ANGELS REPORT : Washburn Discovers How Dangerous Predictability Is

With all the bad things that have happened to the Angels in the past month and a half, Manager Terry Collins was asked by a Cleveland reporter after Wednesday night’s 8-1 loss to the Indians if he felt his team was due some good fortune.

“We said that around April 10,” Collins deadpanned, forcing a smile through the pain of the Angels’ eighth consecutive loss. “What we’re trying to do now is play the game right, approach it right, avoid the things that have hurt us all summer--the injuries, blaming everyone. Just stand up and play.”

The Angels did that for two innings Wednesday before getting knocked down--and out--by Cleveland’s six-run rally in the third off Angel starter Jarrod Washburn, who gave up six straight hits in the inning before being pulled for reliever Mike Fyhrie.

Washburn is now 0-3 with a 9.88 earned-run average in four starts since being inserted into the rotation on Aug. 16, his only good start was a five- inning, two-run, two-hit effort against Boston last Friday.

“When he started falling behind guys tonight, he started throwing fastball, fastball, fastball,” Collins said. “He became too predictable. He has to make them know he throws curves and changeups.”

Einar Diaz singled to open the third, Kenny Lofton doubled, Omar Vizquel singled, Roberto Alomar singled, Manny Ramirez tripled and Jim Thome’s fly ball to center was lost in the twilight by Garret Anderson and fell for a double.

“The thing I think gives Jarrod Washburn a chance to be an outstanding pitcher in the big leagues is he has no fear,” Collins said. “But no matter how tough you are, you have to locate pitches.”

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Thome’s double in the third added more indignity to an Angel loss and a depressing trip. When his high fly ball cleared the upper deck of Jacobs Field, Anderson completely lost track of it.

He put his arms to his sides, appearing to call right fielder Tim Salmon off, but he was actually trying to tell Salmon he couldn’t see it. At the last minute, Anderson sprinted in toward right-center field, but the ball landed in straight-away center, a good 40 feet away. Needless to say, this one will not be played at the ESPYs.

“That’s never happened before,” Anderson said. “I just kept looking. I knew it would come down sooner or later. That must be what guys feel like when they’re playing in the Metrodome.”

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The Indians scored their final two runs on back-to-back homers by Thome and Richie Sexson off Fyhrie in the fifth, and they backed the pitching of Dave Burba (eight innings, one run, eight hits, seven strikeouts) with three double plays.

Alomar also made another defensive gem in the second, diving up the middle for Jim Edmonds’ grounder, rolling over and, from a sitting position on the outfield grass, throwing out Edmonds at first.

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ STEVE SPARKS (5-10, 5.09 ERA) vs. INDIANS’ CHARLES NAGY (14-9, 4.73 ERA)

Jacobs Field, Cleveland, 4 p.m.

TV--Channel 9. Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

* Update--Closer Troy Percival has given up nine earned runs in his last 7 1/3 innings and blown four of his last five save opportunities, and Sexson indicated that on the three-run homer he hit off Percival Tuesday night, he “saw the ball coming out of his hand and knew right away it was a breaking ball.” Said Percival: “Maybe I’m giving something away when I throw the breaking ball. It’s something I’ve got to work on, and there’s no better time to figure it out than now. Right now, I’m at a low point in my career. I’ve got to get it straightened out.”