APPIER IS A HIT ... FOR OAKLAND ANGELS PITCHER ROUGHED UP BY A'S IN LOSS OAKLAND 7, ANGELS 3.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

OAKLAND - Kevin Appier stared out at the facade over the right-field fence at Network Associates Coliseum, unable to comprehend the reality of his situation.

Yes, Erubiel Durazo just golfed a full-count pitch off that facade for a two-run home run. Yes, Appier had just given up seven earned runs in his first start of the season. Yes, it took him 104 pitches to complete four-plus innings.

And yes, the Oakland Athletics got the jump on the Angels in what could be a six-month clash of wills in the American League West, thumping the Angels 7-3 in front of a chilly crowd of 18,138 on Friday night.

From the Angels' standpoint, it was a night filled with head-scratching. Right fielder Tim Salmon, apparently struggling with the lights here, wore reflective goggles in the field yet struggled to get a break on two balls, one bouncing off his wrist and midsection for a leadoff double in the third inning by Miguel Tejada, who eventually scored.

Shortstop David Eckstein, distracted by the presence of Chris Singleton in the basepath, downright whiffed on a line drive Tejada hit right at him, the ball continuing into left field for a generous RBI single in the fourth.

And Angels hitters were befuddled by Oakland starter Ted Lilly, who changed speeds deftly and handcuffed them all night. Lilly held the Angels to three hits and two runs, departing to a standing ovation after 7 1/3 innings.

If the AL West race is to be decided by fourth and fifth starters, give a big early edge to the A's. Lilly drew raves from Oakland management in the spring, and he backed it up with a command performance.

The 35-year-old Appier, meanwhile, had an uneven spring-training performance. Coming on the heels of two forgettable World Series outings, there was mild reason to be concerned about the right-hander, who is due $11 million this season.

Friday's outing only deepened those concerns.

Appier gave up eight hits and three walks, one intentional, in his four- plus innings of work. He walked the second batter of the game, Singleton, who scored on a single by Eric Chavez.

Appier battled back to strike out Jermaine Dye looking, but Durazo came through with a two-out, two-run single for a 3-0 lead after one inning.

The A's stretched it to 5-1 with runs in the third and fourth. By then, Appier had thrown 97 pitches. After walking Dye to start the fifth, Durazo drilled a full-count pitch into right field for a two-run home run and a 7-1 lead, ending Appier's night.

Garret Anderson, who had three hits in four at-bats, got the Angels to within 7-3 in the eighth with a two-run double, and the Angels had two runners on for Troy Glaus. But Chad Bradford relieved Jeremy Fikac and got Glaus to ground back to the mound to end the inning.

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Angels starting pitcher Kevin Appier (27) is consoled by catcher Jose Molina, left, and Benji Gil on Friday night.

Ben Margot/Associated Press