Gary Matthews Jr. claimed to have no venom during his key at-bat in Thursday night’s game when he drove in the tying and go-ahead runs with a single. His two RBI were the difference in a 3-2 Angels victory. Even though the Orioles walked Vladimir Guerrero to get to Matthews, the Angels center fielder said he understood. If he was a manager, Matthews said he would have walked Guerrero too. He claimed to not take things personally.

But somebody out there noticed that Matthews did, in fact, have an edge about him during his game-winning at-bat. A television viewer on the East Coast called to tell Matthews that he saw things differently.

“My dad, I guess, was watching the game on TV and he said, ‘The intensity you had on your fourth at-bat, that’s what you need to come with for all four at-bats. You didn’t wake up until you got pissed off,’ ” Matthews said of the conversation he had with his father, former major leaguer Gary Matthews. “I’d like to think I brought the same intensity for all four at-bats, but my dad said he thinks he saw something different with the body language and my concentration level. He’s right.

“The cleanup spot is challenging and you really have to take the emotion out of it. There are going to be some ups and downs but it seems like every single at-bat is crucial. It seems like you have at least two at-bats every game where you have a chance to put us up by a run or maybe put the game away or out of reach. I want that challenge, I do.”