GARCIA ALMOST PERFECT KENNEDY HAS ONLY HIT IN ANGELS' LOSS CHICAGO 9, ANGELS 0.

Byline: BEN VILLA Staff Writer

ANAHEIM -- The Angels picked the wrong time to run into Freddy Garcia.

The right-hander nearly pitched a perfect game Wednesday, but Adam Kennedy broke it up with a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning during a 9-0 Chicago White Sox rout in front of 37,030 at Angel Stadium.

To make matters worse, the Angels lost a game in the standings to the Oakland Athletics, who beat the Minnesota Twins 1-0. The Angels trail the A's by 5 1/2 games with 16 remaining.

``Freddy has always been tough on us,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``Today, his velocity wasn't there like it has been in the past, but he hit his spots. He threw a lot of off-speed pitches and we got anxious and we started swinging at his pitches.

``I don't think you could pitch any better than he did today. It was a tough afternoon, but we've got to turn the page on this one.''

Garcia entered the game with a 13-3 lifetime record against the Angels with a 2.66 ERA -- his lowest against any American League opponent -- and that number dropped considerably after Wednesday's performance.

Normally when a pitcher is throwing a perfect game, some luck is involved and a player will make a great defensive play to keep it alive. But Garcia didn't need any of that against the overly aggressive and undisciplined Angels lineup.

Through the first seven innings, not one ball off the bat of an Angel was close to a hit.

Garcia did fall behind 3-1 to Vladimir Guerrero with two outs in the seventh inning, but he got him to ground out to the shortstop.

In the eighth, Garret Anderson struck out and Juan Rivera grounded out, and Garcia was within four outs of making history.

But on a 3-2 count and on his 100th pitch, Garcia threw a fastball down the middle and Kennedy smacked it into center field for a single.

``I didn't think he was going to groove a fastball, and I tried not to do too much with it,'' Kennedy said. ``He has a history of throwing well against us and today, he was mixing up his pitches well.

``Plus, he had a big lead to work with and that always makes a pitcher better. But in reality, it wasn't that big of a deal. He's not the first pitcher that almost threw a perfect game and he won't be the last.''

Garcia wound up pitching eightmagnificent innings, allowing just that one hit while striking out three and not allowing a walk.

``I knew I had a no-hitter going, but I was trying not to think about it and keep making my pitches,'' Garcia said. ``I've been facing those guys for a long time, so I know they're aggressive and they like to swing the bat. Kennedy hit a good pitch, so there was nothing I could do about it. But who doesn't want to throw a no-hitter?''

The White Sox scored all the runs they would need to make Garcia a winner early in the game against Angels starter Joe Saunders.

The rookie southpaw has pitched better lately when he has an extra day of rest. Throwing on his normal schedule Wednesday, he had trouble with his command.

In the second inning, he gave up a single to Paul Konerko, and Joe Crede doubled him home on a ball hit into the right-field gap that gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead.

Then in the third, the defending champions scored two more runs on RBI singles by Sandy Alomar Jr. and Jim Thome.

In the fourth, they knocked Saunders out of the game, sending eight batters to the plate en route to scoring four runs.

The highlight of the inning came on a two-run double by Jermaine Dye with the bases loaded, and Konerko later added an RBI double off Kevin Gregg, who replaced Saunders.

Saunders lasted only 3 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits, seven runs and walking three.

``I didn't need an extra day, I felt fine, I felt strong,'' Saunders said. ``I made too many mistakes and you can't do that, especially with that lineup. It was just a terrible day.

``From the third inning on, I couldn't keep the ball down and you can't do that against a lineup of that caliber. But I'll bounce back. I have before and I'll do it again.''

Associated Press contributed

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Photo:

Chicago White Sox pitcher Freddy Garcia reacts after giving up his first baserunner against the Angels.

Branimir Kvartuc/Associated Press

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ANGELS at TEXAS

- Ben Villa