Angels Unable to Shake the Blues

It was to be a day of renewal for the Angels. Instead it ended in an 11-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

The nonwaiver trade deadline had passed, and they had little to show for it. A terrible July was behind them. And the Angels still led the American League West.

Saturday could have been a fresh start.

But a crowd of 29,893 at Edison Field saw the Angels wallow in their current situation. Not even a pregame pep talk from Manager Terry Collins helped. Nor did the postgame soul searching as they fell into a tie with the Texas Rangers.

The Angels lost for the fourth time in five games. True, they have to face the American League’s best teams--New York, Boston and Cleveland--on this home stand. But that’s all the more reason to be sharp.

“The competition level we’re playing is pretty tough,” shortstop Gary DiSarcina said. “When we play those teams, we can’t give them an extra out. We can’t walk batters. We have to do all those little things because we don’t have four or five guys who are going to hit two home runs. When we don’t make things happen, we lose to those type of teams.”

The Angels, who were 9-18 in July, didn’t do things, big or little. They seemed to be in a funk a day after the trade deadline had passed, knowing all they picked up was catcher Charlie O’Brien.

“You have to take all that stuff and put it behind you,” Collins said. “You better be ready to play. It’s not just the players. The responsibility for that is right here. That’s my job.

“If they still aren’t ready, then we’ll get someone else in who is ready.”

Boston’s Pedro Martinez, who had given up only eight earned runs in his last eight starts, gave up two hits through six innings. Jim Edmonds had a solo homer in the seventh and Orlando Palmeiro had a two-run single in the eighth. By then, Martinez was well on the way to his 15th victory, tying him with David Cone for the major league lead.

But Martinez was only part of the problem. The others were self-inflicted.

“When you’re facing Martinez, there is no room for mistakes,” Collins said. “We’re not getting the pitching. We’re not driving in key runs. It’s the complete package. We’re just not playing well as a team.

“It’s not one area and you can’t point a finger at any one guy. We’re just not getting it done.”

Saturday, you could spread the blame around.

Starter Allen Watson gave up six runs, five earned, in 5 2/3 innings. Two of the four batters he walked scored.

He gave up a pair of two-run homers, to Mike Benjamin and Damon Buford.

“You shouldn’t let those guys beat you,” Watson said. “If you’re going to get beat, John Valentin, Mo Vaughn and Nomar Garciaparra should beat you.”

They had a hand in it too, as did the Angels’ Dave Hollins.

Hollins, who has 15 errors at third base this season, picked up his first error at first base in the fourth inning. Watson had not given up a hit through three innings when Hollins lost Valentin’s popup in the sun to start the fourth.

Vaughn followed with a double and Garciaparra singled to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. Vaughn then scored on Mike Stanley’s sacrifice fly.

Watson gave up homers to Benjamin in the fifth and Buford in the sixth and the Red Sox led, 6-0.

“You can’t give Pedro six runs,” Watson said.

“That takes away any chance you have.”

The Angels had a chance to take the lead in the third, as they had runners on first and third with no out. Darin Erstad hit back to Martinez, who looked at second base, then fired home and got Matt Walbeck in a rundown. Martinez got Edmonds to fly out and then he got lucky. Hollins’ sharp liner deflected off Martinez’s glove to Benjamin at second, who threw Hollins out.

The Angel offense was pretty tame after that, including Garret Anderson, whose 28-game hitting streak ended with a 0-for-4 day.

“We have to get back to being aggressive,” Collins said.

“We have to get back to attacking.”

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* BILL PLASCHKE: The big shots at Disney should have seen the Angels stumble through the loss to Boston. C5

* BASEBALL / ROSS NEWHAN: Two salient points were lost amid the raves over the Dodgers’ big trade with Montreal. C8