BOTTOM-DWELLERS AGAIN ANOTHER DEFEAT AT HOME FURTHER SEPARATES ANGELS FROM TOP TEAMS OAKLAND 7, ANGELS 2.Byline: Frank Welch
Frank Welch (1835 – 1878) was a Nebraska Republican politician. He was born at Bunker Hill, Charlestown, Massachusetts on February 10, 1835 and moved to Boston in with his parents. Staff Writer ANAHEIM - The four-team American League West The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division currently has four teams, but it has had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. looked more like two separate divisions last season. It's beginning to look a lot like the same for the Angels. A team that vowed to be more competitive within the division this season has yet to prove that on the field as they dropped their sixth in a row, this time 7-2 to Oakland on Saturday night in front of 33,554 at Edison Field. Anaheim (3-8) has lost all six at home, four against Seattle and two against Oakland. The Mariners (9-3), winners of 116 games a year ago, won at Texas (3-8) Saturday, leaving Oakland (8-4), which won 102 last season, a game behind in the West. The fact that the Angels already are 5 1/2 games out of first place is alarming. Anaheim's pitching, the lesser of the two evils for the club thus far, was shaky early as Oakland built a lead against Angels opening-day starter Jarrod Washburn Jarrod Michael Washburn (born August 13, 1974 in La Crosse, Wisconsin) is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. Drafted by the California Angels in the 2nd round of the 1995 amateur draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Washburn won the final game . Washburn, erratic through the early portions of his 4 2/3 innings, gave up a two-out, three-run double to Frank Menechino Frank Menechino (born January 7, 1971 in Staten Island, New York) is a baseball utility player, most recently with the Toronto Blue Jays of the American League. He played college baseball at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Florida before transferring to the University in the second inning. After David Justice One of the two associations of professional baseball teams in the U.S. and Canada designated as major leagues; the other is the National League (NL). . Scott Hatteberg's two-run homer off Al Levine in the ninth inning gave Oakland a five-run lead. Washburn (0-2) saw his ERA jump from 4.35 to 6.00 after giving up five earned runs, five hits and three walks. ``I felt good, I was just missing,'' Washburn said. ``I haven't hit my spots all season and it shows in my numbers. When you get behind good hitters, they're going to make you pay for it.'' The Angels offense again couldn't give a struggling pitcher a break as they wound up with four hits against four Oakland pitchers. Two of those hits were singles by Garret Anderson Garret Joseph Anderson (born June 30, 1972 in Los Angeles, California) is a Major League Baseball left fielder who has played his entire career for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. and Adam Kennedy after the first inning. ``It's very frustrating,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``We have a talented group of players that isn't producing and I have all the confidence in the world that we will. We're not discouraged or disheartened dis·heart·en tr.v. dis·heart·ened, dis·heart·en·ing, dis·heart·ens To shake or destroy the courage or resolution of; dispirit. See Synonyms at discourage. .'' Anaheim looked like it might quickly shake a season-long hitting slump in the first when Darin Erstad singled sharply to center field with one out. Anderson then took an 0-2 pitch from Oakland starter Erik Hiljus and sent it deep into the right-field seats. ``We had the momentum for a minute there, and I killed it,'' Washburn said. ``You're up 2-0 and you feel pretty good about yourself. And then I got out there and bury it.'' Anderson's home run was the first by an Angel other than third baseman Troy Glaus (who has three) this season. It also was the first homer hit by an Angel at Edison Field this season in eight home games. Anderson also broke an 0-for-20 slump with his two-run shot. ``We thought it was a sign of things to come,'' Scioscia said of Anderson's homer. ``Even with our pitching struggling a bit, I still thought our offense was going to keep producing.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Oakland's Jeremy Giambi celebrates with teammates during the A's victory over the Angels on Saturday at Edison Field. John Hayes/Associated Press |
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