Offense Angels’ Silent Partner

To the Angel fans clamoring for more offense: One of the best pitchers in the American League says the Angels have plenty of offense already.

He’s Paul Byrd, and you wouldn’t know the Angels have plenty of offense from watching them try to hit him. Byrd tamed them Saturday, pitching a three-hitter for his second shutout of the season in the Kansas City Royals’ 4-0 victory.

Aaron Sele dug the Angels into a 3-0 hole after three innings and staggered through six, another inconsistent outing in a season full of them. The loss prevented the Angels from moving ahead of the Boston Red Sox, leaders in the race for the wild-card playoff spot in the American League. In the AL West, the Angels are three games behind the Seattle Mariners--and one game ahead of the Oakland Athletics.

The Angels did not advance a runner past second base, and Byrd retired the final 13 hitters. In three starts against the Angels this season, he is 2-0 with a 2.66 earned-run average.

“I don’t really like facing them,” he said. “You can’t pitch around anybody.... The No. 9 hitter, [Adam] Kennedy, is hitting .295, and he almost took me deep to center. I’m not a big fan of facing them.”

In addition to his deep fly in the eighth inning, Kennedy singled off Byrd in the fifth. David Eckstein singled in the third, Brad Fullmer doubled in the fourth, and that was the extent of the Angel attack. Byrd did not overpower the Angels--he struck out two--he just threw strikes and let his defense play along.

He is more than happy to oblige his defense with ground balls and fly balls. If he tried to win with strikeouts, he figures, he would lose, and it would not be pretty.

“I’m 5-10, I’m balding and I don’t have a good fastball,” Byrd said.

Byrd threw 109 pitches in nine innings. Sele threw 108 in six, again falling behind in counts and unable to consistently throw his fastball to the desired spots.

Eight of the Royals’ first 13 batters reached base against Sele, and they would have done much more damage had not Angel catcher Jorge Fabregas thrown out one runner trying to steal in the first inning and another in the third.

The Angels did not have three consecutive batters reach base all evening, but the first three reached base for Kansas City. Mike Sweeney drove in the Royals’ first run with a sacrifice fly. In the third inning, Sweeney and Carlos Beltran each singled home a run. Beltran homered in the fifth.

Sele won 15 games for the Seattle Mariners last season, losing five, but the fans just about booed him out of town last October. He started three playoff games, losing them all. He has started seven playoff games in his career, winning none.

Sele (7-6) might not get the chance to end that streak this season, even if the Angels advance to the playoffs. A team needs three starters in a playoff series, perhaps four, and Sele is clearly the Angels’ fifth-best starter at this point. His ERA is 5.08.

Byrd (12-6) might have a better chance than Sele of starting a playoff game. Not for the Royals, of course. They haven’t had a winning season in eight years or a playoff appearance in 17, and the baseball here could get worse before it gets better.

But Byrd, who has accounted for more than one-third of Kansas City’s victories this season, is very much available to contenders in search of a starting pitcher. His 3.70 ERA is as attractive as his $850,000 salary.

Byrd also has pitched for the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves, and the Braves might be interested in getting him back. For his part, Byrd and his family enjoy living here and wouldn’t mind sticking around.

“I told them I want to be here, but they said they want to go with younger guys,” he said. “I’m 31. I guess I’m too old. In baseball, it’s like dog years, or something.”