RANGERS' STOTTLEMYRE THROTTLES ANGELS HITTERS : TEXAS 5, ANGELS 3.

Byline: Joe Haakenson

One way or another, Todd Stottlemyre figured to pitch in an Angels-Rangers game in September. The only question was: Which uniform would he be wearing?

Though the Angels tried to get him in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, Stottlemyre became a Ranger on July 31 in a trading-deadline deal. Wednesday night, the Angels probably wished they had tried harder.

Stottlemyre undressed the Angels hitters in a 5-3 Rangers victory before 37,481 at The Ballpark in Arlington, the Rangers knocking the Angels out of sole possession of first place in the AL West for the first time since Aug. 13.

With the win, the Rangers caught the Angels at 81-70 with 11 games to play, including four against each other.

``We haven't gotten down after 151 games so far,'' Angels manager Terry Collins said, ``we're hardly going to get down now.''

``There's still 11 games left,'' Angels center fielder Jim Edmonds said. ``I think it's going to come down to all 11 games. They're all important. I'd hate to say any game is too important because it puts too much pressure on you. The next 11 are important just like the last two weeks have been important.''

Stottlemyre stifled the Angels hitters except for Gregg Jefferies, who doubled twice and homered. His homer - No. 1 with the Angels and No. 9 overall this season - was the Angels' only offense of the night against Stottlemyre (4-4). Stottlemyre gave up one run and six hits in eight innings, striking out seven and walking one.

Even though Jefferies had three hits against him, Stottlemyre struck Jefferies out to end the seventh inning with runners on second and third. Jefferies swung and missed at a 3-2 curveball, and both Stottlemyre and catcher Ivan Rodriguez celebrated by throwing a fist into the air.

``He pitched a great game,'' Jefferies said. ``He got me out when he needed to. Pretty much my first three at-bats meant nothing. He made a great pitch. I can't sit on a 3-2 curveball. He hadn't thrown me one all night.

Stottlemyre's performance was his best in eight starts as a Ranger, and he saved it for the most important game to date.

``The whole day today I was focused,'' Stottlemyre said. ``They're tough, they're scrappy. My hat's off to (Angels starter Chuck) Finley. He stuck it out. Five days from now, I know we're going to go head-to-head again and I know he's going to be ready.''

Finley (11-8) had one bad inning - the fourth, when the Rangers scored four runs. Will Clark led off the inning with his 23rd homer of the season. Mike Simms had a key double and Royce Clayton drove in two with a double.

In all, Finley gave up five runs and nine hits in 6-2/3 innings, falling to 0-3 vs. the Rangers this season and to 7-15 in his career.

``With Texas or any other team, if you get behind in the count, you're swimming with sharks most of the time,'' Finley said. ``Obviously I'm disappointed from the standpoint of not winning. But I'm not disappointed in myself because I did everything I could. I've just got to do my deal. It didn't work out. . . . I've got two more starts, and they might make the difference.''

Finley didn't get much help from the offense. Besides Jefferies' three hits, the Angels got a two-run homer from Matt Walbeck in the ninth off Rangers closer John Wetteland.

The Angels bats have gone cold on the current trip - they are hitting .229 (47 for 205) as a team in six games, five losses. They're not doing the little things, like in the first inning when Jefferies opened the game with a double but Randy Velarde failed to move him over, popping out.

``We got a leadoff double . . . if we scored right away, we might've popped their bubble,'' Collins said. ``I'm not blaming Randy Velarde. He said he could get the runner over and he didn't. This is not a game of absolutes.''

``We haven't moved a guy over on the whole road trip, I think,'' Edmonds said. ``It doesn't matter if you're trying or not. You have to get it done.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

PHOTO (1--Color) Ivan Rodriguez of the Rangers slides home as Angels catcher Matt Walbeck bobbles the ball.

Linda Kaye/Associated Press

(2) Will Clark of the Rangers, right, is congratulated for his solo home run off the Angels' Chuck Finley in the second inning at Arlington, Texas.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

BOX: DOWN TO THE WIRE

The Angels and Texas are locked in a battle for the AL West crown. They play each other four times before the end of the season, including tonight in Arlington. The standings with 11 games remaining.