A Little Help for Angels : Baseball: Hill chips in with three hits and outstanding defense in a 5-0 victory over the Mariners.

SEATTLE — Curiously, Donnie Hill spoke of his Angel teammates as they and not we .

Perhaps he thinks in those terms because of the difference in size between himself, listed on the Angels’ roster as 5 feet 10 but probably closer to 5-8, and 6-5 Dave Parker and 6-6 Dave Winfield. It can’t be because his contributions are any smaller.

Playing second base Thursday while Luis Sojo took a day off, Hill had two singles, a double, a walk and reached base on an error in the seventh inning. He also drove in two runs, but those are only half of his accomplishments.

Hill combined with third baseman Gary Gaetti and first baseman Wally Joyner to pull off two double plays, continuing the high standard of defensive play the Angels are trying to establish. They are also trying to establish themselves as contenders, and they are confident their 5-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners Thursday at the Kingdome is continuing an emphatic start.

“These guys, they go out on the field and expect to win,” Hill marveled, looking around him in the clubhouse. “That’s something winning teams have--you go out and take the field and expect to win.

“You see things happening at the right time, things that maybe we didn’t do last year. Everyone expects the most, and that’s good.”

The Angels’ 3-0 record marks their most successful start since they won their first five games in 1970. Their three-game sweep of the series against the Mariners was their first at the Kingdome since Aug. 6-8, 1982.

“We’ve got a good team,” Manager Doug Rader said. “Donnie Hill gets on base five times today, drives in a couple of runs, scores (two) and turns a couple of double plays; Winny (Winfield) drives in three; Johnny Orton catches a shutout; Wally makes some great plays at first base . . . “

Former Mariner Mark Langston, booed by the crowd of 11,373, pitched six shutout innings before yielding to Jeff Robinson with the bases loaded and a 1-and-0 count on Jay Buhner in the seventh. Robinson completed the inning by getting Buhner to pop out to Joyner in foul territory, forcing Pete O’Brien to pop up and pinch-hitter Greg Briley to strike out.

Langston, starting on the first anniversary of the no-hitter he and Mike Witt pitched against Seattle at Anaheim Stadium, held the Mariners to four hits during his stint. The Angels collected three runs off starter Brian Holman and two more off reliever Bill Krueger.

The save was Robinson’s first since April 19, 1989, when he was with the Pittsburgh Pirates and saved a victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

“They just said I’m going to be used in the middle innings, and that’s fine with me,” Robinson said. “My job is to get people out. Bryan (Harvey) is the closer, but he was used two days in a row. . . . Whatever job they want me to do is fine.”

Langston did his job well.

His continued to follow the plan he established in spring training, approaching each game one pitch at a time and staying ahead of hitters.

“It’s a confidence builder, and this is a game of confidence,” said Langston, who lasted only 2 2/3 innings in his previous Kingdome appearance, an 8-1 loss last July 27 that was No. 8 in his eight-game losing streak.

“It’s good to start off like this. The guys got me some runs, and the bullpen did a great job. It’s like I really didn’t do anything out there.”

Hill led off the third inning with a double, moved to third base on Joyner’s single and scored on Winfield’s sacrifice fly.

The Angels loaded the bases in the fourth when Orton reached first on an error and Dick Schofield and Luis Polonia singled. Hill followed with a sharp single to center, scoring Orton and Schofield.

Winfield added the final two runs in the seventh with a two-run double, giving him three RBIs for the second game in succession.

“I’m pleased,” said Winfield, who played in his 2,404th game, tying him for 49th place on the all-time list with Mike Schmidt and Sam Rice. “Again, everybody played well.”

Joyner played well enough to turn an unassisted double play in the eighth, the Angels’ third double play of the game. With Omar Vizquel on first, Joyner slickly fielded Harold Reynolds’ grounder and tagged a startled Vizquel before beating Reynolds to the bag.

“I think our team is very solid all the way around--the pitching, the offense and the defense,” Langston said.