Robinson’s Outing Is for the Birds : Baseball: Baltimore pitcher gives up only two singles in seven innings, but his mastery against Angels doesn’t hold up.

Baltimore pitcher Jeff Robinson sat on the Orioles’ bench in the eighth inning Tuesday, a towel pressed against his face.

He has had his bad outings this season, some of them very bad.

But this hadn’t been one of them. This had been one of his best. Statistically, it was his best of the season.

Minutes earlier, he had a two-hitter against the Angels in the eighth inning, and a 1-0 lead.

He left Anaheim Stadium with a loss, as the Angels rallied for a 2-1 victory. Two hits, and a loss.

Robinson, who had given up only a single to Lance Parrish in the third and another to Dave Parker in the fifth, walked Parker to start the eighth. Shortly afterward, he walked to the dugout, relieved by Mark Williamson. With none out, the Angels had put runners on first and third after second baseman Juan Bell’s error at first on Gary Gaetti’s sacrifice.

Both runners would score, the first on Parrish’s sacrifice fly off Williamson, and the second off Mike Flanagan when Dave Gallagher was called safe on a close, questionable play at first after hitting a ball sharply to third with two outs.

Both runs were unearned but charged to Robinson.

It was one of those cases when baseball’s system of credits and blames seems to fail. Robinson, the loser?

“I guess that’s just the job of being a pitcher,” he said. “We’re always the ones who go home with a win or a loss.”

For so long Tuesday, Robinson appeared to be a pitcher erasing the memory of a couple of sorry outings.

When he pitched May 4 against the Angels in Anaheim Stadium, he lasted a mere third of an inning, giving up five runs on 30 pitches in a 6-3 loss.

Last Thursday he had a too-similar outing in Oakland--a third of an inning, five runs, 30 pitches.

But if you think those were hard to take, think twice, Robinson said.

“This is much more disappointing than what happened in Oakland,” he said. “In Oakland, I got my butt kicked. That happens sometimes. It’s a lot easier to go home after you get your butt kicked than to go home like this.”

Robinson was pitching on six days’ rest against Oakland--too much for him, he said.

“I was too strong last time out,” he said.

But when that one was over, it was over.

“There’s times you flat-out get beat, and there’s nothing you can do. Things don’t go well, and you say, hey, I’ll do better next time.”

This one might last a while longer.

Robinson, who shares a name with Angel reliever Jeff Robinson, struck out five and walked only two. The second walk was the crucial one to Parker, that set up Gaetti’s bunt.

With Luis Sojo running for Parker, Gaetti got the bunt down. Robinson fielded it, and threw to Bell, who was covering first. But Bell couldn’t handle it and was charged with an error, leaving runners on first and third and spelling the end for Robinson--and ultimately the Orioles.

“We botched the bunt play, and it’s all downhill from there,” Baltimore Manager John Oates said.

Robinson (4-8) hadn’t suffered a loss in five starts since June 14, and he has five no-decisions this season. A no-decision would have been nice in this one. In fact, it might have been more just.

But as Robinson pointed out, he’s had success against the Angels, with the notable exception of that first game at Anaheim Stadium this season. Other than that, he is 4-0 lifetime against them.

This time, any luck ran out.