ANGELS NOTEBOOK: HOMERS OR NOT, ERSTAD IN POSITION TO HELP.Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer ANAHEIM - Just because Darin Erstad Darin Charles Erstad (born June 4, 1974 in Jamestown, North Dakota) is a first baseman/center fielder in Major League Baseball currently with the Chicago White Sox. Prior to 2007, he had played his entire career with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim franchise (1996-2006). changed jobs doesn't mean he changed job descriptions. Before the season, Erstad moved from center field, a position where speed and setting the table are expected offensively, to first base, a spot typically manned by a power hitter. But Erstad remains the No. 2 hitter in the Angels lineup, and his production has reflected that so far. ``I'm not going to all of a sudden, just because I'm a first baseman, hit home runs,'' said Erstad, who extended his hitting streak In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the consecutive number of official games in which a player gets at least one base hit. Games in which a player does not have any official at bats due to walks, or sacrifice bunts, or being hit by a pitch, are ignored (neither break the streak to 14 games with a fifth-inning single Thursday night. ``For me to try to launch balls wouldn't be sensible for the team. If I score 120 runs and don't hit a home run, that's a successful season.'' Good thing, because that's just about the pace Erstad is on. He and Minnesota's Doug Mientkiewicz Douglas Andrew Mientkiewicz [men-KAY-vich] (born June 19, 1974 in Toledo, Ohio) is a Polish American first baseman for the New York Yankees. He is known more for his defensive skills than for his abilities with the bat. are the only American League American League (AL) One of the two associations of professional baseball teams in the U.S. and Canada designated as major leagues; the other is the National League (NL). starters at first base yet to hit a home run. But the Angels are satisfied with Erstad's productivity because he has cleaned up the baserunners in front of him and set the table for big boppers Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Alvino Guerrero (born February 9, 1976 in Don Gregorio, Nizao, Dominican Republic), and known in his native Dominican Republic as Miquéas (Spanish for Micah), is a Major League Baseball right fielder who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. and Troy Glaus behind him. While he entered Thursday hitting just .266 with a .287 on-base percentage, Erstad's 20 RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in and 17 runs scored put him on pace to drive in 118 and score 100. --Still searching: Center fielder Garret Anderson underwent more tests Thursday to determine the cause of his upper back stiffness. While he has been cleared for cardiovascular activity, Scioscia indicated Anderson has progressed little. ``It's been frustrating in that he'll feel better and then he'll regress REGRESS. Returning; going back opposed to ingress. (q.v.) ,'' Scioscia said. ``They're going to continue to cross things off the list until they get to it.'' --Back to form: Reliever Brendan Donnelly moved closer to joining the Angels on their road trip next week when he pitched two innings, struck out four and gave up two hits for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga at Lancaster. Donnelly threw 42 pitches, an indication he might not need one more rehab appearance Sunday. ``(Thursday) is big because he'll go two innings. You want to see how he maintains from pitch one to pitch 30,'' Scioscia said before Thursday's game. ``How's his stamina, and how will he bounce back?'' CAPTION(S): box Box: ANGELS vs. TAMPA BAY - Gabe Lacques |
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