It’s a Medical Mystery Tour

The Angels gave away picture frames Sunday, sponsored by a group of local hospitals. In the space designed for fans to insert a picture, the hospital ad read, “We want you to be the picture of health.”

Better not stick a team photo in that frame. The Angels won another game and lost another player to injury Sunday, with left fielder Jose Guillen wrenching his right knee and ankle in an 8-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in front of 41,410 at Angel Stadium.

“You shake your head,” winning pitcher Jarrod Washburn said. “Every year, it seems like something like this happens to us. It’s got to stop sometime.”

On Sunday, Darin Erstad joined Tim Salmon, Garret Anderson and Brendan Donnelly on the disabled list.

Guillen left the field on a stretcher, but not before he homered and scored three runs.

Jeff DaVanon homered and drove in four runs, and the Angels extended their winning streak to nine games, swept the four-game series by a combined score of 23-9 and improved the best record in the majors to 22-10.

“They’re the best team in baseball,” Tampa Bay’s Robert Fick said.

Guillen left the clubhouse Sunday walking gingerly but smiling, confident he can avoid the disabled list and optimistic about the possibility of playing Tuesday, when the Angels open a series in Yankee Stadium.

In the seventh inning, as he hustled a single into a double, his right leg bent awkwardly behind him as he slid into second base. He remained on the ground for several minutes, with trainers icing and immobilizing the leg, strapping him onto a stretcher and then lifting him onto a cart so he could be driven off the field.

At first, Guillen said, he lost the feeling in his ankle and feared a broken bone. But doctors found no evidence of a fracture, did not order X-rays and do not plan an MRI test to check for ligament or tendon damage unless an examination today warrants doing so. The Angels listed his status as day-to-day with sprains of the ankle and knee.

“I’m not worried about my ankle now,” Guillen said. “My knee is my concern. Hopefully, I’ll keep the swelling down and I’ll be able to walk tomorrow. If I think I can play Tuesday, I’ll be playing.”

Said Manager Mike Scioscia: “Any time a player has to be carted off the field, your heart skips a beat. We’re concerned, but the initial evaluation is very encouraging.”

Although the Angels have bludgeoned opponents with varsity and junior varsity lineups alike, scoring 51 runs in concluding the first 7-0 homestand in club history, the pitchers have delivered the consistency that makes winning streaks possible.

On Sunday, Washburn gave up three earned runs and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings to become the first six-game winner in the American League. Francisco Rodriguez got the final seven outs -- five by strikeout -- for the save. Rodriguez, who maintained his earned-run average at 0.00, has recorded 28 of his 61 outs this season by strikeout.

The Angels rank third in the league in runs scored and ERA, with an ERA of 3.15 over the last 18 games. The Angels have won 15 of those 18 games.

“We’ve taken our lumps in the lineup, but our pitching staff is taking form,” Scioscia said. “That’s the key component. As long as we can maintain that, we can absorb some things on the everyday side.

“But we’re stretching the limit of that. The guys who are out of the lineup make up a pretty good team.”

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Hurting, but Winning

The Angels have lost four key members of their lineup in the first 32 games:

*--* Player Date Injury Record at time Record since Garret Anderson April 22 Back 7-8 15-2 Tim Salmon April 30 Left knee 13-9 9-1 Darin Erstad May 8 Right 20-10 2-0 hamstring Jose Guillen May 9 Sprained 21-10 1-0 right knee, ankle

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