ANDERSON GETS SOME ANSWERS N.Y. YANKEES 4, ANGELS 2.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Angels center fielder Garret Anderson finally got some answers to what was causing his upper back stiffness.

The Kennedy of Granada Hills product was diagnosed Wednesday with early, undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis, a condition that is expected to sideline him until at least the second half of the season. The club has set no timetable for his return.

Anderson, out since April 21, missed his 25th game Wednesday. The Angels lost 4-2 to the New York Yankees at Angel Stadium.

The diagnosis was a relief for the Angels and Anderson in that it rules out any life-threatening problems and appears to give doctors something to treat. Anderson consulted with team physician Craig Milhouse and rheumatologist David Brown for weeks of tests.

The arthritis will be treated with oral medication, and Anderson will begin non-weight work, such as treadmill and pool activity, within a week. That will be followed by light weight work.

But getting on to the field is another matter. Unless oral medication quickly aids the condition in the next week, Anderson's absence figures to be lengthy.

``Garret's got a lot of work ahead of him,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``I think there's a long road ahead of Garret right now, but the fact that there's a road is encouraging. The road will lead to a solution.

``We still don't know when that's going to be. But I'm confident he'll be able to help us this year.''

Anderson, the club MVP three of the past four years, signed a four-year, $48 million contract extension April 13. Without him, the Angels have gone 19-6, but injuries to teammates Troy Glaus, Darin Erstad and Tim Salmon have further weakened the team.

Anderson met with teammates before Wednesday's game and then met with the doctors and the Angels training staff. Shortstop David Eckstein said Anderson appeared in good spirits, noting ``he doesn't change.''

``At least they've found something,'' Eckstein said. ``Hopefully, it will be treatable.''

On Wednesday, a wildly inconsistent outing from John Lackey and another gaffe from third baseman Shane Halter, this one on the bases, helped the Yankees even this series.

The Angels walked 11 Yankees - six of those came from Lackey - on a night Yankees manager Joe Torre was ejected before the top of the sixth. But Scioscia had no problems with umpire Tim Timmons' strike zone.

``We were wild tonight,'' he said. ``That was it.''

Lackey walked three in the second inning but escaped the bases-loaded situation when he caught Miguel Cairo napping on three consecutive breaking pitches to end the inning.

But Jason Giambi tagged Lackey for a two-run homer in the third, and then Lackey created a mess that reliever Kevin Gregg couldn't quite escape.

With the score 2-2 in the sixth, Lackey gave up a one-out single to Hideki Matsui, then walked Tony Clark and pinch hitter Ruben Sierra to load the bases.

Gregg came on to face Derek Jeter and jumped ahead of him 1-2. But Jeter fouled off two pitches and then took a borderline pitch for ball four, forcing the go-ahead run home. Gregg escaped the inning with no further damage.

But the Angels might have had the lead by then were it not for Halter's baserunning goof.

Consecutive singles by Jose Molina, Halter and Adam Kennedy produced a 2-2 tie in the fifth. But with nobody out, two runners on and Eckstein poised to bunt and set up the heart of the order, Halter was picked off second by catcher Jorge Posada after Eckstein took a pitch.

Eckstein singled to give the Angels two runners on base, but Chone Figgins grounded into a double play to end the threat.

Gregg pitched a scoreless seventh, but Ben Weber allowed the Yankees an insurance run in the eighth on Alex Rodriguez's double. The Angels got the tying run to the plate in the eighth, but reliever Tom Gordon got Jeff DaVanon to fly out to left, ending the threat.

Jon Lieber (3-1) beat the Angels for the second time in a week, giving up seven hits but just two runs. Mariano Rivera pitched a flawless ninth inning for his 15th save.

The Angels have scored three runs in the past 32 innings.

``It's definitely really good pitching,'' Eckstein said of the reasons for the Angels' sudden slump. ``Everybody knows good pitching beats good hitting.''

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