ANGELS MAKE A SWEEPING STATEMENT WASHBURN PITCHES GEM AS THEY DOMINATE RANGERS ANGELS 6, TEXAS 0.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Their No. 2 starter is on the disabled list, as is the starting center fielder, and their shortstop has a sore throwing elbow that forced him to sit out the past three games.

And still, the Angels dominated their closest divisional pursuers in a three-game series, completing a sweep of the Texas Rangers with a blink-and-it's-over 6-0 victory Wednesday night at Angel Stadium.

Sure, it's not like the Angels trotted out a junior-varsity team Wednesday, when they placed center fielder Steve Finley on the disabled list and again played rookie Maicer Izturis at shortstop in place of the ailing Orlando Cabrera.

But in pushing their American League West lead over the Rangers to a season-high 4 1/2 games, the Angels at least raised the specter that their best shot - even their second- best shot - might be too much for Texas to handle.

Jarrod Washburn threw seven shutout innings against the most potent lineup in the major leagues, albeit one missing All-Star shortstop Michael Young, whose wife gave birth to their first child Wednesday night.

Washburn was supported by an Angels lineup that blitzed AL ERA leader Kenny Rogers. The veteran lefty gave up four first-inning runs, didn't make it out of the fourth inning and saw his nine-game winning streak end and ERA jump from 1.98 to 2.46.

Cumulative first-inning score in this series? Angels 11, Rangers 0.

Quality starts? Angels 3, Rangers 0.

Total hits? Angels 41, Rangers 23.

Quality depth? On this night, it was another big edge to the Angels.

Finley's replacement in center field, Juan Rivera, hit a first-inning, three-run home run off Rogers and drove in a fourth run with a fourth-inning single. Izturis doubled, tripled and again sparkled afield in replacing Cabrera.

And the Angels punched out 13 hits, as Bengie Molina, getting a start at designated hitter, singled twice, homered and walked.

Darin Erstad saw his career-best hitting streak snapped at 21 games, but everything else was more than enough for Washburn (4-3), who won at Angel Stadium for the first time since last July.

All that more than eased the sting of Erstad's hitting streak ending. Besides, he drew a pair of walks and scored two runs to aid another crisp night of offensive execution.

``We just swept the Rangers. I think that's a little more important,'' Erstad said. ``You try to win series. When you get a sweep, it's a bonus.''

The Angels will breeze into their off day knowing they couldn't have pitched much better against a Texas club that leads the major leagues in almost every significant offensive category.

Paul Byrd gave up one run in a complete-game victory Monday. Bartolo Colon threw six innings Tuesday. And Wednesday, Washburn held the Rangers to five singles in seven shutout innings.

``It always makes you feel good. Always,'' Molina said of shutting out a club like Texas. ``A team like that, they can hit and score runs in a hurry, and to shut them down like that says a lot about our club.''

Washburn finally solved his Angel Stadium woes, winning here for the first time since last July 15 by keeping the Rangers off-balance with off-speed pitches. He entered the game with a 6.23 ERA at home compared to 2.51 on the road.

While his children ran amok in the clubhouse afterward, he acknowledged that the timing of Young's first-born was fortuitous.

``I hope all went well,'' Washburn said of the Texas shortstop's journey into fatherhood, ``and I was glad he wasn't in the lineup.''

His absence helped the Angels move a season-high 13 games over .500, at 42-29, and gave them a renewed sense of confidence. After a desultory series loss to the Washington Nationals, the Angels are 5-1, with the offensively challenged Dodgers up next.

``I'm encouraged we're playing our kind of baseball,'' Washburn said, ``no matter who it's against.''

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 3 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Angels center fielder Juan Rivera hits an RBI single in the fourth inning. Rivera had four RBI in the Angels' win.

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

(2) Juan Rivera, facing, is congratulated by teammates Bengie Molina, left, and Garret Anderson after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning.

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

(3) WASHBURN

Box:

(1) GAME RECAP

(2) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(3) ALMANAC