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

For one inning, 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 Oakland A’s 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. 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. Chili Davis singled, but A’s 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. It was Eckersley’s 29th save.

The Angels actually outhit the A’s, 16-13, but had no clutch hits until the ninth. They loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but Phillips and Edmonds both struck out.

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How the mighty have fallen: Edmonds has 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.

“If I was the manager I would have taken me out in the third inning,” Edmonds said. “I’m struggling.” Edmonds went one for 13 in the Oakland series with six strikeouts.