shutout innings in relief of starter Kevin Appier, with Troy Percival recording the save despite giving up a home run to Russell Branyan.

“It was a tremendous victory,” Appier said. “We were stealing bases left and right, manufacturing runs and knocking guys in.”

The Angels came out running and never slowed down. In the first inning, Erstad singled. He stole second, took third on the first of two throwing errors by Cleveland catcher Einar Diaz and scored on a double by Tim Salmon.

In the third, Eckstein lined an apparent double into left-center field. But he never stopped running, willing his way into a triple, and scored on a groundout by Erstad.

In the fifth, Adam Kennedy walked, stole second and scored on a single by Eckstein.

In the eighth, Eckstein hustled to beat out an infield single, then moved into scoring position by stealing second and taking third on another error by Diaz.

Appier exhausted himself in his Angel debut, requiring what Manager Mike Scioscia called an “extraordinarily high” 106 pitches to complete his five innings. This was not quite what the Angels had in mind when they acquired Appier from the New York Mets for Mo Vaughn.

But the Angels were not losing when Appier left the game, and for that they were grateful. He gave up four runs, two earned, in five innings. Not terrific, perhaps, but better than Vaughn in his first game with his new team: In the Mets’ season opener, Vaughn went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts.

Disney Chairman Michael Eisner seldom appears at Edison Field or the Arrowhead Pond anymore, but Pressler plans to use the executive box frequently.

Disney is not close to selling the Angels or Mighty Ducks to anyone, Donald Watkins included. Pressler is no longer intent on replacing Tony Tavares as president of the teams and wants to try the job himself first.

Pressler, whose directive to win halted a proposed Erstad trade and prompted the additions of Appier, Brad Fullmer and Aaron Sele, is looking forward to a summer of watching the rejuvenated Angels and fixing the woeful Ducks.

He attended the Angels’ opener Sunday and their second game Tuesday, and he plans to attend the Ducks’ game tonight. He said he was not disappointed in Tuesday’s small crowd, on a cold weeknight, and was heartened by the opening-day sellout.

“To come up here and see people pumped up and see that level of enthusiasm is incredibly gratifying,” he said. “But opening day does not make for a season.”