EJECTION COMES BEFORE DEJECTION SCIOSCIA TOSSED AS RANGERS TAKE 3 OF 4 TEXAS 9, ANGELS 7.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas - Mike Scioscia didn't know it at the time, but when he was ejected in the fifth inning of the Angels' game Thursday at the Ballpark in Arlington, the worst was yet to come for his team.

Scioscia's sixth career ejection took a while to inspire his charges, who mostly staggered through the final four innings of a 9-7 loss to the Texas Rangers.

Texas took three of four games from the Angels, who blew a 4-0 lead and failed to finish off Texas starter Ryan Drese when they had the chance.

In the fifth inning with the score tied, Drese caught Tim Salmon looking at a full-count pitch that appeared low and away. Salmon argued briefly with home-plate umpire Greg Gibson, who stepped toward the Angels' dugout.

Scioscia interjected and was ejected, long-distance style, before emerging from the dugout to get his money's worth.

``I think everybody in the dugout thought it was low,'' Scioscia said. ``But you don't win or lose a game with one pitch. We didn't do a lot to help ourselves today.''

And frankly, Scioscia didn't miss much after he was gone.

After batting around in the fourth, the Rangers did it again in the fifth, chasing starter Mickey Callaway to lead 8-4. Drese, who got just one batter out in his first start of the season, made it stand up, with help from three relievers.

The Angels did bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning, prompting Texas manager Buck Showalter to bring in closer Ugueth Urbina leading 9-5. Urbina gave up an RBI single to Troy Glaus and a sacrifice fly to Scott Spiezio, but pinch-hitter Bengie Molina flew out to center to end the game.

The Angels were in a hole because Callaway, who shut out Texas' imposing lineup for 10 innings in two starts, finally was solved by the Rangers. He faced the minimum through three innings, but in the fourth, Carl Everett - who went 8 for 13 with four home runs in the series - hit a two-run home run to cut the Angels' lead to 4-2. Texas batted around and tied the score on Ryan Christenson's two-run single.

After Scioscia's ejection in the top of the fifth, it only got worse.

A walk and a single finished Callaway, who was replaced by Scott Schoeneweis. Schoeneweis twice threw to first to keep Alex Rodriguez honest, but the second throw eluded first baseman Brad Fullmer, who was playing off the bag, and the ball went into right field. That enabled Everett to trot home with the go-ahead run.

Schoeneweis didn't retire a batter, hitting Rafael Palmeiro, walking Hank Blalock and giving up a two-run single to Mark Teixeira. Christenson's RBI single off Ben Weber made it 8-4.

Callaway, out of options and pitching to stay on the team when starter Aaron Sele returns from shoulder rehabilitation, started his downfall by falling behind 3-0 to the first three batters in the fourth. That, and the Rangers' familiarity with him eventually caught up to the right-hander; including spring training, it was the third time in five starts he faced Texas.

``I got ahead in the first three innings but fell behind in the fourth. I'm not going to be successful doing that,'' said Callaway, who fell to 1-1 after his 4 1/3-inning, seven-hit performance. ``I'd seen them a lot, they'd seen me a lot.

``They had a better idea of what I was doing. I fell into a pattern. I had to make an adjustment, I didn't, and it cost us a ballgame.''

Were it not for a seven-run eighth inning Wednesday, the Angels would have been swept in four games here.