Angels are in all-win situation

If the first three games of the season provide a snapshot of what 2007 could look like, the Angels have to like the picture that is developing.

They completed a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 5-3 victory in Angel Stadium on Wednesday, a game that featured another strong performance by their starting pitcher, two more superb defensive plays and some timely hitting, most of it in a four-run first inning.

Ervin Santana survived a shaky third to go seven innings, giving up two runs and four hits; Gary Matthews Jr. robbed Michael Young of a first-inning home run with a leaping catch above the center-field wall, and Garret Anderson made a sliding catch of Kenny Lofton’s drive to the gap in left-center to prevent major damage in the third.

Vladimir Guerrero continued to torment the Rangers with a first-inning, run-scoring single, which was followed by Anderson’s RBI double, Casey Kotchman’s RBI groundout and Maicer Izturis’ sacrifice fly. Anderson also singled and scored an insurance run in the fifth.

“We’re doing the little things we need to win games, getting on base a lot, playing the ball we’re supposed to be playing,” said closer Francisco Rodriguez, who fought off a bad cold and a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the ninth for his second save. “We look pretty confident right now. I like our odds.”

Those odds were supposed to improve with solid pitching and a better defense, and though the Angels made three errors in the first two games, they have also made a few game-changing plays.

Matthews, whose five-year, $50-million deal was based in part on his Gold Glove-caliber defense, made two outstanding catches on opening night and followed those with Wednesday’s gem, leaping a foot above the wall to pull back Young’s drive.

“He makes that play look easy, much like Torii Hunter, Mike Cameron and Vernon Wells do, but that is not an easy play,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “The timing of it, knowing your space, where the ball is ... it takes a lot of practice, and Gary is as good as anyone at it.”

Matthews, a teammate of Young with the Rangers the last three years, caught some heat for the catch.

“I can’t repeat what Michael said, but he grew up in West Covina and said, ‘This is my area, you should watch your back on your way home,’ ” Matthews said. “ ‘I have some cousins I can sic on you.’ ”

Santana gave up a double, single and sacrifice fly in the third before Lofton sent a drive to left-center. Anderson, hobbled by foot, hamstring and back injuries the last three years, made a backhand, sliding catch after a long run for the second out.

The Rangers’ Frank Catalanotto walked and Young hit an RBI single to make the score 4-2, but Santana struck out cleanup batter Mark Teixeira looking to end the inning.

“Any time you catch a ball like that with someone on base, it may prevent them from putting runners on first and third or keep a run off the board,” Anderson said. “That takes a little wind out of their sails.”

Anderson seems to have the wind at his back, admitting that “it would have been difficult” for him to make that play the last three seasons.

“It’s really great to see Garret with a spring in his step,” Scioscia said. “When his legs are healthy, he plays a terrific left field, runs the bases well and drives the ball.”

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com

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Great start

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This is the Angels’ fourth 3-0 start. How they finished the other three seasons:

*--* YEAR RECORD AL WEST 1970 86-76 3rd 1991 81-81 7th 2004 92-70 1st*

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*lost in divisional playoffs to Boston