Guerrero, Erstad, Anderson Get the Clutch Hits in 5-4 Victory

OAKLAND —  Amid the champagne-soaked visiting clubhouse in Network Associates Coliseum, where the Angels wildly celebrated their first American League West Division championship since 1986, there was a sweet mixture of innocence and experience, of wide-eyed wonder and veteran sensibilities.

There was new right fielder Vladimir Guerrero bouncing around the room, basking in the glory of his first playoff appearance after seven long years in the baseball purgatory that was Montreal, soaking up every ounce of alcohol his teammates poured over his head and all the most-valuable-player bouquets they tossed his way.

There was second-year owner Arte Moreno getting thoroughly doused in champagne and beer by his players and coaches, just moments after high-fiving and hugging Angels as they walked off the field after Saturday’s pulsating 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Oakland Athletics in front of 42,832.

Then there was the old guard, the players who have been through this before, the guys who helped bring the Angels their first World Series championship in 2002 and know that as significant an achievement as Saturday was, this day was as much a beginning of a journey as the culmination of something special.

“It’s as good a start as you can have, but let’s see how it ends,” said closer Troy Percival, who threw a one-two-three ninth for his 33rd save. “The one thing I’ve never done is win a division title, so this is great. But it isn’t going to end up proper unless we keep going and win the World Series.”

The Angels (92-69) will open the playoffs Tuesday either in New York against the Yankees or at home against the Boston Red Sox, with Jarrod Washburn the expected Game 1 starter, and they will be considered underdogs against either team.

They are without injured second baseman Adam Kennedy and suspended left fielder Jose Guillen, two key contributors on offense and defense throughout the season, and they will be relying heavily on such postseason neophytes as Jeff DaVanon, Adam Riggs, Alfredo Amezaga and Dallas McPherson.

But the way the Angels responded in the last week of the season, winning twice at home against Oakland last weekend to keep their playoff hopes alive, taking three of four at Texas and beating two of Oakland’s heralded Big Three pitchers, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito, Friday night and Saturday to end the A’s four-year playoff run, who’s to count them out?

“I told my wife in July that we were going to get this done and it was going to be very special,” said first baseman Darin Erstad, who hit a score-tying, two-run double in the eighth inning Saturday. “In 2002, it was like magic. Everything went right. We couldn’t do much wrong.

“But this year, we’ve overcome so many injuries and had so many tough stretches. We were down two games to Oakland last weekend, and if we lose, we’re down three, and we’re dead. It’s game on, now. Let’s see what happens.”

The Angels entered the final series of the regular season needing two wins to clinch their fourth division title, and had they lost Saturday, it would have set up a one-game, winner-take-all showdown against the A’s today.

But thanks to the brute strength of Guerrero, the will of Erstad, the cool efficiency of Garret Anderson and the dominance of one of baseball’s best bullpens, today’s season finale is somewhat moot -- it could have a bearing on whom the Angels play in the division series, but not on the AL West standings.

Eric Chavez’s two-run double off starter Kelvim Escobar gave Oakland a 2-0 lead in the third, and Zito blanked the Angels on one hit over the first five innings.

Then, after Chone Figgins singled with one out in the sixth, Zito made the mistake of hanging a first-pitch curveball to Guerrero, who clobbered it over the center-field wall for his 39th homer of the season, breathing life into the Angel dugout.

The A’s countered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 4-2 lead, Damian Miller’s RBI double off Escobar and Marco Scutaro’s RBI single off reliever Brendan Donnelly keying the rally, but back came the Angels in the eighth.

Bengie Molina opened with a single off reliever Jim Mecir and was lifted for pinch-runner Josh Paul. Pinch-hitter Curtis Pride struck out, but Figgins singled to left, putting runners on first and second.

Oakland Manager Ken Macha summoned Ricardo Rincon to face Erstad, who had two hits in 12 at-bats against the A’s left-hander. Rincon threw a first-pitch fastball and Erstad crushed it off the right-center field wall, about a foot below the top of the fence, scoring both runners for a 4-4 tie.

“Erstad just unloaded on that first pitch,” Percival said. “They had no idea he’d swing at the first pitch because he hasn’t been doing it much. A guy like that is so clutch. Who would you want up there more in that situation?”

Percival could say the same about Anderson, the 2002 World Series Game 7 hero. After Guerrero was intentionally walked and Troy Glaus flied out, Anderson, facing A’s closer Octavio Dotel, stroked a single past the diving Scutaro and into right field, scoring Erstad for a 5-4 lead.

After walking Jermaine Dye to open the bottom of the eighth, Angel setup man Francisco Rodriguez struck out Scott Hatteberg, pinch-hitter Billy McMillon and Bobby Crosby on sliders, and Percival induced three straight fly balls to DaVanon in left to end the game and touch off an Angel group hug near the mound.

“To get to where we’re at is a tribute to all the guys who filled in, who kept the ship afloat when I was out, when Troy [Glaus] was out, when Erstad was out,” Anderson said. “Those are the guys who deserve most of the credit.”

True, but if there is one man most responsible for the Angels’ division title it is Guerrero, the one constant in the face of all the injuries and suspensions, the masher who essentially carried the Angels across the finish line, going 13 for 25 with six homers and 11 RBIs in the last seven games, improving to .337 with 39 homers, 126 RBIs and a franchise-record 124 runs on the season.

“There are no words to describe what Vladdy has meant to this team,” Washburn said. “We would not be drinking beer and pouring champagne over each other if Vlad wasn’t here. The MVP award is given to the guy who means the most to his team, and there’s no way we’d be in the playoffs without Vlad.”

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Eighth Is Great

A look at how the Angels came back from a 4-2 deficit in the top of the eighth:

* Bengie Molina,

facing Oakland

reliever Jim Mecir, leads off with a single to left. Mecir is

pitching because starter Barry Zito suffered from leg stiffness after seven strong innings. Josh Paul runs for Molina.

* Curtis Pride, pinch-hitting for Alfredo Amezaga, strikes out.

* Chone Figgins singles to center, moving Paul to second.

* Oakland Manager Ken Macha goes by the baseball book. He brings in left-handed reliever Ricardo Rincon to face Darin Erstad, the Angels’ left-handed first baseman. Why do managers always go by the book? Erstad doubles high off the wall in right-center, scoring Paul and Figgins. The score is tied, 4-4.

* Vladimir Guerrero is intentionally walked. Not a bad idea, considering Guerrero is one of the hottest players in baseball. His two-run home run in the sixth made it a 2-2 game.

* Octavio Dotel replaces Rincon. Troy Glaus hits a fly ball to left fielder Eric Byrnes for the second out.

* Garret Anderson grounds a single to right and Erstad beats the throw to the plate by Jermaine Dye, giving the Angels a 5-4 lead. For Anderson, who has struggled with injuries for much of the season, it’s the biggest hit since his game-winning three-run double in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series.

* Dotel strikes out pinch-hitter Jeff DaVanon.

* Relievers Francisco Rodriguez and Troy Percival shut down the A’s in the eighth and ninth innings and the Angels win their first division title since 1986. Bring on the Yankees. Or the Red Sox.