ANGELS STILL HAVE YANKEES' NUMBER ESCOBAR LEADS L.A. IN HOME OPENER ANGELS 4, NEW YORK 1.

Byline: Doug Padilla  Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - All those Yankees stars and their millions and their 26 championship banners do nothing to make the Angels flinch.

Just like in the playoffs last season, the Angels dismissed their budding cross-country rivals in a 4-1 victory that got the home schedule off in style.

The 2-2 Angels pushed the Yankees to 1-3 in the early season for the first time since 1998. The Yankees' reassurance comes from the fact they won 114 games that season and swept the San Diego Padres in the World Series.

The Angels made sure that a pregame ceremony, that included a military jet flyby, would not be the only highlight. The Angels, who have beat the Yankees in the season series the past two seasons, found a way to recover from a sluggish start at Seattle and beat the perennial playoff contenders by playing their own game.

In addition to knocking the Yankees out of the playoffs last season, they also did it in 2002 and are a healthy 11-8 against then in the regular season over the past two seasons.

"I don't think there has been any manhandling of any club," manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think it's been pretty even. They have an incredible club; it's very talented. They play the game right.

"Their mystique is really in the fact they have that talent and play the game right." The return of pitching and defense made all the difference as Kelvim Escobar was triumphant in his return to the rotation. The only Angels error came about because of a blown umpire's call. First-base umpire Joe West said Casey Kotchman pulled his foot on a fourth-inning play when television replays showed otherwise. Orlando Cabrera had to accept blame for a high throw.

It never led to a run, though, as Escobar cruised through six innings. The right-hander, who had three separate stints on the disabled list last season, gave up one run on six hits with no walks and two strikeouts.

The Yankees put a runner on base in every inning against Escobar but could only push across a run in the fifth when a Johnny Damon double scored Bernie Williams from first base.

The Angels already had three runs at that point with the first two coming after the first two batters. Chone Figgins started off with a double down the line in right field and Orlando Cabrera followed by dropping one over the short wall in left field for his second home run of the season and a quick 2-0 lead.

The Angels got to Yankees starter Shawn Chacon again in the fourth inning when three consecutive singles from Garret Anderson, Juan Rivera and Darin Erstad brought home a run.

After the Yankees scored in the fifth, the Angels made it 4-1 in the bottom of the inning thanks to the speed of Anderson, of all things. Anderson was slowed most of the spring because of a sore arch in his left foot but it was healthy to beat out a force play that allowed a run to score.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Riverahit a ball into the hole to the left of shortstop Derek Jeter. After making a diving stop, Jeter threw to second base from his knees to force out Anderson but he just beat the throw, allowing Adam Kennedy to score.

The Yankees threatened in the seventh inning before Scot Shields stopped the uprising. After Williams and Damon reached base off reliever J.C. Romero, Shields came on with one out to load the bases on a walk to Jeter. But Shields got Gary Sheffield to ground into a 5-4-3 double play.

It was a far better brand of baseball that what was displayed at Seattle when the Angels' starters gave up 13 earned runs in 15 1/3 innings and the defense committed six errors.

Escobar said before Friday's start that he feels better after this spring training than any one in the past. After pitching well in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela (no earned runs in 7 2/3 innings) and adding Friday's start on top of that, he looks completely healed from a late June surgery to remove a bone chip and bone spur from his right elbow.

"I didn't even know I was pitching in the home opener," he said. "I was just happy to get through spring training and do all my work and be back in the rotation."

Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth inning for the save, his 20th consecutive dating back to last season which tied Troy Percival's franchise record.

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Photo:

Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera turns the first half of a double play in the fourth inning, forcing out New York's Alex Rodriguez.

Keith Birmingham/Staff photographer