ANGELS NOTEBOOK: ALCS TEAMS ANGELS, TWINS COMPARE MORE THAN CONTRAST.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - When the Angels face the Minnesota Twins in the first round of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday night in the Metrodome, it almost will be like looking in a mirror.

The two teams are similar in many ways. Both teams pitch well and play good defense. Offensively, both rely on being aggressive on the bases and putting constant pressure on opposing pitchers up and down the lineup.

And both have a distinct advantage playing at home. Each team won 54 games at home this year, tying for the most in the league. The Angels' home-field edge showed in the playoffs, but the Twins have used the Metrodome to an advantage for years.

``Even regularly with 20,000 people it's loud,'' Angels right fielder Tim Salmon said. ``There is a home-field advantage for them.''

Besides the noise, there's that roof, where so many flyballs get lost.

``When you play in that environment every day ... You saw the A's misplay those balls,'' Salmon said. ``If you take your eye off the ball for a second, you can't communicate verbally to find it (because of the noise). It's a tough place to play.''

The Twins won the season series with the Angels this season, winning five of nine games. They split six games at the Metrodome.

``Our guys have to stay aggressive,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``For us, our starting pitching has to go deeper. We only had one guy go seven innings (in the American League Division Series), and that was (Jarrod Washburn). Both clubs are good at manufacturing runs. We're confident we can bring our game into their park. We feel good about our philosophy of playing our game, and you can win or lose on that merit.''

The Angels hitters appear to be on top of their game after hitting .376 in the ALDS, a record for any playoff series in major-league history. Consequently, they feel good about their chances.

--Metrodome success: Angels' Game 1 starter Kevin Appier has been successful pitching in the Metrodome throughout his career. In six starts there, he's 4-1 with a 2.34 ERA.

Other Angels have played well there, too. Washburn, who might start Game 2, is 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in the Metrodome; left fielder Garret Anderson has hit .350 (55 for 154) there; Salmon has hit .331 (57 for 172); and catcher Bengie Molina has hit .481 (26 for 54).

--Diamond in the rough: Frankie Rodriguez pitched for the Angels only two weeks this season, throwing 5 2/3 innings. In the playoffs, he's thrown 5 2/3 innings, the most of any Angels reliever.

The Angels struck gold when they saw in games down the stretch of the pennant race that Rodriguez didn't rattle in tough situations, so they put him on the playoff roster. Other than a two-run homer he allowed to Alfonso Soriano, he's been virtually unhittable.