Angels Accept Blame After 8-7 Loss to A’s

The Angels passed the blame for their latest loss around the clubhouse. Al Levine took his fair share of the blame. So did Scott Spiezio and Kevin Appier.

No one was blaming Angel Manager Mike Scioscia, whose adherence to strict bullpen roles meant that his team forfeited potential matchup advantages in the eighth inning Saturday. The Oakland Athletics scored twice off Levine in the eighth, thanks in part to an error by Spiezio, and what could have been an exhilarating comeback victory for the Angels collapsed into a demoralizing 8-7 defeat at Network Associates Coliseum.

Appier spotted the A’s a 6-0 lead in the third inning, but the Angels roared back to take a 7-6 lead after six innings. With Scioscia most comfortable using Levine in the eighth and closer Troy Percival the ninth, the Angels asked Dennis Cook to get two outs in the seventh inning and then asked Levine to hold the lead for Percival. Cook did, Levine did not, and Percival never made it into the game.

“I bleeping stunk,” Levine said. “I had the lead and lost it. I stunk. I’m not afraid to admit it.”

With nine outs needed to preserve a 7-6 lead, the Angels summoned Cook. The left-hander retired the only two batters he faced, both left-handers. Then Scioscia opted for the right-handed Levine against a powerful right-handed hitter, Miguel Tejada, and Levine got the out.

Levine returned for the eighth inning, in his role as Percival’s set-up man. But the first four Oakland hitters that inning were left-handed, and the A’s would likely have used a pinch-hitter for only one. By using Levine against Tejada, Scioscia lost his chance to keep his last available left-hander in the game against the ensuing quartet of Oakland left-handers.

“We were looking at Tejada as the tying run, and we wanted to make sure we had the best chance to shut him down,” Scioscia said. “Al’s the guy we wanted to get us out of the seventh. We weren’t really worrying too much about the eighth.”

Said Cook: “Al is the set-up guy. That’s the way you try to plan it, to get to Al and Percy. I think it was a good move.”

The move backfired, in part because Levine had little feel for the strike zone. He threw three balls to Terrence Long, the first batter in the eighth, then struck him out. He walked Greg Myers.

Carlos Pena then grounded to Spiezio. The first baseman made a nice stop, but his throw to second base pulled shortstop David Eckstein off the bag for an error.

“I got a bit greedy and tried to force the double play when it may not have been there,” Spiezio said. “Eck made a good play just to [catch] it.”

Jeremy Giambi walked, loading the bases. Frank Menechino tied the score with a sacrifice fly. Levine threw three balls to Scott Hatteberg, then was nearly beheaded by a line drive, a single that drove home the winning run. Levine then walked David Justice before getting the final out.

Spiezio’s error meant the runs were unearned. But, after giving up three walks and a hit within the span of five batters, Levine wasn’t about to point the finger at Spiezio.

“Whether the play is made or not, I have a job to do,” Levine said. “My job is to get three outs and not let them score.”

Said Spiezio: “If I would have made that play, I would have put the team and Al in a lot better position. I’ll take the blame for that, definitely.”

Scioscia wasn’t blaming Levine.

“Al wasn’t as fine as I’ve seen him,” Scioscia said, “but, if we make a play defensively, we’re out of the inning.”

Appier pitched 22/3 innings, the shortest outing by an Angel starter this season. He shut out the A’s in the first two innings, then gave up six runs in the third and did not survive the inning.

“I never really had any command,” Appier said. “I got away with it in the first two innings. In the third, it caught up to me.”

Mark Lukasiewicz, Lou Pote and Cook held the A’s at bay while the Angels rallied on a home run and an RBI double from Troy Glaus, a two-run double from Tim Salmon and RBI singles from Garret Anderson and Jose Nieves.

“We’re not going to give up too many leads,” Scioscia said. “Al will hold pretty much anything he has to. This was just one that got away.”