BOSKIE LIFTS ANGELS TO NEW HEIGHTS : ANGELS 5, MINNESOTA 1.

Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer

It's probably an indication of the height to which the Angels' fortunes have soared: On a day when they abruptly lose one pitcher, they witness the magical resurrection of another.

Without so much as a single faltering step in the exchange.

Mark Langston, the scheduled starter Sunday against the Minnesota Twins, never made it to the practice mound, as he felt a sharp pain in his right knee while warming up with a light run. Thus, the assignment had to be handed off in a rush to fallen starter Shawn Boskie.

Boskie, afforded only 15 minutes advance notice, proceeded to pitch shutout ball for five innings and lead the Angels to their sixth straight victory, a 5-1 decision before 35,541 fans.

``He came out of the pen and did the job,'' said manager Marcel Lachemann, perhaps marveling at the feat. ``And it's not like we caught a team that was real cold. (The Twins) have really been swinging the bat.''

Indeed, Minnesota arrived for the weekend with the most productive offense in the major leagues, but the Angels, in pulling off a sweep, limited the Twins to one, two and one runs.

The win was the Angels' 13th in their past 17 games, enabling them to improve to 18-12 and remain 1-1/2 games behind first-place Texas in the American League West. Also, for the first time in franchise history, they're off to a 5-0 start in the month of May.

However, this latest triumph wouldn't have been easily forecast. Not at 12:50 p.m., anyway.

Langston, who has been bothered by an occasional catching sensation in his right knee since spring training, this time felt much more while jogging. ``He said before, he'd feel that little catch and he could move around and get rid of it,'' said Lachemann. ``But this time, in warmups, he said it gave out on him.''

The Angels' medical staff diagnosed inflammation and scheduled an MRI exam for today. Neither Langston nor team physician Lewis Yocum was around afterward to venture a guess on the severity of the injury. Said assistant general manager Tim Mead: ``The MRI will be conclusive. We weren't told to be alarmed, just concerned.''

It was at least comforting to the Angels that Boskie (3-0) leaped into the breach with such success.

In mid-April, he had lost his job in the starting rotation, having found a way to squander a 9-1 early lead at Seattle - a game the Angels went on to lose 11-10. The journeyman right-hander had taken well to relief duty, however, and admits he probably benefits from having less time to think about an assignment.

An emergency start, he said, ``has happened to me before, and I've done OK with it. You learn to still have the reliever mentality: `OK, I'm a reliever. Get ready to go into the game.' I was nervous, but it helps me maintain that good intensity level I need. When I settle in, I have a tendency to get a little sloppy.''

Angels second baseman Randy Velarde, who had sat out the previous four games with severe infections in both ears, served unmistakable notice that he was back to the picture of health, collecting a home run, double and single in four at-bats, and scoring two runs.

The home run came on the game's fourth pitch. ``He didn't waste any time letting me know he's all right,'' said Lachemann.

The Angels collected 12 hits before they were through, including a home run by Jack Howell, who was afforded a rare start at third base. Tim Salmon and Chili Davis each had two hits apiece.

With Langston's status uncertain, there's a chance Boskie will have to cover his spot in the starting rotation. But it might we wise not to inform him of this. He obviously works much better on snap notice.

Boskie laughed and said, ``The most important thing to me at this point is helping this team.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO Jack Howell gets high-fives in the Angels dugout afte r his fifth-inning homer.

Terri Thuente / Daily News