Belcher Balks and Blows Up

Less than two innings into Tuesday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners, the Angels’ manager and the veteran pitcher they’re leaning heavily on to contend for a division title were banished to the clubhouse.

Is this any way to begin a crucial 10-game stretch against the two teams ahead of you in the American League West?

It is if you’re the Angels, who lost Mike Scioscia and starter Tim Belcher after an explosive second-inning argument stemming from home-plate umpire Mike DiMuro’s balk call and went on to lose to the Mariners, 5-3, before 32,051 in Safeco Field.

Seattle right-hander Aaron Sele limited the Angels to three runs in 6 1/3 solid innings, left-hander Arthur Rhodes threw 1 2/3 perfect innings, and closer Kazuhiro Sasaki struck out two of three in the ninth for his 15th save, as the red-hot Mariners extended their winning streak to seven and won for the 17th time in 22 games.

After winning three in a row Friday through Sunday, the Angels have lost two straight, and they also lost another game in the standings, falling 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Athletics, who beat Texas Tuesday night.

Belcher gave up a run in the first on two walks and John Olerud’s run-scoring single and another in the second on David Bell’s leadoff home run into the upper deck in left field. Belcher ran into more trouble when the Mariners followed Bell’s shot by putting runners on first and third with no outs.

Belcher appeared to lose his balance while attempting the fake-to-third, throw-to-first pickoff play, and DiMuro quickly called a balk, claiming Belcher’s initial move--specifically the front leg in his motion--was directed more toward home than to third.

Joe Oliver was waved home from third base and had barely taken a step toward the plate when Belcher rushed DiMuro, arguing that his move was legal, and Scioscia stormed out of the dugout to join the dispute.

DiMuro immediately ejected Belcher, a decision that so infuriated the right-hander that he tried to jump over and around Scioscia to get to DiMuro. First baseman Mo Vaughn had to wrap Belcher in a bear hug to prevent the altercation from escalating.

Scioscia took up the argument from there, and after a few minutes, he was ejected and on his way to the clubhouse to commiserate with Belcher.

For all their objections, though, replays showed that DiMuro made the correct call--Belcher’s left foot was far closer to home than to third on his pickoff attempt.

“But that’s not the issue,” Scioscia said, “What’s troubling is I never got an explanation for why Belcher was tossed from the game. Obviously, there is a line you cross when you get thrown out. He did not cross that line. He did not use any profanity or do anything outside of the scope of getting information. It’s very disturbing.”

DiMuro declined comment.

After the ejections, the Angels summoned Mike Fyhrie with an emergency call to the bullpen, and the right-hander struck out Mike Cameron and got Alex Rodriguez to hit a fly ball to right to end the inning.

Consecutive singles by Scott Spiezio, Vaughn and Tim Salmon pulled the Angels to within 3-1 in the top of the third.

But Bell singled, took third on Oliver’s perfectly executed hit-and-run single through the vacated second-base hole and scored on Mark McLemore’s double-play ball to give the Mariners a 4-1 lead in the fourth. Cameron ripped a solo homer to left-center against Fyhrie in the fifth for a 5-1 lead.

Vaughn led off the sixth with a home run to right to make the score 5-2. It was Vaughn’s 21st homer, his first since June 17. Darin Erstad’s RBI groundout in the seventh pulled the Angels to within 5-3.

But that was all the Angels could manage against Sele (9-3), who gave up five hits, struck out six and walked three, using his trademark curve ball and an improved changeup to keep the Angels off balance.

Lou Pote pitched two hitless innings, and Mark Petkovsek threw a scoreless eighth for the Angels.