ANGELS RUNNING ON EMPTY DROUGHT CONTINUES; UMPIRE TAKES HOME RUN AWAY FROM GLAUS OAKLAND 4, ANGELS 2.

Byline: Joe Haakenson Staff Writer

OAKLAND - This one, they couldn't blame on Tim Salmon.

With Salmon on the bench to rest his sagging ego, the Angels' offense struggled against the Oakland A's No. 5 starter and lost 4-2 before 9,145 at the Oakland Coliseum.

Starting pitcher Eric Hiljus beat the Angels for the second time this season, holding them to four hits through seven innings. The Angels managed a home run by Scott Spiezio in the sixth inning and a sacrifice fly by Brad Fullmer - his first RBI of the season - in the eighth. The Angels finished with seven hits, dropping their team batting average to .220.

After the game, Angels manager Mike Scioscia met with several Angels hitters to ``bounce some things off them.''

``As far as the chemistry of the team, as far as the desire to win on the club, all the intangibles are absolutely in place,'' Scioscia said. ``You won't find a group of guys more accountable and who take it harder than these guys. In the long run, that's what's going to turn it around. These guys are too talented to have an extended drought.

``We're trying to get offensive momentum going in the right direction. That's what's frustrating, not one game. Right now we've got key pieces of the offense making it difficult for us to get the continuity we're looking for.''

Salmon, hitting .143, is one of those key pieces. Troy Glaus, who is hitless in his past 19 at-bats, is another. Garret Anderson, batting .211, is another.

``I can't explain it,'' said Glaus, who had a home run overturned by the umpires. ``Guys are just missing pitches. We have to string together two, three, four hits in a row. When teams are going well, that's what they do.''

Glaus came to bat in the sixth inning following Spiezio, who had homered to tie the game 1-1. On the first pitch from Hiljus, a 6-foot-5 right-hander from Panorama City, Glaus hit a liner down the left-field line over the fence. Umpire Doug Eddings initially ruled the ball fair and Glaus circled the bases for what he thought was his fourth homer of the year.

``I didn't see it,'' Glaus said. ``I didn't think it was going to go that far, so I was running for a double.''

A's manager Art Howe argued briefly before the umpires converged to discuss the play. Moments later, the call was overturned, which got Scioscia out of the dugout to argue.

``I don't think there was anything in that play that said it was so obviously foul to overturn it,'' Scioscia said.

Replays were inconclusive, though the ball appeared to hit the foul pole after deflecting off a back wall.

``I pretty much lost it,'' Eddings said. ``As soon as it hit, I called it fair. I heard it hit concrete. It was just one of those things when you know you made the wrong call. The other three umpires had it foul. The only reason to reverse a call is if you're 100 percent certain.''

Angels starter Ramon Ortiz pitched well until he gave up a two-run homer to Carlos Pena, Jason Giambi's replacement at first base, in the seventh inning on a hanging changeup. Terrence Long and Jeremy Giambi hit solo homers for the A's other two runs.

Long also had a busy day in the field, making 10 putouts in center field, two short of the major-league record for a center fielder. Three of the catches were outstanding plays, including a diving catch in shallow left-center on a sinking liner by Adam Kennedy to end the game.

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Photo:

Angels shortstop David Eckstein throws to first after being knocked off balance by Oakland A's baserunner Frank Menechino.

Ben Margot/Associated Pres