ANGELS GET BELLE RUNG; SLUGGER HITS TWO HOME RUNS : CHICAGO 8, ANGELS 5.

Byline: Associated Press 

Maybe the owner doesn't think the Chicago White Sox can catch the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central. The players have their own ideas.

``We don't care what the owner says. It's our game and we got to go out and play,'' Jaime Navarro said after the White Sox beat the Angels 8-5 Tuesday night as Albert Belle snapped a power slump with two homers.

Before the White Sox traded three of their best pitchers last week, team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said anyone who thought the White Sox could catch Cleveland was crazy.

Now they're closing in on the slumping Indians, trailing by only 2-1/2 games with six weeks left to play.

``We're not done. We believe in ourselves,'' said Navarro, who allowed seven hits in seven innings for just his third win since the All-Star break. It was the 100th victory of his career.

Navarro was angry the day after Wilson Alvarez, Roberto Hernandez and Danny Darwin were traded to San Francisco, an apparent concession. But now he says it's time to move on.

``We've got to have a good homestand. We've got a chance to catch Cleveland. . . . What Jerry says or what they do with the team is their problem. We can't worry about Wilson Alvarez, Robert Hernandez, Danny Darwin and Harold Baines because they're gone,'' Navarro said.

Belle's second homer of the game and 23rd of the season was a two-run shot capping a three-run seventh inning. Ray Durham and Dave Martinez singled to finish Jason Dickson (11-5), who lost for the first time since June 26.

Frank Thomas greeted reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa with a go-ahead sacrifice fly that made it 5-4 and then Belle followed with his second homer to left center.

Belle hit a solo shot in the second, his first homer since July 18, ending a 21-game homerless streak - two short of his longest drought while with the Cleveland Indians.

Belle, who entered the game in a 7-for-37 slump during the team's recent 10-game road trip, had the 26th multi-homer game of his career but first since July 1996.

``We need Albert. He was in a slump and I was in the same situation,'' Navarro said. ``When he gets hot, nobody can stop him. He's the guy who can turn things around.''

Navarro (9-10) gave up two-out, two-run doubles to Garret Anderson in the sixth and Dave Hollins in the seventh.

The Angels were rejoined by Tony Phillips, who was charged in California on Tuesday with felony possession of cocaine. He didn't play and won't until he meets this week with doctors - probably in New York - representing Major League Baseball and the players' association.

``Darin (Erstad) will do fine as the leadoff hitter. He did a good job before Tony and will until he gets back,'' Angels manager Terry Collins said.

``I'd like to not talk about that. I've got bigger problems, like hanging sliders. We've got to press ahead until something else happens.''

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Photo: JASON DICKSON: Angels starter sees three-game win streak come to an end in loss to White Sox.