Angels look for an edge

OAKLAND -- When the Angels were swept in a three-game series at Texas this week, they lost something that is more important than home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

They lost their edge, the positive vibes that come with pitching well, hitting in the clutch and playing crisp defense, and the kind of momentum they’ll need if they are to play deep into October.

Not all is lost, though: They have three regular-season games against Oakland, beginning tonight in McAfee Coliseum, to get it all back.

The regulars who rested against the Rangers, most notably Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson, probably will play all three games against the Athletics, as Manager Mike Scioscia looks to reestablish some lineup continuity.

The pitchers aligned for the first three playoff games, John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar and Jered Weaver, will start in Oakland, and they won’t be on pitch counts, though Escobar, who hasn’t started since Sept. 17 because of shoulder inflammation, will be monitored closely.

“We wanted these guys to re-charge a little bit, which I think we had the advantage to do and have taken care of,” Scioscia said. “Now, it’s back into game mode. . . . These guys will play a lot over the weekend, definitely.”

Angels fans grew more anxious with each loss in Texas, as home-field advantage further eluded a team that has a major league-best 54-27 record at home. The Angels must sweep the A’s, the Red Sox must lose their final three games, and the Yankees have to lose at least once for the Angels to gain home field in the first round.

But Scioscia has said it a thousand times: It’s not who we’re playing or where we’re playing, but how we’re playing.

If the October Angels play even remotely like the team that got outscored, 27-10, in Texas, got shoddy starts from Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders, went three for 20 with runners in scoring position and looked shaky at times on defense, they won’t stand a chance in the division series.

If they play the way they have for most of the season, showing superb starting pitching, lock-down relief, aggressive baserunning, clutch hitting and air-tight defense, Scioscia likes their chances no matter where they’re playing -- even in Fenway Park, where the Angels are 14-22 since 2000.

“I think there is a lot being said about how we play in Boston,” Scioscia said. “The bottom line is how we play the game.”

That bottom line couldn’t have gone much lower in early April, when the Angels were outscored, 25-3, while losing three games in Fenway. The Angels raised the bar in August, when they split a four-game series in Fenway and staged a dramatic comeback in a 7-5 win Aug. 17.

“That first road trip, we played [bad] baseball,” Scioscia said. “We had no offense, we pitched poorly, and we came out of that trip with a team batting average of about .230 [actually .247]. There was nothing happening. We didn’t play well and got beat.

“We went back there last time and you saw a little better team. They were playing great baseball, and we held our own in their park. And the two guys who pitched well were Santana and Saunders. There’s no reason we’re not going to be able to play with any team, whether it’s our park or their park.”

Three players, all with major question marks entering the final weekend of the season, could hold the key to Angels playoff fortunes.

* Center fielder Gary Matthews Jr.: He missed 10 games in September because of a sprained right ankle, he aggravated a left-knee injury in Texas on Wednesday and is questionable for this weekend, hopeful for the playoffs.

If Matthews can’t go, Reggie Willits would start in center. Willits is a solid table-setter in the No. 9 spot, but he’s nowhere near the defender a healthy Matthews is.

* Escobar: If the right-hander, who is 17-7 with a 3.46 earned run average, suffers another shoulder setback Saturday, he probably will be replaced in the playoff rotation by Bartolo Colon.

* Reliever Scot Shields: He struggled so much in August he was demoted from his setup role. September has been a month of extremes -- the right-hander has been either dominant or ineffective. The Angels need him to pitch well against the A’s to build momentum for the playoffs.

“He had an incredible first half,” Scioscia said. “He wasn’t as consistent but pitched some terrific games for us in the second half. . . . We’re going to need everybody down there to get to our goal, and Scotty’s going to be a big part of it.”

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