HARDEN QUIETS ANGELS' BATS OUTDUELS WASHBURN IN A'S VICTORY OAKLAND 3, ANGELS 1.Byline: Keven Chavez Staff Writer ANAHEIM - Six days ago in Oakland, Athletics pitcher Rich Harden James Richard ("Rich") Harden (born November 30, 1981) is a Canadian pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. Pre-MLB Harden was born in Victoria, British Columbia. He graduated from Claremont Secondary School (Victoria, BC) in 1999, and was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in was just five outs shy of tossing the 18th perfect game in major-league history. Working from that template, the Angels didn't do half bad Tuesday night. The Angels broke up Harden's bid for a perfect game in the first inning, broke up his potential no-hitter in the second and broke up his shutout with two outs in the ninth. The rest was all Harden, as he carved up the Angels' lineup in a 3-1 A's victory in front of 42,155 at Angel Stadium. The 23-year-old right-hander struck out eight and allowed just four hits, three walks and one run through 8 2/3 innings. Harden (7-4) retired 16 consecutive Angels hitters from the third inning until walking Chone Figgins Desmond DeChone "Chone" Figgins (born January 22, 1978 in Leary, Georgia) is a Major League Baseball utility player for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Despite the unusual spelling of his first name, "Chone" is pronounced as "Shawn. in the eighth. ``A guy like that, you're just trying to battle,'' Angels center fielder Steve Finley Steven Allen Finley (born March 12 1965, in Union City, Tennessee) is a Major League Baseball center fielder who bats and throws left-handed. He currently is a free agent, and has been working out on a regular basis since his release, hopeful a call will come from a team looking , who had two hits. ``He had it all working, and when he's pitching like that, it's going to be tough.'' The Angels finally broke through in the ninth inning, as Finley and Bengie Molina Benjamin José ("Bengie" or "Ben") Molina (born July 20 1974 in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico) is the starting catcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. After being initially regarded as a "good glove, no hit" catcher, Molina has developed into one of the better strung together consecutive two-out singles to score a run and knock Harden from the game. Reliever Huston Street Huston Lowell Street (born August 2, 1983, in Austin, Texas) is a relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, currently best known for winning the 2005 American League Rookie of the Year. His father is former University of Texas quarterback James Street. got Maicer Izturis Maicer Izturis (IPA pronunciation: [maɪsɛr ɪs'turɪs]) (born September 12, 1980 in Barquisimeto, Lara State, Venezuela) is a Major League Baseball infielder who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. , the potential tying run, on a flyout to left to preserve the victory and earn his sixth save. Angels 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 (6-5) was effective, allowing five hits and three runs in seven innings. The left-hander also was inches away from matching Harden inning for shutout inning through six. A's second baseman second baseman n. Baseball The infielder who is positioned near and to the first-base side of second base. Noun 1. second baseman - (baseball) the person who plays second base second sacker Mark Ellis led off the third inning with a hit down the line into the left-field corner, which Garret Anderson has patrolled for the better part of a decade. The ball ricocheted past Anderson, allowing Ellis to make it to third on what was generously ruled a triple. Ellis scored on Jason Kendall's sacrifice fly for a 1-0 Oakland lead. In the sixth, Oakland center fielder Mark Kotsay led off with a line drive to left-center field that barely sailed over the outstretched out·stretch tr.v. out·stretched, out·stretch·ing, out·stretch·es To stretch out; extend. outstretched Adjective glove of Angels center fielder Finley and off the wall for a double. Washburn then walked Bobby Crosby, and Eric Chavez grounded into a double play. Recently acquired left fielder Jay Payton, who went 3 for 4, followed with a line-drive single just over the glove of Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera to score Kotsay from third for a 2-0 A's lead. ``I couldn't put up enough zeroes,'' Washburn said. ``But (Harden is) filthy. I thought I threw the ball well. It just wasn't good enough.'' In the seventh inning, it wasn't a matter of inches but rather yards or country miles. A's first baseman Dan Johnson led off with a prodigious home run blast to right off Washburn. Right fielder Vladimir Guerrero hardly budged. ``(Washburn) matched Harden pitch for pitch for most of his outing,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``I thought Jarrod did well considering the circumstances.'' The Angels' big bats did not fare so well. Anderson and Guerrero, who has just one hit in 21 at-bats since the All-Star break, went a combined 0 for 8 off Harden. The Angels had an opportunity to strike first when Finley led off the second inning by scorching scorch v. scorched, scorch·ing, scorch·es v.tr. 1. To burn superficially so as to discolor or damage the texture of. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. a double to right. He advanced to third on a Molina groundout but was caught in a rundown on a Izturis grounder and tagged out by Harden at the plate. Keven Chavez, (626) 962-8811 keven.chavez(at)sgvn.com CAPTION(S): photo, 4 boxes Photo: Rich Harden isn't perfect, but he shuts down the Angels - scattering four hits and a run in 8 1/3 innings - in a 3-1 Oakland Athletics victory. Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press Box: (1) OAKLAND at ANGELS - Keven Chavez (2) GAME RECAP (3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED (4) ALMANAC almanac, originally, a calendar with notations of astronomical and other data. Almanacs have been known in simple form almost since the invention of writing, for they served to record religious feasts, seasonal changes, and the like. |
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