ANDERSON-LESS ANGELS LOSE BACK SPASMS FORCE ALL-STAR INTO REST TEXAS 13, ANGELS 4.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas - For the first time this season, the Angels got a taste of life without Garret Anderson, and it was even more distasteful than they could have imagined.

Anderson sat out his first game of the season with back spasms, then watched Aaron Sele fail to complete three innings for the third time this year. A misplay by first baseman Robb Quinlan led to Hank Blalock's second-inning grand slam, and then Alex Rodriguez slammed two of the Texas Rangers' five home runs as they rolled to a 13-4 victory Saturday.

Anderson had played in 155 consecutive games and 946 of the past 966. He's questionable for today's game, so for now, one of the finest seasons in franchise history is on hold.

Anderson is four hits away from his first 200-hit season. With a .317 batting average, 29 home runs and 116 RBI, he will be just the fourth player to lead the Angels in all three categories. He likely will finish in the top five in the American League in RBI, doubles, batting average and hits, and by extension will finish strong in AL MVP voting after a fourth-place finish last year.

He has concocted these numbers with a shell of a lineup around him. Leadoff man David Eckstein has been injured and ineffective, No. 2 hitter Darin Erstad has missed almost the entire season, No. 5 hitter Troy Glaus is out for the year and Tim Salmon was so ineffective he was moved from No. 3 to behind Anderson.

Still, Anderson has put together a fourth consecutive career-type year.

``There's obviously some voids created in our lineup,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``There's some cracks, but Garret's been able to weather those and keep his production where it's been. And he's done it four straight years. That's where the test of the great players are, and he's put himself in that class.''

Anderson was miffed he finished fourth in AL MVP voting last year, not because Miguel Tejada won but because Alex Rodriguez finished second. Tejada edged Rodriguez because he played for a winning team, but Anderson believed if playing on a playoff team was the top criteria, he should have finished ahead of Rodriguez.

Now, with no clear-cut MVP, Anderson will be an interested observer when balloting is revealed.

``It's going to be interesting to see what they scramble and come up with,'' he said. ``I think they're going to always pick a guy on a winning team, because that's safe. If they don't, they'll have to admit last year's voting is wrong, and they don't want to do that.''

Anderson refuses to call this a career year for fear of selling his future short. Though he says he hasn't cast an eye toward next season, he is heartened owner Arte Moreno has pledged to upgrade the club.

One factor in Moreno's control is Anderson's contract, and the owner has termed that priority No. 1 this offseason, when the Angels and Anderson's agent are expected to initiate talks to extend Anderson's deal beyond 2004.

After Saturday, when the Angels mustered four hits against Texas starter Colby Lewis (7.67 ERA) and yielded five home runs, it was painfully clear why Anderson will get a nice raise from the $5 million average salary of his current deal.

He's by far the best thing they've got going.

``I'll deal with it when I have to,'' Anderson said of his contract. ``Nobody owes me. I have to go out and earn it.''

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com