Mussina Caps Series With a Fine Outing : Angels: He is the latest Oriole pitcher to turn off the power of the AL West leaders.

The question was straightforward, but so was the answer.

After a five-second exchange, Baltimore Manager Phil Regan retreated to the Oriole dugout, confident Mike Mussina would retire J.T. Snow and sew up his major league-leading 15th victory.

“He said, ‘Can you get him?’ ” Mussina related later. “I said, ‘Yeah.’ Then the three of us [Regan, Mussina and catcher Greg Zaun] wondered what he was doing out there.

“I never thought about coming out.”

Considering how well Mussina (15-7) handled the Angels, it seemed like a wasted trip for Regan.

The Angels managed only four hits, no runs and two walks against Mussina when Snow stepped to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning. They seemed as overmatched against Mussina as any pitcher they’ve faced this season.

When Snow flied out to end the game, Mussina’s mastery was complete. He could reflect happily on his season-high 11 strikeouts, third complete game and second shutout.

The Angels were left to shift through the remains of their third consecutive listless offensive showing.

“That was quite a performance,” Angel Manager Marcel Lachemann said after the Orioles’ 4-0 victory Sunday at Anaheim Stadium. “He was just outstanding today. You’re going to run into pitching performances like that. Well, hopefully not like that very often.”

The Angels seem to be racing headlong into one quality pitching performance after another. Scott Erickson beat them, 11-2, on Friday, Kevin Brown defeated them, 5-2, Saturday, and Mussina got them, 4-0, Sunday. They managed six hits against Erickson, five against Brown and four against Mussina.

So much for the top-scoring team in the majors.

“The last three games we held these guys to, what, two, two and nothing?” Mussina asked after improving to 10-2 with a 2.35 earned-run average in his past 14 starts. “We really accomplished something as far as our pitching staff goes the past three games.”

Mussina’s complete game was by far the most impressive.

Chico Lind doubled in the third inning. Garret Anderson singled in the seventh. Jorge Fabregas singled in the eighth. Tim Salmon doubled in the ninth. That’s it.

The Angels didn’t come close to scoring. Mussina didn’t allow a runner past second base and only once, when he gave up two walks in the second, did the Angels have more than one runner on base.

A double play after Fabregas’ leadoff single in the eighth appeared to deflate the Angels’ comeback hopes. Even after Salmon’s ninth-inning double and Regan’s clumsy visit to the mound, Mussina appeared unfazed, quickly snuffing the Angels’ final chance.

“What can you say?” Regan said. “He’s just been outstanding. It’s kind of what you expect when you put him out there.”

Until recently the Angels had hit pitchers good and bad. After all, they lead the majors with 678 runs and have the American League’s third-best batting average at .283.

Perhaps that’s why Mussina stayed so focused throughout Sunday’s game. He knew he couldn’t let up or he might get hammered.

“This is a really top-notch ballclub,” Mussina said. “They have quality hitters all the way through the lineup. You’re trying to keep Tony [Phillips] off base, [Jim] Edmonds in the park, Salmon, Chili [Davis], Snow and the rest of them quiet.”

Sunday, Mussina made it seem easy.