ANGELS WATCH ONE GET AWAY MISCUES ECLIPSE 11 HITS, BYRD'S OUTING MINNESOTA 7, ANGELS 4.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

MINNEAPOLIS - How, exactly, does a team lose on a night it bangs out 11 hits in just six innings and gets a decent outing from its starting pitcher?

The Angels discovered the formula for such a defeat Friday night, when they blew a three-run lead and numerous scoring chances in a 7-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Chalk some of it up to bad baserunning. Mix in some poor situational hitting, add a few managerial decisions that did not pan out and a healthy dose of bad luck, and you get the level of annoyance starter Paul Byrd felt some 40 minutes after the game.

``I'm not going to pout or hang my head, but I won't lie,'' said Byrd, who gave up three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings. ``I'm frustrated tonight. I thought we hit the balls on the screws all over the yard and didn't have much to show for it.''

It took a laundry list of gaffes for the Angels to let Twins starter Carlos Silva wriggle off the hook, but wriggle he did. The man who shut them out on 11 hits last August ran into more good fortune, again yielding 11 hits, in seven innings, but he stuck around for the win.

It was what the Angels did - or couldn't do - after those hits that ruined their night.

Twice, they put runners on second and third to lead off an inning and could not score.

The first instance came in the fourth inning, when Orlando Cabrera doubled, and Dallas McPherson singled him to third, and the Angels appeared destined to pad their 4-1 lead.

But when Josh Paul's meager popup died behind the mound, McPherson made the epitome of a rookie mistake. He drifted toward second base, although it was evident shortstop Jason Bartlett would catch the ball easily.

McPherson was doubled off first, Jeff DaVanon struck out looking, and the threat was done.

McPherson's gaffe came one night after he tried advancing to third on a grounder to Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Two miscues in two evenings earned him two talking-tos from manager Mike Scioscia, and McPherson's frustration after the game was directed inward.

``It was just bad baserunning, two nights in a row, and it probably cost us a run,'' McPherson said. ``Mental mistakes have to be limited. That's two nights in a row I had one. I didn't think he'd get to it. But even if he doesn't get to it, I'm out at second.''

An inning later, Darin Erstad doubled and Chone Figgins followed with a bunt single, then stole second to create another second-and-third, no-out situation.

This rally died in a more fateful fashion. Vladimir Guerrero struck a Silva pitch well - but right at Bartlett for a lineout. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire wisely walked Garret Anderson to get to Steve Finley, whose 0-for-4 night dropped his average to .157.

This time, he struck a sharp one-hopper up the middle - and right at Bartlett, for an inning-ending double play.

``I don't know whether I've ever seen anything like that,'' Scioscia said. ``We had opportunities to expand our lead, and it could've been a different outcome. We had (Silva) on the ropes. To his credit, he got key outs in key situations.''

After Anderson's leadoff double in the eighth, Finley flew to left, stunting the rally.

In the first inning, Figgins followed Erstad's single with a double but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Although he made the first out of the inning at third, with Guerrero up next, Figgins - and Scioscia - had no regrets.

``That doesn't happen too often,'' Figgins said. ``They had a good relay. If I have the same opportunity tomorrow, I'll do it again.''

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Esteban Yan winces after giving up a two-run, eighth-inning double.

(2) Torii Hunter's bat breaks as he lines out to Angels third baseman Dallas McPherson during the Twins' win.

Tom Olmscheid/Associated Press

Box:

(1) ANGELS at MINNESOTA

- Gabe Lacques

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC