Rain, Rain Goes Away, but Not Angels’ Woes

Angel pitchers Jason Dickson and Steve Sparks continued down different paths Saturday. It led to the same conclusion.

Dickson had another shaky outing in a 7-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox, and if there was any consolation, it was that most of the 24,073 fans in attendance came to Comiskey Park for the second game of the doubleheader and missed his performance.

They did see Sparks throw another in a string of solid starts, but he left after seven innings with a no-decision and the Angels were handed a second loss when Mike Cameron’s ninth-inning home run gave the White Sox a 4-3 victory.

It was a wasted opportunity for the Angels, who could have picked up ground on the first-place Texas Rangers. Instead, the two losses left them three games behind the Rangers.

Dickson, in a makeup for Friday’s rainout, lasted only three innings, his shortest outing as a starter this season. It led to a string of Angel relievers that depleted the bullpen.

“I knew I had to go out there and chew up some innings,” Sparks said. “I really didn’t have a good knuckleball all night. I had to use other pitches to keep them off balance.”

It worked well, as he lasted into the eighth. It was the fourth consecutive good outing for Sparks, with Angels winning three.

The problem this time was Cameron launched a 2-0 pitch 404 feet to start the ninth. And it came after Angel reliever Shigetoshi Hasegawa got out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the eighth with a double play.

Sparks, who allowed three runs and eight hits, left runners on third base in three innings, twice by getting Albert Belle out.

Dickson, meanwhile, hasn’t won since July 12 and has lost six of his last seven decisions. He was given a 3-0 lead and retired the first six batters. He then gave up six runs in the third.

“All of a sudden, he started getting balls down the middle of the plate,” Collins said. “They have too many good offensive players to make that many mistakes.”

Said Dickson: “The last couple starts I haven’t made the pitches I wanted. If there is one good thing about today, I was locating the ball better.”

Whatever the view, the Angel rotation has been in flux since elbow injuries put Ken Hill and Jack McDowell on the disabled list.

Hill makes a rehab start today for Class-A Cedar Rapids, Iowa. McDowell makes a rehab start Monday for double-A Midland, Texas. And Jeff Juden, acquired Friday, will start for the Angels Tuesday and will try to rehab his season. He brings a seven-game losing streak with him from the Milwaukee Brewers.

“We’ve got to get things settled with the rotation,” Collins said. “Hill is getting closer. Jack may be ready to get back in the rotation after this start. These are all positive signs.”

It was better that than looking back at the negatives of the day.

Sparks, who had been given 21 runs in his last two starts, got little support.

Craig Shipley, Phil Nevin and Gary DiSarcina strung together three singles for a run in the second inning. Shipley hit a solo home in the fourth. A White Sox error led to the third run.

The Angels stranded five runners who were in scoring position. They had the bases loaded in the ninth, but Randy Velarde grounded out to end the inning.

“We opportunities to drive in runs and we didn’t do it,” Collins said. “I’ve said it all season, we are not going to win many games, 4-2, or, 4-1.”

The Angels got three quick runs in the first game. Dickson squandered it in the third, giving up six hits, Belle’s double being the killer.

Belle crushed a line drive to left. Todd Greene, making his major league debut in the outfield, first turned left, then right before having the ball glance off his glove for a two-run double. It gave the White Sox a 6-3 lead.

“We didn’t put him out there to make great catches,” Collins said. “We put him out there to get hits.”

Greene had three hits, including a double to start the three-run second.