NOTEBOOK: ANGELS DIDN'T LET CLEMENS BEAT THEM.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

NEW YORK - Angels hitting coach Mickey Hatcher presided over a hitters' meeting Tuesday before Game 1 of the American League Division Series to talk about Yankees starter Roger Clemens. It's no secret Clemens has thrown at hitters during his career as a way to gain an advantage, and Hatcher wanted his hitters to be ready.

``They sent Clemens out there for Game 1 for a reason, and that's to intimidate us,'' Hatcher said before the Angels were beaten 8-5. ``He's known for that. But I told our guys to go after him aggressively. Every ball you hit you've got to be thinking two (bases). Every ball in the air, expect them to miss it. Play your game because the atmosphere is going to be incredible.''

The Angels put pressure on Clemens from the start. In the first inning, David Eckstein led off with an infield single and went to second on Darin Erstad's sacrifice bunt. Replays showed Erstad beat Clemens' throw to first, but first-base umpire Doug Eddings called Erstad out.

In the second inning, Scott Spiezio walked and went to third on a double by Bengie Molina with two outs. However, the Angels were unable to score in either inning.

But in the third, Erstad singled, stole second and went to third on catcher Jorge Posada's throwing error with one out. He scored on Tim Salmon's single to center, scoring the Angels' first postseason run since the eighth inning of Game 7 in the ALCS on Oct. 15, 1986.

``I told them to play the same way we've played all year,'' Hatcher said. ``Be aggressive. Want to be the guy who has the ball hit to him. Want to be the guy to come up in a key situation. Leave your hearts on the field.''

The Angels tied the game with two runs in the fifth, both scoring on Garret Anderson's two-out double. Though the Angels left the bases loaded, they made Clemens throw 37 pitches in the inning. He was out of the game after 5 2/3 innings, having made 113 pitches.

--Pettitte next: Andy Pettitte will start for the Yankees tonight having become the club's hottest pitcher going into the playoffs. Pettitte finished the regular season with five wins in his last five starts and an ERA of 2.23.

--Some experience, please: Pitcher Kevin Appier went into the series as the only Angels player with playoff experience, pitching two games for the Oakland A's against the Yankees in the 2000 Division Series. Both were in Oakland. He starts tonight for the Angels.

``The main thing is controlling your emotions, keeping the anxiety under control,'' said Appier, who is 3-2 with a 3.34 ERA in nine career starts at Yankee Stadium. ``You just remind yourself it's the same game that we've been playing the whole season.''

--Bat, part II: Tuesday's game included a reminder of the incident between Clemens and New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza when Clemens threw the thick end of Piazza's broken bat back at him in the 2000 World Series.

Adam Kennedy tried to steal second on a pitchout, and Eckstein threw his bat at the ball, fouling it off. The bat ended up just in front of the mound, but Clemens ignored it and Eckstein went to the mound to retrieve it.

--Same changes: Angels manager Mike Scioscia has done it all season, so he isn't about to change now. With a left-hander (Pettitte) starting for the Yankees, Scioscia will replace DH Brad Fullmer with Shawn Wooten, and replace second baseman Adam Kennedy with Benji Gil.

``I feel a lot better now than I have all season,'' said Wooten, who missed the first half of the season with injuries to his thumb and mid-section.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1) The Angels were ready for the intimidating ways of Roger Clemens, who did not get the best of them.

Mark Lennihan

(2) KEVIN APPIER

(3) ANDY PETTITTE

Box:

(1) ANGELS vs. NEW YORK YANKEES

Yankees lead best-of-five series 1-0

(2) TODAY'S PITCHING MATCHUP