ANGELS EXPERIENCE DEJA BLUE FROM 2002 LOSS IN SEATTLE STRETCHES STUMBLING START SEATTLE 5, ANGELS 0.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

SEATTLE - Just because they dug themselves out of one 6-14 hole to win the World Series doesn't mean the Angels want to try to do it again. They're one-third of the way to finding out if such an unlikely task once again will be necessary.

The Angels followed up an unsettling weekend sweep in Oakland with a complete breakdown Tuesday at Safeco Field, where the Seattle Mariners were the beneficiaries of the Angels' ghastly performance and scored a 5-0 victory in their home opener.

The Angels' fourth consecutive loss dropped them to 2-5, giving them a .287 winning percentage that's a hair behind their much-discussed .300 pace through 20 games last year.

The similarities so far are striking enough to draw comparisons between sluggish starts. Just don't try doing it with the only Angel performing up to expectations thus far.

``That's the key; you said last year,'' said left fielder Garret Anderson, who had two of the Angels' four hits off nemesis Jamie Moyer and now is hitting .536. ``I've already closed that book. That's old news. From our standpoint, you look at the big picture.

``You're evaluating a year and we've only played six or seven games. To say we're not getting it done is probably the only fair thing to say. Everybody's professional enough to know we're going to get it done. We're going to have more good days than bad days. (Tuesday) was just a day we didn't play well, top to bottom.''

No argument there.

The characteristics that pulled the Angels out of their season-opening funk last season have been glaringly absent thus far, and Tuesday they were almost invisible.

Good starting pitching? Ramon Ortiz gave up eight hits and hit two batters in four innings, and later complained his arm strength wasn't where he wants it to be.

Quality depth? The Angels loaded the lineup with right-handed hitters against Moyer, only to see first baseman Shawn Wooten and second baseman Benji Gil each strike out three times against him. Gil is hitless in his first 10 at-bats and Wooten and right fielder Eric Owens both are off to 1-for-9 starts.

Good health? Third baseman Troy Glaus left the game in the second inning with a tight left hamstring.

Good fortune? The Angels could have taken a 1-0 lead on Anderson's first-inning double, only to have the ball bounce into the stands for a ground-rule double, leaving Darin Erstad stranded at third base.

Good defense? The Angels took themselves out of the game on one play in the fifth inning, when Scott Spiezio, substituting for Glaus, bounced a throw to the plate that would have gotten John Olerud. Ortiz compounded the problem by chucking the ball into left field when he had no chance of getting Bret Boone at third, and Boone trotted home for a 5-0 lead.

That was it for Ortiz, who yielded to Scot Shields. Shields continued his near-perfect start to the season with three perfect innings.

But the Angels barely could touch Moyer and relievers Jeff Nelson and Arthur Rhodes, who combined on a four-hitter. For the third time in four games, the Angels were held to three runs or less, and regulars such as Spiezio (.083) and leadoff hitter David Eckstein (.125) are languishing.

Still, no worry. Not yet.

``No one's looking at numbers right now,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``When we were 6-14 a year ago, none of us gave it a thought. It wouldn't have made a difference on that 21st game if we were 6-14 or 14-6. You're always pushing for the consistent play we know is within this club. And it will surface.''

Ortiz's fastball was topping out around 89 mph, three or four mph slower than usual. While Scioscia said Ortiz's mechanics were the problem, the right-hander said his arm hasn't felt right since his final exhibition start against the Dodgers on March 29.

``My arm's good, but when I throw the ball, there's no power,'' said Ortiz, who's 1-1 with a 7.00 ERA in two starts. ``My last three games, I don't know.''