Offensive Woes Disappear Into Thin Air

The next time the Angels are in a horrendous batting slump, as they were during last week’s seven-game losing streak, they might want to sneak away to Coors Field for a scrimmage or two. Either that, or install pitcher Jarrod Washburn as their designated hitter.

Both seemed to perk up the Angels’ ailing offense this weekend. Washburn had three hits and the Angels highlighted a 16-hit attack with four home runs--two by Benji Gil--in a 10-3 interleague victory over the Colorado Rockies before 47,517 in Coors Field.

Washburn, who has not lost since May 8, gave up two runs on three hits in six innings to improve to 7-4. The left-hander is 7-1 with a 2.78 earned-run average in 13 games since his 0-3 start.

The Angels, scoreless in 43 of 44 innings during one stretch last week, scored in six of nine innings Saturday. Every starter had a hit, and the bottom three batters--Gil, Jeff DaVanon and Washburn--went eight for 12 with three homers and four runs batted in.

Combined with Friday night’s 13-hit outburst in a 6-5 win over Colorado, the Angels, who have won three straight, have scored 16 runs on 29 hits in two high-altitude games here.

“You still have to center the ball on the bat and hit line drives,” said left fielder Garret Anderson, whose three-run homer keyed a four-run third inning. “But obviously, it’s to your advantage to hit in this park.”

Anderson’s homer was a prime example. He said he was out in front of Mac Suzuki’s pitch, and the ball didn’t hit the sweet spot on his bat, but it still traveled an estimated 431 feet to right-center.

Gil and DaVanon, who are hardly known for their prodigious power, hit back-to-back tape-measure blasts in the sixth, Gil’s homer traveling 421 feet to center and DaVanon’s going 427 feet to center.

And then there was Washburn, who didn’t hit any bombs but thrived in the hitting atmosphere. Getting a rare chance to bat in a National League park, Washburn singled off the pitcher in the second, lined a single to left in the third, blooped a single to left-center in the fifth and walked in the sixth.

“I was just up there trying to not embarrass myself and put the ball in play, and the balls found some holes,” Washburn said. “I will never say I’m a good hitter.”

He can say he is a good baserunner. After singling in the fifth, Washburn took third on David Eckstein’s single to right. Adam Kennedy followed with a liner to left-center that appeared headed for the gap. But Washburn wisely tagged up and scored after left fielder Terry Shumpert made the catch.

“He froze, read the ball and tagged up,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “That was a good reaction, a heads-up play.”

Washburn also got an excellent jump off first in the third inning and appeared to have second stolen before Eckstein fouled off a pitch.

“I hate to admit it,” Washburn said, “but all that baserunning tired me out a bit.”

That was evident in the sixth, when Washburn issued all three of his walks, one with the bases loaded to force in a run. But Washburn reached back and struck out Ben Petrick with a 90-mph fastball to end the inning and left with a 9-2 lead.

“Hitting keeps you in the game, and I kind of like it, but it takes a lot out of you,” Washburn said. “I also like relaxing on the bench and thinking about the next hitters.”

One potent hitter Washburn didn’t have to worry about was Colorado right fielder Larry Walker, who is batting .343 with 27 homers and 83 RBIs but did not play Saturday because of an inflamed elbow.

Starting pitcher Denny Neagle also wasn’t a factor--the left-hander was pulled after one inning because a right hamstring injury, putting the Rockies at a distinct disadvantage.

Though Gil started because Colorado pitched a left-hander, he remained in the lineup and enjoyed his first career multi-homer game. He also doubled and scored in the eighth, improving his average to .340 despite limited playing time.

“Early in the season, people thought what I was doing was a fluke,” said Gil, a career .222 hitter entering 2001. “I would like to think it wasn’t a fluke, that I’m a good hitter who can make adjustments. Hopefully, I’ll be giving [them] a lot more quality at-bats in the future.”