Washburn Does a Reliable Job

In Anaheim, guys like Jarrod Washburn get a little more important every day. Because if the Angels are going to have to bludgeon their way through their schedule, which seems inevitable, somebody’s at least going to have to pitch them into their next at-bats.

Washburn lasted into the seventh inning Friday night, the Angels hit four more home runs and they defeated the Kansas City Royals, 6-4, before 26,561 at Edison Field.

Out of the minor leagues for less than a week, Washburn (1-1) allowed eight hits and three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. He became the first pitcher other than Kent Bottenfield to throw a quality start in three weeks and the first starter to win a game in two weeks.

Troy Percival pitched an edgy ninth for his 11th save, after 1 2/3 shutout innings by Shigetosi Hasegawa.

“I don’t put any more emphasis on it because guys are going down,” Washburn said. “I think every start’s important, whether guys are going down or not.”

Maybe so, but Manager Mike Scioscia said Washburn’s innings came “at the right time.”

The Angels have taken an unsteady starting pitching situation and bashed their way to a 21-21 record. It will do for now in the American League West, which doesn’t yet have a breakaway team.

Troy Glaus hit two more home runs--Garret Anderson and Tim Salmon hit the others--and drove in three runs. He has 13 homers, 28 runs batted in.

“I’ve been feeling pretty good,” he said. “I just try to hit balls hard. If they get up and get out, they do.”

Glaus had another one of those games--great at-bats followed by unconscious plays on the corner. They’ve come frequently in his second full big-league season.

He hits behind Salmon and Anderson, neither of whom is batting .250, and he’s on a pace for 100 RBI. He is protected in the order most often by Scott Spiezio, and at his current rate will hit nearly 50 home runs.

There isn’t a better third baseman in the American League, a fact that probably won’t be reflected in the All-Star balloting.

Glaus won’t be 24 until August, and there won’t be a surprise starter at third base until Cal Ripken retires, bad back or not.

But, Glaus is coming.

He homered in the second inning against Royal starter Jeff Suppan (1-4) with Anderson at third base. Suppan had him down in the count, 0-and-2. Glaus took two pitches for balls, then hit a 2-and-2 pitch into the second bullpen beyond left field. The Angels led, 2-0.

In the top of the third, with Washburn still pitching efficiently, Brian Johnson hit a sharp grounder past third base. Glaus sprawled toward the line, backhanded the ball, leaped to his feet and threw out Johnson. By a lot.

He does that often, though. He’s batting .342. He’s made a team-high nine errors, but seems to get to every ball, on the line and in the hole.

“I’ve seen some good ones [in the American League], but I haven’t seen one quite like Troy,” Scioscia said.

He’s been invaluable to a batting order that has carried a pitching staff for most of the last month. And the Angels were in their usual routine against the Royals, going toe to toe, hoping the pitching would keep up.

Anderson, who tripled ahead of Glaus in the second, homered in the fourth. It was his ninth home run, and it came on the pitch after Royal third baseman Joe Randa dropped a foul pop down the line. Anderson sent the next pitch well over the high wall in right-center field.

The 3-0 lead was gone in the fifth inning. Hitless for three innings against Washburn, the Royals had two singles in the fourth, then broke through with three runs in the fifth. Carlos Beltran hit a leadoff home run, his second home run in 145 at-bats. Last year, in his rookie season, he hit 22 home runs.

The Royals took the lead, 4-3, in the sixth inning. Randa singled and shortstop Benji Gil’s error put runners at first and second. Johnson’s two-out single drove in Randa.

The Angels countered in the sixth with Salmon’s two-run home run. Though his batting average remains tepid, Salmon has eight homers and 21 RBI in his last 27 games.