Pettitte Throws Angels a Curve

Darin Erstad could not save the Angels Saturday. Baseball’s All-Century Team, decked in periwinkle and pinstripes, may not have been able to save the Angels, not with the way the New York Yankees’ Andy Pettitte was pitching on an afternoon in which he was staked to an eight-run lead.

But Erstad definitely couldn’t come to the rescue, because the Angel outfielder departed after three innings because of a muscle spasm in his left rib cage, a development that added further sting to the Angels’ 9-1 loss before 49,491 at Yankee Stadium.

Erstad, whose sensational diving catch in the 10th inning and game-winning homer in the 11th highlighted the Angels’ dramatic 9-8 victory over the Yankees Friday night, doubts he’ll be able to play today, but he doesn’t think he’ll be out for more than a couple of days.

Manager Mike Scioscia sounded a little more cautious.

“Naturally you’re concerned because by the time Ersty says something is bothering him, there are usually bones sticking out,” Scioscia said. “If we lose someone like Darin for an extended period, that would be a big blow.”

Erstad, who is batting .357 with 21 homers, 32 doubles, 84 runs batted in and 24 stolen bases and has played Gold Glove-caliber defense, has had some minor vertebra and rib-cage problems this season, “but I was feeling better the last four or five days,” he said.

He felt fine after his diving catch Friday night and during batting practice Saturday, but after making a simple throw back to the infield on Tino Martinez’s second-inning fly ball, Erstad felt a spasm in his side.

“This has happened before, and it goes away,” Erstad said. “What’s strange is it doesn’t really hurt to throw or hit; the toughest thing is bending down and tying your shoes. When I was on deck [in the fourth inning] it never loosened up, so I tried to use my head for once in my life.”

Erstad pulled himself from the game, leaving the rest of the Angels to fend for themselves against Pettitte, the surging left-hander who went the distance on a five-hitter and struck out six to improve to 15-6.

Pettitte’s only blemish was Troy Glaus’ eighth-inning home run, which set an Angel franchise single-season record of 193 homers. The previous mark of 192 was set in 1996.

Pettitte did a masterful job catching the outside corner with his breaking balls and the inside corner with his cut-fastballs. Of his 111 pitches, 72 were strikes.

The Yankees, reeling from a Friday night loss in which they blew a five-run, ninth-inning lead, unloaded their frustration on Angel starter Brian Cooper, who was recalled from triple-A Edmonton for Saturday’s game.

Cooper, who gave up eight runs--six earned--on eight hits in four innings Saturday and has given up 28 earned runs on 43 hits, including 11 homers, in 22 innings of his last five starts, is likely headed back to Edmonton.

With an off day Thursday, when Cooper’s turn would come up, the Angels will likely go with a four-man rotation and bolster their bullpen with an extra reliever for the next 10 days.

Yankee left fielder David Justice had three hits, including two homers, Luis Sojo hit a two-run homer to key a four-run first, and Angel left fielder Ron Gant’s two defensive miscues in the third inning led to two unearned runs.

“We dug ourselves a huge hole and we helped them a bit, but they pounded the ball,” Scioscia said. “They just kicked our butts today. You have to just crumple this one up and throw it away.”

Cooper wished he could do the same, but every time he tries to discard a bad start, he seems to throw it in the recycling bin. All of his games have had a familiar, failing pattern: The right-hander falls behind batters and leaves himself vulnerable.

Cooper faced 25 batters Saturday and threw first-pitch strikes to eight. If not for Derrick Turnbow’s four innings of one-run relief, the score could have been even more lopsided.

“I need to realize my strength, which is getting ahead of hitters and letting my sinker work instead of trying to throw it by guys or trying to be too perfect,” Cooper said. “I know I can pitch at this level. It’s just a matter of getting back to my game.”

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Angel Power

Troy Glaus hit his 36th home run Saturday, moving him closer to the Angel single-season record:

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HR Player Year 39 Reggie Jackson 1982 37 Leon Wagner 1962 Bobby Bonds 1977 36 Don Baylor 1979 Troy Glaus 2000 34 Don Baylor 1978 Wally Joyner 1987 Tim Salmon 1995* 33 Jim Edmonds 1995* Tim Salmon 1997 Mo Vaughn 1999 31 Tim Salmon 1993 30 Frank Robinson 1973 Bobby Grich 1979 Doug DeCinces 1982 Tim Salmon 1996 Garret Anderson 2000

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* work stoppage