ANGELS PUT FOCUS ON FIELD, CUT A'S LEAD TO TWO GAMES ANGELS 5, OAKLAND 2.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Angels manager Mike Scioscia preaches a simple approach and short-term focus until he turns blue in the face, but his club had not faced a distraction quite like the one presented them Tuesday.

After learning during a pregame meeting that their top pitcher and popular teammate Jarrod Washburn is being investigated for allegations of sexual assault, the Angels took the field for batting practice in preparation for their game against the Oakland A's, owners of the best record in the American League and winners of 23 of their previous 24 games.

The Angels responded with one of their biggest wins of the season, a 5-2 victory in front of 35,323 at Edison Field.

Angels starting pitcher Ramon Ortiz (13-9) didn't allow a hit until Ray Durham's one-out single in the sixth inning, handing the ball and a lead to the bullpen to start the seventh. Four Angels relievers, including closer Troy Percival (36th save), combined for three scoreless innings to finish it off.

Scott Spiezio's two-run homer in the first inning off A's starter Ted Lilly was the first of his two key hits as the Angels moved to within two games of the AL West-leading A's. Because Seattle lost to Texas, the Angels' lead in the wild-card race grew to five games over the Mariners with 18 to play.

The Angels held a precarious 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth when Spiezio ripped a two-out RBI double to left-center off A's reliever Ricardo Rincon, just beyond the reach of a diving Terrence Long to put the Angels up 4-2. Before then, the Angels were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

Garret Anderson followed with a double to drive in Spiezio for a 5-2 lead. For Anderson, it was his major-league-leading 53rd double of the season.

``I knew they would come out and play hard and play well,'' Scioscia said. ``They're real good at focusing on what we need. Obviously (Washburn's situation) is something we're going to have to work through. The fact of the matter is their passion for the game brings them to this level every night.''

Ortiz didn't allow a hit through five innings, retiring the side in every inning but the second, when he walked two. He got the first out in the sixth before Durham grounded a single to right to break up the no-hit bid.

The Edison Field crowd gave Ortiz a brief ovation, but it was quieted quickly when Long hit Ortiz's next pitch over the fence in right to cut the Angels' lead to 3-2. Ortiz walked two more in the inning but got out of it with the lead intact.

The Angels took an early lead against Lilly, who was coming off the disabled list and had not pitched in a game since July 20. He was on a 50-pitch limit and found trouble right away.

David Eckstein led off the Angels' half of the first with a single, and one out later Spiezio hit his two-run homer to left to put the Angels up 2-0. Spiezio and Lilly have a history - Lilly hit Spiezio with a pitch in the helmet last season as a member of the Yankees. It was in retaliation for Ortiz hitting Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter an inning before. Spiezio pointed his bat at Lilly but didn't charge the mound. Lilly later was suspended.

``I think it was on everybody else's mind except for mine,'' Spiezio said. ``The ball skimmed my helmet but didn't hurt me. Before the game all the guys were talking about it.''

Angels relievers Brendan Donnelly, Scott Schoeneweis and Ben Weber combined to set up for Percival, but it wasn't easy. In the eighth inning, walks issued by Schoeneweis and then Weber forced Scioscia to bring in Percival.

But with two on and two out, Percival got David Justice on a fly to center to end the inning. Percival retired the side in order in the ninth.

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