ANGELS NOTEBOOK: TRADE WAS GOOD FOR BOTH TEAMS.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

There might be times this season when the Angels will miss Jim Edmonds, but Kent Bottenfield and Adam Kennedy - the two players they got from St. Louis in exchange for the Gold Glove outfielder - are doing their best to make the trade look like a good one for both teams.

Kennedy is batting .318, has been one of the Angels best clutch hitters and isn't hurting them with his glove.

Bottenfield, meanwhile, has been a welcome presence on a staff that began the season with many question marks. Toss out a shelling in Toronto two weeks ago and the right-hander has a 2.36 ERA in five starts.

In seven innings of a 5-2 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday, Bottenfield struck out nine, walked none and allowed only a two-run homer by Vinny Castilla. It was the third time in his last four starts that Bottenfield (2-3) has gone at least seven innings. But it was only the second time his teammates have scored more than three runs for him.

``Everything we heard about him from the scouting reports, he's lived up to,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``He's a great command pitcher. If we support him in the field and at the plate, he's going to put up numbers like he did last year (18 wins and a berth on the All-Star team).''

--Break time? Troy Glaus, who committed his third and fourth errors of the season on Friday and Saturday night, might be a candidate for a day off after starting the Angels' first 26 games. The problem is Glaus, who hit his seventh homer Sunday, is playing too well to sit.

``He's probably a little tired,'' Scioscia said. ``But he's probably still the best third baseman in the league.''

--Also: Angels catchers Bengie Molina and Matt Walbeck have thrown out 52 percent (12 of 23) of the runners who have tried to steal against them. . . . The Angels' plan to use the DH spot to give position players a rest worked well over the weekend. Tim Salmon hit the game-winning, 13th-inning homer on Saturday and Darin Erstad had two hits, a walk, a run scored and an RBI from that spot on Sunday. . . . The Angels series next weekend in Seattle will be their first meeting against an AL West opponent.

ANGELS vs. BALTIMORE

Time: 4:05 p.m. at Camden Yards

TV/Radio: No TV; KMPC-1540

Matchup: Scott Schoeneweis (4-0, 3.15 ERA) for the Angels against Baltimore's Sidney Ponson (2-1, 5.44).

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Box: ANGELS vs. BALTIMORE (see text)