[0] A'S PUT AN END TO ANGELS STREAK RAPP AGAIN IS A TOUGH-LUCK LOSER OAKLAND 4, ANGELS 1.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - The Angels' five-game winning streak might have been a bit more modest than other streaks, but at least it was something. After A's pitcher Tim Hudson did his usual number on the Angels bats, though, the streak was over.

Hudson held the Angels to just three hits in seven innings as the A's beat the Angels 4-1 Wednesday night before 15,356 at Edison Field. Hudson is 3-0 vs. the Angels this season.

Angels starter Pat Rapp was nearly up to the task but gave up a pair of two-out RBI singles that cost him. Eric Chavez drove in one of the runs in the fourth and Johnny Damon drove in the other in the seventh to give Hudson all the run support he needed.

Rapp (1-6) got the loss after giving up two runs and nine hits in seven- plus innings.

Trailing 2-1 in the eighth, the Angels had a chance to tie or go ahead after Hudson (6-3) was gone. With A's reliever Jeff Tam in the game, the Angels loaded the bases with one out for Tim Salmon.

Salmon was exactly whom the Angels wanted up there. He went into the game hitting .381 on the homestand and had five homers in his past seven games. But on a 2-2 pitch, Salmon was jammed, broke his bat and hit an easy grounder to shortstop Miguel Tejada, who stepped on second and threw to first for the inning-ending double play. Chavez's two-run homer off Ben Weber in the ninth gave the A's a couple of insurance runs.

The A's put together their winning rally in the seventh, with a little help from Angels second baseman Adam Kennedy.

After Chavez led off the inning with a single, Olmedo Saenz hit a grounder to third baseman Troy Glaus, who fielded the ball cleanly and threw to Kennedy at second for the force. But Kennedy dropped the ball while trying to complete the double play, and the Angels would pay for it.

After Robin Jennings struck out for the second out of the inning, Ramon Hernandez singled to left. Then Damon, a disappointment so far this season for the A's hitting .210 going into the game, grounded a 1-2 pitch into right field to score Saenz and give the A's a 2-1 lead.

For Rapp, it was just another game in which he pitched just well enough to lose. Rapp has held the opposition to three runs or fewer in seven of his 12 starts, but he has only one win to show for it. That's because the Angels offense has provided him with an average of 3.2 runs per game in his starts.

The Angels had faced Hudson twice already this season and lost both games. Having faced him a couple times already this season would be no advantage to his hitters, according to Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

``I don't think it's ever an advantage seeing a pitcher of his caliber,'' Scioscia said. ``If you do get a pitch to hit, you have to take advantage of it and put it in play hard. He has a good fastball, he changes speeds, he has command of his breaking ball, he's got great stuff. It's a challenge every time you go out against a pitcher like that.''