ANGELS FINALLY FIGURE OUT ZITO NINE TWO-OUT RUNS AID ROAD WIN ANGELS 12, OAKLAND 2.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

OAKLAND - Facing the Angels is a proposition Barry Zito typically relishes. The Oakland Athletics left-hander has 10 wins against them in his five major-league seasons, second-most of any opponent, and he entered Friday's game coming off a six-inning, one-run performance in Anaheim just five days earlier.

But consider the Angels a well-adjusted bunch of hitters.

Undaunted by their previous flailings against Zito's circus curveball, they gave him a career-worst beating Friday, rolling up nine runs against him, all with two outs, to pick up an erratic Jarrod Washburn and record a 12-2 victory at Network Associates Coliseum.

Minus the injured Garret Anderson and Tim Salmon, the Angels proved a deep and resilient bunch Friday. Three players drove in at least three runs, and now, 45 of their 93 runs scored this season have come in two-out situations.

What's more, the hitters Zito so baffled in a 7-1 victory Sunday in Anaheim looked like they knew what was coming Friday. But Zito wasn't tipping his pitches. He was just bad.

Or the Angels were good. Probably both.

``It can happen to anybody,'' Washburn said. ``It just lets you know that if you're not on, this is the big leagues. I don't think we expected our offense to do that, especially with Garret and Tim out, but it's an indication of what we can do.''

Darin Erstad, Vladimir Guerrero, Troy Glaus and Jose Guillen, who combined for two harmless singles in 15 at-bats Sunday, feasted on Zito's curveball and changeup.

Glaus got it started with a monstrous two-run home run to left field in the first inning, immediately after Guerrero's double to the wall in center field.

Erstad, who entered Friday hitting .232, enjoyed a three-hit evening that included a two-out, two-run double that kick-started a four-run uprising in the second for a 6-0 lead.

Guerrero, mired in a 3-for-25 slump that had his manager suggesting he was trying to do too much, made do Friday with two doubles, a single and three runs in his first three at-bats.

And Guillen, held without a homer as he struggles to get full extension with a pained left hand and wrist, finally got a pitch he could turn on.

Zito put a changeup on a tee for Guillen in the fourth inning, and he roped the offering from his former teammate into the left-field seats for a three-run homer and 9-0 lead.

Zito (2-2) would be gone after four innings, unable to record a third out without incident.

``Two outs, that's (messed) up, man,'' Zito said. ``You can't put your finger on why. It's frustrating when you can't go out and close the door.''

After a homerless 16 games and a lousy batting practice session, the last thing Guillen expected was a two-hit night featuring his first home run.

``That was probably the worst BP I ever had,'' Guillen said. ``It was so soft, like toilet paper. I think I left my stroke here.''

For the Angels, it looked like Christmas in April. Held to seven runs by Zito, Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson last weekend, they were shocked to find a parade of party balls there for the crushing off the left hand of Zito.

``You have three guys with good stuff who don't make a lot of mistakes. That will put anyone in a funk,'' said Glaus, whose six home runs and 14 RBI lead the Angels. ``Their stuff is so good that unless they make a mistake, you're not going to be able to do much.''

Washburn (3-1) had issues of his own, like yielding five walks, his most since Game 5 of the 2002 World Series.

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