Manager Mike Scioscia makes no bones about it. The team's current rotation "is the best we've had" in his 10 seasons as manager.

But there will be a need for only four (possibly three) starters in the postseason. September has set up as a chance for each of the starters to make his case for inclusion among the playoff starters.

The decision on who to leave out, though, appears to be an easy one.

John Lackey is the leader of the Angels' staff. Jered Weaver has been its most consistent performer over the course of the season. And left-handers Scott Kazmir and Joe Saunders have a history of some success against the Angels' likely first-round opponent, the Boston Red Sox. On top of that, both lefties have turned in a string of outstanding starts in September.

That leaves Ervin Santana as the likely odd man out once the postseason arrives. An All-Star last season, Santana has been erratic this season, and a spring elbow injury has been at the root of most of his problems. He has only rarely flashed the electric stuff that led to his All-Star selection a year ago.

Santana also has some experience with the postseason move to the bullpen. He has done it twice before.

In 2005, he went 12-8 as a rookie starter but moved to the bullpen for the playoffs. After an injury to Bartolo Colon, Santana came out of the bullpen to pitch 5 1/3 innings in relief as the Angels eliminated the Yankees in Game 5 of the Division Series.

Two years later, Santana had a miserable season (including a midseason demotion to Triple-A) and was in the bullpen for the postseason. He pitched two scoreless innings in relief against the Red Sox as the Angels lost in the ALDS.

His two postseason starts (one against the White Sox in the 2005 ALCS, one against the Red Sox in last year's first round) have been far less successful -- 11 runs (10 earned) on 11 hits and three walks in just 10 innings combined.

YANKEES 6, ANGELS 5: The Angels fought back from a 5-0 deficit to send the game into the ninth inning tied. Early home runs by the Yankees (Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada) off Angels starter Ervin Santana were offset by RBI from five different Angels hitters. An unearned run in the eighth tied the game. But the Yankees converted a leadoff single by Brett Gardner in the ninth into the winning run thanks to a stole base, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly.

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