ANGELS' OFFENSE IS SILENCED MILLWOOD DOMINATES FOR INDIANS AS LINEUP CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE CLEVELAND 3, ANGELS 0.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - This isn't New York. The Angels' first three-game losing streak of the season was greeted with the sort of reticence one expects from the usually polite patrons at Angel Stadium.

But as the Angels' May malaise only seems to deepen with every subpar performance by their suddenly punchless offense, one wonders how long it will take for the natives to get restless.

Kevin Millwood, the table scraps from this winter's free-agent-pitching buffet, gave up one hit in eight shutout innings Monday for his first win of the season as the Cleveland Indians recorded a 3-0 victory in front of an announced crowd of 36,763.

The shutout was the Angels' third loss in a row, and it doesn't take a mathematics major to figure out the reason for their skid. The Angels have been held scoreless in 25 of their last 27 innings and Monday's loss was a clinic in offensive ineptitude.

Millwood, who came in 0-3 with a 4.10 ERA, hit Vladimir Guerrero in the wrist with two outs in the first, then retired 22 of the last 23 batters he faced. He struck out eight before handing off to closer Bob Wickman, who gave up a one-out single to Chone Figgins but finished up for his ninth save.

The lone blip in Millwood's stretch of dominance was a leadoff double in the third by catcher Jose Molina, providing a chance for the Angels to cut into a 2-0 Indians lead and exhibit the sort of situational hitting manager Mike Scioscia craves.

Instead, Molina didn't budge from second base.

Adam Kennedy failed to get him over, popping out to shortstop for the first out. Figgins, the newly anointed leadoff hitter, struck out looking at a fastball on the outside corner. And Darin Erstad hit a flyball to center, ending the inning.

Millwood was on his way. He threw a no-hitter for Philadelphia in 2003 and was nearly as dominant Monday, striking out eight Angels. He needed just 22 pitches to complete the sixth and seventh innings, and a good portion of the crowd headed for the exits after his 12-pitch eighth, preferring to beat the traffic than see their lads take on Wickman.

Wickman gave up Figgins' single and a hard-hit ball by Guerrero, but it was hauled in by Grady Sizemore in deep center to end the game.

Were it not for home-plate umpire Angel Hernandez, who managed to irk inhabitants of both dugouts, it would have been a sleepy night all around at the ballpark.

Cleveland manager Eric Wedge was ejected by Hernandez in the fourth inning when he argued a foul-ball call on a pitch that nearly struck shortstop Jhonny Peralta. Wedge lost the argument but briefly energized the crowd.

Angels starter John Lackey appeared to have some issues with Hernandez as well. Lackey, still righting himself after a lackluster first four starts of the season, pitched OK on Monday. He gave up solo home runs to Coco Crisp and Ronnie Belliard, and a first-inning RBI single to Travis Hafner.

But despite allowing three walks and six hits, Lackey lasted a season-high seven innings, striking out five. He appeared visibly upset with Hernandez after he didn't get a call on a full-count changeup to Sizemore leading off the seventh, and Hernandez looked eager to engage the 6-foot-6 right-hander.

But after a counseling session from pitching coach Bud Black, Lackey moved on. Molina caught Sizemore trying to steal second and Lackey got two more outs, sandwiched between a Peralta single and a walk to Casey Blake.

But Lackey's handiwork didn't matter when his mates were getting handcuffed by Millwood.

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1) Coco Crisp crosses the plate in the first inning on a single by Travis Hafner, giving the Indians a 1-0 lead against the Angels at Angel Stadium.

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

(2) LACKEY

Box:

(1) ANGELS vs. CLEVELAND

- Gabe Lacques

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC