Angels Play With Precision in 12-3 Romp Over Athletics

The Angels got another outstanding performance from a starting pitcher Friday night, as Jarrod Washburn limited Oakland to one run on three hits in six innings of a 12-3 victory over the A’s before 13,236 at the Oakland Coliseum.

They got a truckload of hits--16 to be exact--including three-run home runs by Garret Anderson and Mo Vaughn, to snap Oakland pitcher Tim Hudson’s nine-game win streak and hand the A’s ace his worst defeat in the big leagues.

Though the defense and bullpen were not tested, the Angels played an errorless game, and relievers have allowed 14 earned runs (two by seldom-used Derrick Turnbow Friday night) in the last 18 games, a span of 61 2/3 innings.

The Angels have won 10 of their last 13 games to move into second place in the American League West, four games behind Seattle, and they are beginning to expect such all-around proficiency.

“This is what happens when it all comes together,” Angel outfielder Darin Erstad said. “It’s like clockwork.”

Indeed, Manager Mike Scioscia could set his watch to the Angel rotation: starters have gone 9-1 with a 2.90 earned-run average in the last 13 games and have pitched six innings or more in 10 consecutive games.

The big hands have been producing--veterans Ken Hill and Kent Bottenfield have combined for a 3-1 record and 3.46 ERA in their last three starts.

The little hands have kept up--Washburn, the young left-hander, and rookies Seth Etherton and Brian Cooper are a combined 9-1 with a 3.62 ERA in their last 12 starts.

The big bats roared Friday night--Vaughn added a two-run double in the ninth, Anderson added an RBI single in the fifth, and cleanup batter Tim Salmon, who hadn’t started since Sunday because of an inflamed left shoulder, had two doubles, a single and an RBI.

So did the little bats--Orlando Palmeiro tied a career high with four hits and scored four runs, and little-used reserve catcher Matt Walbeck set the tone with his solo home run in the second, his fifth homer of the season and third in his last five starts dating to July 4.

“I think all the pieces of the puzzle are solidly in place,” Scioscia said. “It’s going to come and go at various times. Sometimes your starting pitching is not sharp; sometimes your bullpen is getting roughed up. But obviously, the piece that is most in place is the starting pitching. These guys have been tremendous.”

Washburn was not overpowering Friday night--he struck out only one--but that was by design. Oakland is a patient team that ranks second in the league in walks, so Washburn’s plan was to make the A’s hit early in the count.

“I just have total confidence in our defense,” Washburn said. “I’m a fly ball pitcher, and we catch fly balls good.”

Fifteen of Oakland’s 18 outs against Washburn (6-2) came on fly balls. Washburn, whose control has been somewhat erratic, walked only three.

“We’re not doing anything different, we’re just pitching well,” Washburn said of the Angels’ recent success. “Every day, someone pitches a great game. The defense is playing great, the offense is coming around. We’re clicking, and it’s a lot of fun when things are going right.”

That so much went right for the Angels against Hudson (10-3) was surprising. The right-hander with the nasty split-fingered fastball was 9-0 with a 3.56 ERA in his last 14 starts and hadn’t lost since April 20.

But the Angels pounded Hudson for nine runs, tying a career high, and 12 hits, a career high, in 5 1/3 innings. Anderson’s homer gave him 28 on the season, third-most in the league.

Vaughn’s homer moved him into an exclusive club of active players who have homered at least 25 times for eight consecutive years or more. The other members: Barry Bonds, Albert Belle and Sammy Sosa.

“The pitchers know if they give us six or seven good innings, we’ll have an opportunity to win, because somebody, some way, is going to do something on offense,” Vaughn said. “Day in, day out, we’re doing what we have to do to win.

“We’re not too excited about being in second place. We’re just thinking about what we have to do to win tonight. When you start thinking that way, you have a mentally tough ballclub.”