[0] SALMON LOOKS FRESH; ANGELS DH'S FOUR HITS KEY COMEBACK VS. INDIANS : ANGELS 5, CLEVELAND 4.

Byline: Joe Haakenson San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Tim Salmon is like a fish out of water when it comes to serving as the Angels' designated hitter.

A foot injury has forced Salmon to make the best of that role, and Tuesday night he showed he's adjusting just fine, getting four hits in the Angels' 5-4 win over the Cleveland Indians before 29,916 at Edison Field.

The Angels rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 4-1 to win it, the eventual winning run coming across on Gary DiSarcina's bloop single to right field with one out in the eighth inning off Indians reliever Doug Jones (0-1).

Troy Glaus opened the eighth with a single and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Walbeck, setting up DiSarcina's game-winner.

Shigetoshi Hasegawa (6-1) got the win in relief of starter Chuck Finley (7 innings, 4 runs, 8 hits) and Troy Percival pitched the ninth for his 30th save.

Not long ago Salmon obtained a first baseman's mitt so he could field throws during batting practice. That way he could have something to do when he wasn't hitting in the cage.

He had three singles and a home run Tuesday, the home run being No. 20 for the season and his fifth in the past nine games. Salmon went 30 games without a home run before his recent stretch of power but said there is no way to explain it.

``I guess if I could,'' Salmon said, ``I'd be Mark McGwire.''

Instead, Salmon will take them when he can get them. His homer Tuesday led off the fourth and started the Angels on their comeback, but he's still getting used to the idea of sitting in the dugout when the team is on defense.

``You have to work on getting a routine,'' Salmon said. ``Playing the field keeps you in the game, but sitting on the bench it's easy to get distracted. In no way have I mastered it. It's tough to stay in the ballgame.''

Despite his big night, Salmon said he wasn't feeling ``locked in at the plate.'' But he seems to have fooled his manager.

``He's swinging the bat great,'' Terry Collins said. ``I don't have to tell you how important his bat is to us. If we can keep him hot . . . he's a big-hit guy for us. He always has been.''

Finley struggled early, giving up two hits in each of the first three innings as the Indians took a 3-0 lead.

The first two runs scored in the first inning on the first of two home runs by Indians right fielder Manny Ramirez. Ramirez also had an RBI single in the third to put Cleveland up 3-0. Meanwhile, Indians starter Dave Burba held the Angels scoreless until Salmon hit a towering, 425-foot home run to left leading off the fourth. Seven of his 20 homers have come against the Indians.

The Indians got the run back, though, in the sixth when Ramirez hit his second homer of the game for a 4-1 lead.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO (Color) Cleveland's Kenny Lofton beats the throw to the Angels' Troy Glaus, stealing third base.

Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press