Angels Can’t Winfor Losing

If you’re keeping track of moral victories, the Angels won. They did not lose to Freddy Garcia.

On the scoreboard, however, the Angels lost, again. And the Seattle Mariners won, again. Ichiro Suzuki collected four hits in Seattle’s 4-3 victory, for the Angels their 15th loss in 17 games and for the Mariners their 113th victory, one shy of tying the American League record for most victories in a season, set by the 1998 New York Yankees.

Suzuki got the save too, if not in the scoreboard then in the hearts of the Mariners. With the tying and winning runs on base and two out in the ninth inning, the Mariners’ right fielder made a brilliant running catch of a Darin Erstad line drive with game-winning double written all over it. Some Seattle players were so impressed they ventured into right field to congratulate Suzuki, then to the mound to shake hands with closer Kazuhiro Sasaki. Additionally, Suzuki set the AL record for singles with 190. Wade Boggs held the previous record of 187 in 1985.

Garcia, who leads the league in earned-run average, had been all but perfect against the Angels this season--five starts, five victories and an 0.44 ERA. They had not scored off him in 26 consecutive innings. On Wednesday, the Angels scored a run before Garcia got an out, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning and a 3-0 lead in the third.

Garcia and rookie Matt Wise, the Angels’ starter, each had departed when the Mariners scored the winning run in the eighth inning, on an unearned run.

The Mariners played without designated hitter Edgar Martinez, suspended Wednesday for two games for charging the mound Tuesday, after the Angels’ Lou Pote hit him with a pitch that caromed off his arm and into his face. Seattle pitcher Joel Piniero also received a suspension, for three games, for subsequently throwing at--and hitting--the Angels’ Troy Glaus after umpires had warned both sides further pitches deemed intentionally thrown at batters would not be tolerated.

Neither Seattle player appealed his suspension. The Mariners asked the players to serve the suspensions now, rather than risk losing an appeal and sitting out several days next season.

Jarrod Washburn will sit out the final few days of this season too. Washburn, the losing pitcher Tuesday but the most reliable among the Angel starters this season, has mild inflammation in his left shoulder.

Washburn, who was scratched from a scheduled start on opening day because of strep throat, was thus scratched from a scheduled start on the final day of the season. He started a career-high 30 games in between, finishing 11-10 with a 3.77 ERA. With the Angels unlikely to spend millions on a veteran ace, Washburn ought to have another chance at an opening-day start next season.