A Bad Memory for Sele

Disney invested $80 million in the disastrous adventure that was Mo Vaughn, then swore off free agency for three years. When the company rekindled its commitment to winning over the winter, Disney shrugged off the Vaughn debacle and approved the Angels’ $24-million investment in Aaron Sele.

It’s less than two weeks into the season, far too soon to write off Sele, the Angels or any team except the Detroit Tigers. But the early return on Disney’s investment is not promising: Sele got shelled in an 8-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday that only highlighted the gap between the Angels and the defending American League West champions.

The Mariners beat the Angels 15 of 19 times last season and haven’t missed a beat this season. The Mariners have won the first three games of this series, by a combined score of 18-6. James Baldwin held the Angels to one run over seven innings, and Bret Boone and John Olerud hit home runs off Sele, as the Mariners extended their Edison Field winning streak to 11 games before a crowd of 17,784.

“We have to beat these guys. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it,” Angel infielder Scott Spiezio said. “If we can’t beat these guys, it’s going to be real hard for us to reach our goal and go to the playoffs.”

The Mariners considered Sele a replaceable part of their team. The Angels consider him an essential part of theirs.

Sele escaped the first inning, in which three batters reached base, thanks to a double play. But he gave up one run in the third inning, four in the fourth and two more in the fifth before the Angels yanked him.

“You don’t have to look any farther than the starting pitcher,” Sele said. “When you put your team down, 7-0, after five innings, that’s on the starting pitching, period.”

Sele won 15 games for the Mariners last season, posting a 3.60 earned-run average. In two starts for the Angels, he’s 0-2 with a 9.90 ERA, and he has given up 18 hits in 10 innings.

“He was battling his mechanics out there,” catcher Jorge Fabregas said, “but there’s no doubt he’ll bounce back. His stuff is too good not to.”

While Sele was willing to take the blame for the defeat, Angel Manager Mike Scioscia was not willing to pin the loss entirely on his starting pitcher. Scioscia said the Mariners “got five outs” in the fourth inning, when they scored four runs.

Olerud, who led off the inning, reached base on an infield single. Scioscia disputed the call of first base umpire Matt Hollowell, who ruled that Olerud had beaten the throw from second baseman Adam Kennedy.

With the bases loaded, Dan Wilson doubled home two runs, on a fly ball that Scioscia said right fielder Tim Salmon should have caught. Salmon has struggled on offense and defense this season.

On offense, at least, Salmon prospered for one game. Scioscia dropped him to sixth in the batting order, and Salmon got two hits and drove in the Angels’ lone run.

Scioscia’s move produced results for Salmon but did nothing for the rest of the stagnant lineup. Neither did the extra work of hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, who brought Kennedy and Darin Erstad out early for a special session of batting practice.

For the second consecutive night, the Angels failed to force the opposing starter to work hard. Baldwin, discarded by the Dodgers last fall, needed just 70 pitches to complete seven innings, and the Angels drew no walks.

The Mariner accountants had to be smiling. The Mariners decided they ought to spend more money on offense, so they said no thanks when Sele inquired about a new contract.

The Mariners, winners of a record 116 games last season, replaced him with Baldwin, who attracted little interest in free agency and signed for $1.25 million.

The Angels are hitting .212, and no one except Troy Glaus has hit a home run.