A Great Catch on Another Bad Night

The Angels’ two-game winning streak ended Monday night, and the stream of hits and runs that flowed generously over the weekend suddenly dried up in a 6-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox before 18,212 in Comiskey Park.

But Angel center fielder Jim Edmonds brought a little joy to Dudville, leaping above the eight-foot wall in center field to rob Frank Thomas of a two-run homer in the sixth inning.

Since Edmonds returned on Aug. 2 after missing four months because of surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right shoulder, he acknowledged the thought of crashing into a wall made him apprehensive.

But Edmonds showed no fear on Thomas’ drive, throwing his glove and right elbow above the fence to make the highlight-reel catch about 400 feet from home plate--and coming down in one piece.

“After being off for so long, it’s a thrill to make a good play like that, to do something to spark someone or get a reaction from someone,” said Edmonds, batting .216 in 14 games. “At least one part of my game is going good.”

When Edmonds saw the ball off Thomas’ bat, his first thought was that it would be “40 feet over the fence.” What Edmonds didn’t think as he drifted back, realizing he might have a play, is that he could re-injure the shoulder going into the wall.

“When I first came back [to the lineup], it was the only thing on my mind, but right now it’s out of my mind,” Edmonds said. “My shoulder has been feeling really good lately.”

So has Chicago pitcher Mike Sirotka’s. The left-hander’s earned-run average (3.66) doesn’t match his record (8-10), but the White Sox finally scored enough runs to support his fine pitching.

Sirotka, mixing an outstanding changeup with his cut fastball and curve, threw a complete-game six-hitter, striking out seven and walking two, for his first victory since July 3.

His only blemish was Mo Vaughn’s fourth-inning home run, but the White Sox quickly wiped out that deficit with a four-run fourth off Angel starter Jarrod Washburn, who was shaky in his return from triple-A Edmonton.

The Angels want an extended look at Washburn in the final six weeks of the season to determine whether the 25-year-old left-hander should be in the rotation next season, but he didn’t make a good first impression Monday.

“I’m happy I’m getting a shot to come here and show what I can do, but if I keep doing what I did tonight, I won’t last long,” said Washburn, who gave up four runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. “I don’t know if there’s more or less pressure. I look at it all the same. If you pitch well, you stay. If you don’t, you go back to the minor leagues.”

Washburn appeared to cruise through the first three innings, giving up only three singles, one a bunt and one a bloop, but the ease with which he dispatched the White Sox may have been deceiving.

“I wasn’t sharp the whole game,” Washburn said. “I wasn’t getting ahead of hitters, and I got lucky the first three innings. In the fourth inning, they were more patient and made me pay for my mistakes.”

Washburn hastened his demise by walking Magglio Ordonez to open the fourth. Paul Konerko then blasted his 17th home run of the season deep into the left-field bleachers, wiping out the lead the Angels built on Vaughn’s 19th homer in the top of the inning.

After Carlos Lee’s flyout, Darrin Jackson tripled to right-center and scored on Craig Wilson’s sacrifice fly. Mark Johnson doubled into the right-field corner and scored on Ray Durham’s single to right-center to make it 4-1. Mike Caruso walked, and that was all for Washburn.

Reliever Al Levine got Thomas to fly to right, ending the inning, but the White Sox added insurance on Caruso’s two-run single in the sixth.