ORTIZ GOES SIX, AND IT'S ENOUGH SALMON HITS 2 HRS TO BACK SOLID START ANGELS 6, OAKLAND 3.Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer OAKLAND - First came the home run. Then came the inevitable visit from the pitching coach. And then, another home run, followed by the perfunctory stirring in the visitors' bullpen. But again, when all the conditions suggested collapse, Ramon Ortiz held steady Saturday night. The reward was his 10th victory of the season and a 6-3 victory for the Angels over the Oakland Athletics “Philadelphia Athletics” redirects here. For other uses, see Philadelphia Athletics (disambiguation). The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. in front of 55,601, the largest regular-season crowd in Network Associates Coliseum history. Tim Salmon Weber, completely self-taught as a composer, was in the late 30s part of a Chicago musical group that included George Perle and , Brendan Donnelly Brendan Kevin Donnelly (b. July 4, 1971 in Washington, D.C.) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. Donnelly had bounced around the minor leagues for 10 seasons after he was drafted in 1992 by the Chicago White Sox before he finally made his and Troy Percival Troy Eugene Percival (born August 9, 1969 in Fontana, California) is a Major League Baseball reliever on the St. Louis Cardinals. Percival came out of retirement on June 8, 2007 when he signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals[1]. (19th save) contributed three hitless innings in relief. But Salmon has been around seasons good and bad in Anaheim, so he knows it's starting pitching that can make a year turn sour. And the Angels, all of a sudden winners of seven of nine, are finally getting it again, with Ortiz (10-6) leading the way. On Saturday, he walked nobody, gave up six hits and struck out two. He's won five of his past six starts to put him nearly on pace for 20 wins. Along with John Lackey John Derran Lackey (born October 23, 1978, in Abilene, Texas) is a major league baseball starting pitcher from Abilene, Texas. He has played for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim his entire career. , who's pitched 16 1/3 shutout innings in his past two starts, and five-inning wonder Aaron Sele Aaron Helmer Sele (born June 25, 1970 in Golden Valley, Minnesota) is an MLB right-handed pitcher who plays for the New York Mets. His family moved to Poulsbo, Washington, a Scandinavian town on the Kitsap Peninsula, where Aaron pitched for North Kitsap High School. (10 consecutive shutout innings), the Angels (44-41) are seeing signs of effectiveness from a rotation that sputtered through the first half of the season. Now, they're three games over .500 for the third time this season, and are within 3 1/2 games of Oakland. ``The pitching staff is really coming around,'' Salmon said. ``I think we're getting some real good pitching, and offensively, we're getting just enough to get it done.'' Saturday's massive crowd was hardly through the gates before Salmon gave the Angels a 3-0 lead with a three-run homer in the first off Oakland starter Aaron Harang Aaron Michael Harang (born May 9, 1978 in San Diego, CA) is a professional right-handed starting baseball pitcher. He currently plays for the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball. (1-3). Salmon homered again in the fifth off John Halama John Thadeus Halama (born February 22, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York) is a Major League Baseball pitcher who last played for the Baltimore Orioles. Previously, Halama played with the Houston Astros (1998), Seattle Mariners (1999-2002), Oakland Athletics (2003), Tampa Bay Devil Rays to stretch the Angels lead to 5-0. Through four innings, Ortiz faced one batter over the minimum. But in the fifth, Eric Chavez homered to right field. Terrence Long doubled, and Frank Menechino singled him in to make it 5-2. After Billy McMillon homered leading off the sixth, making it 5-3, Weber and Scott Schoeneweis stirred in the bullpen. Chavez would be third up, and an Angels bullpen already asked to pick up after an inconsistent starting staff would be stretched thin again. But Ortiz stayed in. And down went Erubiel Durazo, on a flyball to left field. Then Miguel Tejada was retired on a grounder to short. Finally, Chavez grounded to short, Ortiz had his six quality innings and the Angels were well on their way to a series victory over the A's, with a chance at a sweep today. Getting through six innings with a lead is hardly a feat of Cy Young-caliber proportions, especially against a team hitting .255, 11th in the American League. But when the Angels are desperate for consistent starting pitching, it can't be underestimated. ``We were hoping for more,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. ``We were hoping to get him into the seventh. But for him to hold it through the sixth, with our bullpen, that was important.'' Gabe Lacques, (626) 962-8811 gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com |
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