Angels let it get away at the end

The Angels’ bullpen is healthy and the starting rotation isn’t. That was the company line going into the season.

But three games into the schedule, that story line isn’t quite holding up.

For the second time in as many nights, the Angels got a quality start from their rotation only to see their bullpen give it back as Oakland rallied for six runs in the last two innings to win, 6-4, in front of a sellout 43,283 at Angel Stadium.

Nick Adenhart wasn’t brilliant, but he was effective through six innings, stranding eight runners as the Angels built a 4-0 lead.

But Oakland rallied in the eighth inning, scoring three times against Jose Arredondo and Scot Shields, the last two runs coming on Ryan Sweeney’s two-out single to center field. Sweeney then stole second before Shields got Orlando Cabrera to ground out to end the inning.

Brian Fuentes, who struggled all spring, couldn’t close it out, though. He walked Jason Giambi to start the ninth inning, then got two quick outs before Kurt Suzuki dropped a hit between the mound and the plate. Catcher Mike Napoli and Fuentes nearly collided going after the ball and neither could come up with it cleanly, giving Suzuki an infield single.

That brought up pinch-hitter Nomar Garciaparra, who lined a 2-and-2 pitch into left-center field to tie the score.

Mark Ellis then untied it, driving in Suzuki on a grounder before Matt Holliday drove in an insurance run with Oakland’s fourth consecutive single of the inning.

Tuesday, Dustin Moseley was victimized, holding Oakland to three runs in six innings only to see relievers Kevin Jepsen and Darren Oliver give up that many in 1 2/3 innings.

Wednesday, it was Adenhart who deserved a better fate. Although he gave up seven hits, three walks and a wild pitch, he didn’t give up a run through six innings, leaving with a 3-0 lead.

“We want him to give us a chance to win,” Scioscia said. “That’s why he’s out there, why we have the confidence in him.”

Confidence probably wasn’t the first word Scioscia thought of when Adenhart’s name came up last season. In an abbreviated three-game trial with the Angels, he walked 13 batters and gave up 18 hits in 12 innings. Included in that was a major league debut against the Athletics in which he gave up almost as many runs and walks (five each) as he got outs (six).

And he looked like his old -- which is to say younger -- self at times Wednesday, loading the bases twice and allowing two runners to reach base two other times in the first five innings. But he escaped all four jams on ground balls.

The Angels weren’t doing much better against starter Dana Eveland, wasting consecutive two-out singles in the second and third innings. But they finally gave Adenhart some breathing room in the fourth inning, scoring on consecutive singles by Torii Hunter, Kendry Morales and Juan Rivera.

Mike Napoli followed with a drive to deep right-center field that Rajai Davis caught up with after a long run, only to see the ball glance off his glove for a run-scoring double. And when Erick Aybar lined to center field, Rivera scored from third to make it 3-0.

The Angels tacked on what appeared to be an insurance run in the seventh, going up 4-0 when Chone Figgins walked, stole second, moved to third on an error and scored on a fly by Bobby Abreu.

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kevin.baxter@latimes.com