ANGELS FIND WAY TO UNRAVEL IT ALL FULLMER INJURED IN LOSS TO MARINERS SEATTLE 10, ANGELS 6.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Even when things look so right for the Angels, somehow, some way, it all goes so wrong.

For five innings Thursday, they had that 2002 look about them. Their ace, Jarrod Washburn , was challenging the Seattle Mariners and winning most of the battles. Their plucky shortstop, David Eckstein, was hitting and running and annoying the Mariners.

And with a two-run lead ready to turn over to their stout bullpen, a series victory seemed in hand.

But this is a year in which there's no shortage of ways for the Angels to lose. This time, a scratch infield single opened the floodgates to a two- inning, seven-run deluge that the Mariners rode to a 10-6 victory at Edison Field.

The Angels lost more than a game. Designated hitter Brad Fullmer, the former Montclair Prep of Van Nuys standout, suffered a ruptured patella tendon in his right knee when crossing the first base bag in the eighth inning. He will undergo an MRI today to confirm the injury.

There is no preliminary indication of how much time he could miss.

The Mariners (51-26) rode out of town winners of two of three games, having added to their lead over the Angels, an advantage that again stands at 13 1/2 games. The Angels (37-39) lost their fourth consecutive series, underscoring their consistently inconsistent play of late.

Washburn and reliever Ben Weber could not hold a 5-3 lead entering the sixth inning, something that has proven to be a trap door for Angels starting pitchers.

For the sixth time in seven games, an Angels starter could not complete six innings. Thursday, Washburn (6-9) could not record even one out in that frame.

Washburn, who had given up 10 home runs in his past four starts, yielded another one Thursday, a two-run shot to Bret Boone in the third inning. It was the 19th homer Washburn has given up, equaling his total for all of last season.

But through five innings, he still had the lead and was just three outs away from delivering a quality start and handing the game over to the Angels' most dependable part this season, their bullpen.

Then, Boone hit a grounder into the hole between shortstop and third base. It was a routine play, but Eckstein could not throw Boone out at first. The leadoff hit started a downpour of runs.

Edgar Martinez followed with a single. John Olerud delivered an RBI double, making it 5-4 and chasing Washburn.

Enter Weber, who came in having given up just one earned run in 12 innings this month and had stranded 17 of 24 inherited runners.

But after jumping ahead of Mike Cameron, he walked him on a full count. Randy Winn followed by slicing a double along the left-field line to score the tying and go-ahead runs.

Ben Davis added a two-run single to make it 8-5, and further damage was averted only when Ichiro Suzuki lined into an inning-ending double play.

Scott Spiezio got one back in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run, but Weber gave it back plus one more when he allowed a two-run home run to Martinez in the seventh, making it 10-6.

Washburn's and Weber's woes undid the Angels' offensive production in the early innings. They roughed up Seattle starter Gil Meche, who entered with a 2.93 ERA, for four runs in the second. They started the inning with four consecutive hits, including back-to-back RBI doubles from Fullmer and Spiezio.

Eckstein contributed his fifth hit in as many at-bats over two games when he threw the bat at the ball on a hit-and-run, and the ball eluded Meche for an infield single. That enabled Darin Erstad to plate the inning's fourth run with a sacrifice fly.

They added another run in the fifth when Eckstein reached on a leadoff walk and scored on Tim Salmon's RBI groundout. But more damage was averted when Troy Glaus struck out with runners at the corners and one out, and Fullmer struck out after an intentional walk to Anderson.

Meche (10-3) was off the hook, and he stuck around for six innings, long enough to earn the victory despite giving up six runs.

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com

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Photo:

A frustrated Brad Fullmer can only look away as his right knee is examined after he was injured in the eighth inning. At right is manager Mike Scioscia.

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press