Angels Find Balance to Split With Seattle

By the end, the Angels had taken what they could from the very balanced Seattle Mariners, leaders in the American League West for what appears to be very good reason.

The Angels split a four-game series and stayed six games back, achieving that finally with a 5-1 victory Thursday night at Edison Field. A crowd of 18,790 saw home runs by Mo Vaughn and Tim Salmon, a two-run single by stand-in third baseman Scott Spiezio and end-to-end Angel pitching absent in the series’ first three games.

Left-hander Jarrod Washburn (5-2) pitched five shutout innings, left after nearly 100 pitches and exactly two “knots” in his back, and watched as the typically game Angel bullpen finished nearly as well. Mike Fyhrie took the ball from Washburn and gave up two singles in 2 1/3 innings.

For the first time in four nights, Seattle’s Alex Rodriguez did not throttle Angel pitching. Including one harmless single Thursday, Rodriguez had seven hits, including three home runs, and six RBI in the series.

The Mariners had won their previous nine series, largely because their pitching staff is so deep there aren’t enough innings to go around.

“Obviously we’re hoping they come down to earth a little, as Oakland has,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said.

As for a July victory that was as thorough as the Angels can make them, Scioscia leaned back in his chair and said, “This is one inch along the way of what we’re trying to accomplish. If we hadn’t won tonight, we’d have been back on the horse tomorrow.”

He meant it. The music in the clubhouse was on but not deafening. Their moods were up but not unrealistic. They seem to understand that little can be accomplished if the pitching isn’t more like Thursday’s, and then some.

“Good teams are going to have quality starts,” said Fyhrie, whose earned-run average in 16 appearances is 2.45. “Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten deep in a lot of games. When someone falters, though, someone else has to step up. The bullpen, I think, has done that.”

Despite pitching five scoreless innings, Washburn was not happy. The muscles in two places in his back tightened during the game, though he viewed the knots as little more than slight irritations.

“I wasn’t real pleased with the way I threw,” he said. “But I kept putting up zeroes and we won, so I like the outcome.”

The Angels built a 5-0 lead over six innings against Mariner starter Paul Abbott, a versatile pitcher who has served Manager Lou Piniella in a variety of roles. He had won four consecutive decisions and hadn’t given up more than three runs in an appearance since mid-May.

Three were in for the Angels by the third inning. Vaughn, who took extra batting practice much earlier in the day, hit a solo home run in the first inning. It was his 22nd.

Two innings later, with Darin Erstad at second base, Salmon homered for the first time in two weeks. It carried about 423 feet.

The damage might have been more severe had first base umpire Mike Winters not missed a call after Erstad’s leadoff walk. Orlando Palmeiro hit a chopper to the left side. Shortstop Rodriguez, who had started toward second when Erstad broke on a hit-and-run, circled back to the hole to make the play. His throw was late to first, and Winters called Palmeiro out anyway. Scioscia nearly trampled Rodriguez on his way across the diamond to argue with Winters.

Still, the Angels led, 3-0, then added two more in the sixth inning and ran off Abbott. With one out, Salmon walked, Garret Anderson singled and Bengie Molina walked. Spiezio, subbing for All-Star third baseman Troy Glaus and batting .191 with runners in scoring position and .000 with the bases loaded, punched a two-run single to left field.

It was the final pitch for Abbott (5-3), who gave up five runs and five hits and walked five in 5 1/3 innings.

The Angels had trailed in the first inning of each of the first three games in another series that tested their pitching. Only once did an Angel starter pitch into the sixth inning.

Even Washburn required early help, and he gave up four hits but no runs through five innings. The right-handed Fyhrie relieved to start the sixth inning.