Salmon Not Off the Hook

By CHRIS FOSTER

July 1, 2001 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Everything was out of reach Saturday for Angel right fielder Tim Salmon.

Two fly balls eluded him, dropping for key hits in the Angels’ 5-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners in front of 27,784 at Edison Field.

“I’ve thought I’ve hit bottom a few times this season,” Salmon said. “To be honest, there have been some real low points. But I have to keep plugging away.”

Like the Mariners, who are a major-league best 58-21 and 9-3 against the Angels.

Tom Lampkin’s sixth-inning home run cleared the right-field fence to break a 3-3 tie. John Olerud’s ground ball rolled between second baseman Adam Kennedy’s legs, allowing Mark McLemore to score from second with an insurance run in the seventh.

Salmon’s outfield adventures began in the fourth. After Bret Boone tripled with one out, Mike Cameron’s fly ball caught Salmon flat-footed. Cameron wound up on third with a triple, scoring Boone, and the Mariner center fielder scored on Al Martin’s single through a drawn-in infield.

Gone was a 2-0 Angel lead.

In the fifth, Salmon charged to his right and slid, trying to snag McLemore’s line drive. The ball caromed off Salmon’s right thumb and McLemore ended up on second with a double. Edgar Martinez followed with a single that scored McLemore.

Gone was a 3-2 Angel lead.

“There are people who have told me I should not talk and be a little more selfish,” Salmon said. “I always ask, ‘Like how do I do that?’ In my nine years here, I have always come here with a smile on my face. I try to be a person who sees the good even in the bad.”

There was good for the Angels Saturday. It only ended badly.

Troy Glaus had a two-run homer in the third and Orlando Palmeiro tripled and scored in the fourth. Ramon Ortiz wasn’t sharp but pitched well.

“That was definitely a ballgame that we had the opportunity to win,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “You can’t pin it on one guy. But there were definitely some plays we could have made that would have put us in a much better position.”

The Angels had opportunities but couldn’t capitalize.

Mariner third baseman David Bell lost Garret Anderson’s pop-up in the sun and it fell for a hit in the second. Salmon, given a second chance after Olerud dropped a foul pop-up, struck out. Palmeiro then struck out to end the inning.

Olerud booted Kennedy’s ground ball in the seventh, but Glaus grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Salmon, a .291 lifetime batter, has averaged 29 home runs in eight full seasons.

But after going one for four Saturday, he is batting .206. He has struck out 27 times in 63 at-bats and is batting .108 with runners in scoring position.

“Maybe I should snap,” Salmon said. “But when I do snap, I get hurt. If I hit something, I’ll break a knuckle. If I throw something, I have a sore arm the next day. If I kick something, I’ll break a toe. I can’t believe I’m talking to you guys about snapping.

“I do tend to hold a lot in. Maybe there should be some balance. Maybe I should display some emotion. But that would be out of character.”

Also out of place is Salmon’s season. He is used to slow starts. He batted .217 in April last season, then finished at .290.

This season’s bad start carried through June.

“I go home at night after a ‘oh-for’ and start thinking, ‘If I’d hit that one pitch, I’d have had a three-run homer,’ ” Salmon said. “I just have to get back to making solid contact. I’m going to see that light at the end of the tunnel one of these days.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

AL WEST DIVISION

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W L GB Mariners 58 21 -- Angels 38 41 20 Oakland 38 41 20

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HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Angels have lost nine of 12 games against Seattle, including a four-game Mariner sweep in April:

April 13: at Angels 4, Seattle 2

April 14: Seattle 2, at Angels 1

April 15: Seattle 7, at Angels 5

April 19: at Seattle 3, Angels 2

April 20: at Seattle 4, Angels 1