ANGELS NOTEBOOK: SCIOSCIA UPSET AT MLB.

Byline: DOUG PADILLA  Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - He might not agree with retaliation on the field, but manager Mike Scioscia came out firing Thursday against Major League Baseball.

The MLB office, led by vice president of on-field operations Bob Watson, was quick to hand out fines and suspensions stemming from Wednesday's fight at Texas and the Angels were hit hard.

Adam Kennedy, Kevin Gregg and Brendan Donnelly each were suspended four games. Scioscia will have to miss three while bench coach Ron Roenicke will miss Sunday's game. John Lackey and Juan Rivera were fined for their actions in Wednesday's fight.

``I cannot begin to express my displeasure over the course of these events,'' said Scioscia, who watched Thursday's game from his office since his suspension started immediately. ``I think Major League Baseball in New York has certainly dropped the ball on this one. They can't have it both ways. You can't ask a team to not retaliate, which is our philosophy, but yet not back us up when it's obvious players are throwing at us.''

What bothers the Angels most is that while the Rangers' Vicente Padilla was suspended five games and Scott Feldman was suspended for six, Adam Eaton never had to sit out a game. Rangers manager Buck Showalter was suspended four games.

The Angels feel that Eaton started the entire mess in an Aug. 6 game at Anaheim when he gave up a three-run home run to Garret Anderson and then threw behind Juan Rivera. Eaton was tossed from the game even though no warnings had been issued. But instead of a suspension, Eaton was only fined.

Kennedy and Gregg did not appeal. Both will be eligible to play Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox. Donnelly said he will appeal.

For Kennedy and Gregg, the timing of the suspensions could not have worked out better. Kennedy was not expected to play much this weekend since the Mariners are using three left-handers. Gregg likely would have missed the first three games of the series after throwing 90 pitches Wednesday in relief of Joe Saunders.

The Angels and Rangers still have seven games remaining with each other, all in the final three weeks of the season. The teams next meet for a four-game series at Texas on Sept. 14-17.

Trying to stay perfect: Jered Weaver (Simi Valley High) will try to make it 9-0 tonight when he faces the Mariners, a team he defeated July 3. Weaver can become the first pitcher to start his career 9-0 since Florida's Livan Hernandez in 1997.