Abbott Returns, as Do Angels’ Wayward Ways : Baseball: He lowers his ERA to 2.85 but stays at 4-11 as bullpen fizzles in 8-2 loss to the White Sox.

Some things don’t change, even though they probably should.

The Angels wasted another strong pitching effort by Jim Abbott Saturday in an 8-2 loss to the White Sox. He gave up no earned runs in his first outing since suffering a pulled muscle on the right side of his rib cage on July 11.

Abbott made only one mistake: a two-run homer by Frank Thomas, after a fielding error by shortstop Gary DiSarcina.

Abbott, who has given up three earned runs or fewer in 15 of his 20 starts this season, saw his earned-run average shrink to 2.85, sixth-best in the American League. However, he is 4-11.

“I wondered if I was going to get anybody out, but once I got out there, it was like getting on a bicycle,” said Abbott, who left after five innings because of mild stiffness in his shoulder.

The Angels, who scored twice during the seventh to tie the score, lost the game in the ninth because of an ineffective bullpen.

The White Sox sent 12 to the plate and scored six times during the ninth, a spree highlighted by pinch-hitter Carlton Fisk’s two-run single, which bounced high over third baseman Rene Gonzales’ head into left field.

“The area in front of home plate is like concrete,” interim Angel manager John Wathan said of Fisk’s hit.

Steve Frey (4-2) gave up hits to the first two he faced before yielding to Chuck Crim, who couldn’t prevent the White Sox from winning for the sixth time in seven games.

The Angels had tied the score during the seventh against Greg Hibbard and Roberto Hernandez (4-2). They loaded the bases on a single by Gary Gaetti, a walk to Chad Curtis and a pop bunt that Hibbard dived for but couldn’t catch. Hernandez, a right-hander, came in to face pinch-hitter Ken Oberkfell, whose grounder to first scored Gaetti and moved Curtis to third. Von Hayes batted for Ron Tingley and hit a sacrifice fly.

In addition to Fisk’s hit during the ninth, Lance Johnson--who extended his hitting streak to 22 games, the longest in the major leagues--drove in a run on a fielder’s choice grounder and Robin Ventura added a two-run single.

Abbott gave up a single in each of the first four innings but never got into serious trouble, in part because he snared a shot by George Bell before it could go up the middle during the first inning and turned it into an inning-ending double play.

But Hibbard was even more effective, holding the Angels hitless until Luis Sojo led off the fourth with a slow bouncer past second base and into center field.

Abbott issued a full-count walk to Craig Grebeck during the first inning and then gave up a single to Frank Thomas, but Bell’s double play ended that threat.

In the second, Johnson lined a two-out single to center, but Abbott struck out Dan Pasqua.

Then in the third, after Steve Sax beat out a grounder to short, Abbott caught a liner by Grebeck and after walking Thomas, Bell flew out to left.

Shortstop DiSarcina appeared to suffer a foot injury while diving for Sax’s grounder. DiSarcina lunged and kept the ball from getting through the infield, but when he attempted to get to his feet and throw to first, he fell to the ground in pain. He flexed his left ankle afterward, but remained in the game after receiving treatment.

Johnson got another two-out single in the fourth. To that point, he was batting .458 (38 for 83) during his personal-best hitting streak, and he had 19 hits in his last 37 at-bats (.514). But the White Sox couldn’t capitalize on that hit, as Pasqua struck out again to end the inning.

An error by DiSarcina--the rookie’s 22nd this season--contributed to Chicago’s two-run fifth inning. The inning was costly for the White Sox, however, as Grebeck suffered a broken foot running to first.