BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Angels Even Come Up Short in Timing

For one inning Wednesday, the Angels rediscovered the high-powered offense that helped them win 17 of 20 games after the all-star break. But their timing, as usual, was terrible--their six-run ninth against the Athletics merely made the final score in a 9-6 loss more respectable.

Garret Anderson led off the ninth with a homer to right field off Oakland starter Todd Stottlemyre, who had shut out the Angels and struck out 12 through eight innings, and singles by Spike Owen, Mike Aldrete and Tony Phillips resulted in another run.

Dave Gallagher, pinch hitting for Jim Edmonds, singled to left off reliever Rick Honeycutt, and Tim Salmon followed with a three-run homer, his 34th of the season. Chili Davis singled, but Oakland closer Dennis Eckersley, who gave up a two-run homer to J.T. Snow Tuesday night, got Snow to hit into a game-ending double play for his 29th save.

“We actually turned it into a save situation--that’s hard to believe considering we were down, 9-0,” Manager Marcel Lachemann said. “Stranger things have happened, but we were too far down too early.”

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How the mighty have fallen: Edmonds had been one of the Angels’ most productive hitters and was mentioned as a most valuable player candidate in early August, but he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the ninth inning Wednesday.

Did he launch a verbal attack on Lachemann? Kick a water cooler in the dugout? Toss a few batting helmets? Hardly.

“If I was the manager I would have taken me out in the third inning,” Edmonds said. “I’m struggling.”

Edmonds went 1 for 13 in the Oakland series with six strikeouts. He said he’s still bothered by strained muscles in his lower back, injuries incurred in August.

“I’m having problems, but nothing that’s keeping me from getting out of bed in the morning,” Edmonds said.

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Lee Smith pitched the eighth inning Wednesday, a refresher course for the Angel closer who hadn’t thrown a baseball from the mound in a game in nine days. . . . Salmon also had two doubles to go with his three-run homer and lifted his average to .331. His 53 multi-hit games ranks second in the American League behind Minnesota’s Chuck Knoblauch (54), and his 69 extra-base hits rank third in the league behind Albert Belle (95) and Edgar Martinez (77). . . . Stottlemyre has struck out 10 or more batters six times this season. Only Vida Blue had more double-figure strikeout games for Oakland, with 11 in 1971.