SALMON'S BAT SLAMS OAKLAND : ANGELS 12, OAKLAND 1.

Byline: Joe Haakenson

Two one-run losses to the Oakland A's had the Angels a little cranky, but it wasn't anything Tim Salmon and Omar Olivares couldn't remedy.

Salmon drove in a career-best six runs and Olivares gave up one run in seven innings to lead the Angels to a 12-1 victory before 7,148 at the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday.

Salmon doubled, walked twice and hit two homers, including his fourth career grand slam, but he wasn't alone. Every Angel who batted had at least one hit, including Darin Erstad and Orlando Palmeiro, who had three hits apiece. Todd Greene also homered for the Angels.

It all might have been overkill considering Olivares (2-0) had his second consecutive stellar start. The only run he surrendered Thursday came on Jason Giambi's solo homer in the seventh. Olivares gave up four hits and for the second game in a row, walked only one.

Combined with his 7-1/3 scoreless innings against Texas last week, Olivares has allowed only one run and seven hits in 14-1/3 innings for an ERA of 0.63.

The win gave the Angels a winning trip, despite the two losses to the A's to begin the series. They returned home having gone 4-3 against the Rangers and A's and continue with their AL West opponents when they start a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners tonight at Edison Field.

Considering they are without starters Mo Vaughn, Jim Edmonds and Gary DiSarcina, the Angels are managing to keep their ``heads above water, as manager Terry Collins put it.

``We needed this game bad,'' Collins said. ``We needed to get off the road trip on a positive note and we did.''

Salmon got the Angels going almost immediately. His two-out RBI double in the first inning off losing pitcher Gil Heredia (1-1) gave the Angels a 1-0 lead and they never looked back.

Salmon hit a solo homer leading off the fifth, then came up with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth, hitting a line drive grand slam over the left-field fence off Kevin Jarvis that made it 10-0.

Salmon, traditionally a slow starter, is hitting .395 (15 for 38) with four homers and a league-leading 15 RBI. An effort to get more at-bats during the spring is paying off now.

``I think the last couple of years there's been an emphasis to get it going in spring training earlier,'' Salmon said. ``So you get your focus going a little earlier.''

Without Vaughn and Edmonds in the lineup, Salmon has found himself with added responsibility to carry the offense. He's responded, but credits his teammates.

``You see Troy (Glaus), Greenie (Todd Greene), Ersty (Erstad), Palmeiro, you see everybody stepping up, it takes off the load,'' he said. ``You see guys driving in runs. It's not falling on me and GA's (Garret Anderson) shoulders.