Angels Come Up Short This Time : Baseball: It goes down to ninth inning again, but the Blue Jays hold on for a 5-4 victory.

The Angels have not quite mastered the swagger. They have yet to strut down the basepaths, flaunt their talents, or even show disrespect for an opponent.

The arrogance might come in time, but for now, they will say they can play with baseball’s elite.

The Angels lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-4, on Saturday night before 29,757 at Anaheim Stadium, but it was as if they couldn’t believe it finally happened.

Forget that the Blue Jays are two-time defending World Series champions.

Forget that Blue Jay starter Pat Hentgen, who won 19 games last season, flirted with a no-hitter for four innings before pitching a complete game.

Forget that the Blue Jays are supposed to win these games.

These are the ones the Angels now expect to win. And they had difficulty handling the loss.

“We’re a different team now,” said Angel center fielder Chad Curtis, who ended a slump by going two for three with a double. “They’ve proven they’re the best team in baseball the last two years, but just because they have back-to-back championships doesn’t mean we can’t play with them.”

The Angels (6-6) were once in awe of the Blue Jays, but that ended June 2, 1993 after the teams were involved in a full-scale brawl. They haven’t looked at Toronto the same since.

“I think they kicked the proverbial sleeping dog,” Curtis said. “Before that, we looked at them like they were above us. It was like we were putting them on a pedestal.”

Said Angel Manager Buck Rodgers: “Last year, we were a little intimidated by that club, and we had to have a brawl to get rid of it. Now, there’s no way that we’re intimidated by them.”

The Angels, who overcame a 4-0 deficit in the fifth inning, failed to duplicate their ninth-inning heroics of Friday night. Blue Jay Manager Cito Gaston, refusing to go his bullpen Saturday, decided this game would be Hentgen’s to win or lose.

Curtis, who was removed from his leadoff spot and was batting sixth, began the ninth with a leadoff walk. Greg Myers sacrificed Curtis to second. Harold Reynolds, one of the heroes of Friday’s 14-13 comeback victory, struck out for the second out.

Rodgers then went to his bench, and summoned Bo Jackson, much to the crowd’s pleasure. Jackson, who has represented at least the tying run in five of the last six games, was unable to deliver this time, striking out on four pitches.

The Angels, though, believed they never should have been trailing in the ninth. It was a check-swing single that cost them the lead, and eventually the game.

Left-hander Bob Patterson, who retired the first four batters he faced in relief of starter John Dopson, began the seventh by getting shortstop Alex Gonzalez to pop up. First baseman Eduardo Perez, drifting into foul territory, watched the ball fall into his glove and fall out.

“What do you want me to say? It took a bad hop?” Perez said. “I just clinked it.”

Gonzalez then drew a walk. Patterson struck out Devon White and Roberto Alomar when Rodgers decided to play the percentages and called upon right-hander Mike Butcher to face right-handed hitter Paul Molitor. Butcher walked Molitor, and then Joe Carter, loading the bases.

Craig Lefferts was summoned to face left-handed hitter John Olerud. Lefferts got ahead of Olerud, 1-and-2, and then watched in disbelief when Olerud hit a check-swing grounder toward shortstop Gary DiSarcina. The ball was hit so softly that Olerud was able to reach before DiSarcina’s throw, allowing what proved to be the winning run to score.

Dopson was knocked out of the game before the Angels got their first hit. Dopson, who pitched four shutout innings, could not contain the Blue Jays past the fifth.

Carlos Delgado, who already has seven home runs, began the inning with a single to right. Ed Sprague flied out deep to left field for the first out before Pat Borders singled to left, advancing Delgado to third.

It appeared that Dopson would escape the jam when Gonzalez hit a bouncer to third baseman Damion Easley and Delgado broke for home. They got him in a rundown for the second out, but it would prove to be Dopson’s last hurrah.

Dopson hit White with the next pitch, loading the bases. He got ahead of Alomar with two quick strikes, then watched Alomar hit a two-run double into right field. Paul Molitor followed with a single to right, scoring two more runs.