Angels Pay for Error of Ways

Few pitchers beat themselves up over tough losses like Angel left-hander Scott Schoeneweis.

After misplaying a potential double-play grounder that would have gotten him out of a tough seventh-inning jam in a two-run loss to Toronto on Aug. 16, Schoeneweis said he was “almost suicidal,” and would “have nightmares about that ground ball.”

After giving up a two-out, game-tying, two-run home run to Boston’s Brian Daubach in the ninth inning of an eventual 11-inning loss Monday night, Schoeneweis said he “felt sick . . . absolutely sick.”

Saturday night’s 9-5 loss to the Cleveland Indians before 37,697 in Edison Field, a defeat that pushed the Angels five games behind Seattle in the American League West and 3 1/2 games behind Boston in the wild-card race, wasn’t much easier for Schoeneweis to swallow.

Especially after the Angels rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth to make a game of it. That made Schoeneweis’ self-inflicted wound, when he threw a potential double-play grounder into center field to allow the Indians an extra run in the fourth inning, that much tougher to bear. “I made a bad play,” Schoeneweis said. “I stink in the field. I’m just finding ways to lose.”

The Angels, despite trailing, 7-1, entering the bottom of the eighth, almost found a way to win. Tim Salmon drew a lead-off walk from reliever Paul Shuey, and Garret Anderson singled to center, his fourth hit of the game.

Troy Glaus greeted reliever Steve Karsay with an RBI single to left, pulling the Angels to within 7-2, Adam Kennedy struck out, and Bengie Molina singled to right, loading the bases.

Karsay jumped ahead of No. 9 batter Ron Gant with two strikes but then threw four straight balls, the walk forcing in a run to make it 7-3.

Darin Erstad’s RBI single to left cut the lead to 7-4, and Kevin Stocker’s sacrifice fly to center 7-5. Cleveland Manager Charlie Manuel summoned left-hander Ricardo Rincon to face Mo Vaughn, who topped a grounder toward third.

With Travis Fryman playing deep behind the bag, Rincon had to range far to his right and field the ball near the line, but his strong throw to first retired Vaughn to end the inning.

Fryman’s two-run home run in the top of the ninth off Troy Percival, who was making his first appearance since going on the disabled list on Aug. 5 because of an inflamed nerve in his elbow, gave the Indians a four-run lead, and closer Bob Wickman finished off the Angels in the bottom of the ninth.

“These guys just kept coming,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “When you’re down by six and you put the tying run on base, it shows the character of this club and how hard it works. We’ve been a great come-from-behind club all year.”

The Indians busted open a 2-1 game with two runs in the sixth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth, and the Angels could not solve the off-speed and breaking pitches of Cleveland right-hander Jason Bere, who gave up one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings to gain the victory.

Bere, who has revived his career after undergoing major elbow surgery in 1996 and being released by the White Sox in 1998, walked five but struck out seven, including Vaughn three times.

Schoeneweis gave up six runs and eight hits in six innings, walking three and striking out one, and his error helped the Indians break a scoreless tie in the fourth.

Omar Vizquel had led off with a single to right, and with the hit-and-run play on, Roberto Alomar grounded a sharp one-hopper to the mound.

Schoeneweis stabbed the ball, wheeled and fired to second, even though his chances of forcing Vizquel seemed slim. His throw sailed into center field, so instead of a double play or having a runner on second with one out, the Indians had runners on first and third with no outs.

Manny Ramirez’s sacrifice fly to center gave Cleveland a 1-0 lead, and David Segui’s RBI double made it 2-0.

“Scott misread that grounder on the hit-and-run and tried to do a little too much at times,” Scioscia said. “Once again, I think Scott pitched better than his line score indicates. But that’s a good hitting club, and if you crack the door open a little bit for them, they’re going to take advantage of it.”