Etherton Makes Major Statement for Angels

Why simply bid a friend a quiet farewell when you can throw him a big party with thousands of guests?

Seth Etherton headed back to the minor leagues, but he went out with a bang. With 30,254 on hand for the Big Bang Friday fireworks show at Edison Field, Etherton’s Angel teammates rewarded him with four big bangs of their own in an 8-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

“There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind he can pitch up here,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’ll be back.”

Troy Glaus hit two home runs, giving him 22 for the season, and Tim Salmon and Bengie Molina hit one apiece in support of Etherton, with the four home runs traveling an estimated total of 1,695 feet.

After the game, the Angels shook Etherton’s hand, thanked him and handed him a return ticket to triple-A Edmonton.

Etherton made his last start his best. He pitched 6 2/3 innings and struck out six, both tops in his six major league starts.

Although the Angels lost his first three starts, they won his last three, and the numbers on his first month in the majors are quite respectable--a 3-1 record and 4.98 earned-run average.

“I know I can compete on this level, no doubt about that,” said Etherton, the Angels’ first-round draft pick in 1998.

Said Scioscia: “Seth has definitely left a footprint here. What he did up here was certainly above any expectations, for a guy that had very little time in the minor leagues.”

Hmmm. If he’s this good, why are the Angels demoting him?

They need a spot in the starting rotation for veteran Ken Hill, who returns from the disabled list next week. Etherton is the least experienced of the Angels’ kid starters, a guy two years removed from USC.

“I’m very positive about this,” Etherton said. “There’s changes that need to be made. We have veteran guys coming back. They’ve proven they can be successful here. I don’t think that’s any statement against me. I think I established myself pretty well up here.”

Etherton dug himself a hole Friday, with the Twins ripping him for three runs in the second inning.

“I wasn’t worried,” Etherton said. “Our coaches weren’t worried. And I know our offense wasn’t worried.”

No worries indeed, mate. The Angels got all three runs back in the bottom of the inning, two on a triple by Adam Kennedy. Salmon and Glaus homered in the third inning, and Molina and Glaus homered in the seventh.

Glaus hit two home runs in a game for the third time this season. He leads the Angels with 22, with Mo Vaughn right behind at 20, Garret Anderson at 18 and Salmon at 17.

The two Glaus homers Friday traveled far and wide. The first one went 443 feet, and the second went 435 feet.

“They weren’t cheap,” Scioscia said. “Both those balls were rockets.”

In that second inning, the Twins launched a barrage of rockets off Etherton, including five hits and one fly ball that drove center fielder Garret Anderson to the warning track. The hits included a 405-foot home run by David Ortiz and two doubles, one by Corey Koskie that caromed off the center-field fence inches from clearing it.

But Etherton kept his composure, even after the Twins already had scored three times, by stranding runners on second and third to end the inning.

By that time, Etherton already had thrown 33 pitches, so you wouldn’t have bet on him sticking around into the seventh inning. But there he was, and the Twins had nothing more than they did in the second inning.

Etherton gave up six hits in all, one after the second inning, before passing the baton to relievers Mike Holtz and Al Levine.

Levine got the last seven outs for his second save.

The Angels have won three consecutive games, with three relievers earning saves. Mark Petkovsek saved Thursday’s victory, with Troy Percival recording the save Wednesday.