Angels Ride Sele, Defeat Reds, 4-3

Aaron Sele was on the money Friday.

The Angels gave him an ace contract--$24 million over three seasons--in the off-season and Sele has begun to resemble that kind of doughboy.

Early struggles appear to be behind him after Sele cruised through 7 1/3 innings in the Angels’ 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Edison Field. The crowd of 35,341 certainly felt as if they got cash value for their tickets, as they gave Sele an ovation on his way to the dugout after he was pulled.

“What I try to do every time out is to go six or seven innings and give the guys a chance,” Sele said. “Tonight I was able to do that.”

This was the start of interleague play, which brought Cincinnati, baseball’s oldest franchise, to Edison Field for the first time to face baseball’s most star-crossed franchise, at least this side of Wrigley Field.

The Angels, though, are not much for history lessons. Their blue-collar approach was enough to handle the Reds.

Sele gave up only two runs. Garret Anderson continued to provide clutch hits. The Angels survived rally attempts.

The Reds had the winning run at the plate in the last two innings, but Al Levine wiggled out of the eighth and Troy Percival got through the ninth for his 12th save.

“You don’t see any one on this team leading the league in anything,” said left fielder Anderson, who had a two-run double in the fourth inning. “We just play good baseball and get good pitching.”

Sele, who won 69 games the previous four seasons, was hardly overpowering but won for the sixth time in seven decisions. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Sele (6-3) had been roughed up in the early innings for much of the season, but he retired the first nine batters he faced Friday.

“He showed right away that he was going to put all four of his pitches in the zone,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He worked inside well and threw hard.”

Said catcher Jorge Fabregas: “He was great. He was awesome.”

The reviews weren’t raves when Sele was 0-2 with a 6.65 earned-run average after four starts. He wasn’t being rocked, but was far from rock solid.

“I don’t think Aaron was pressing, but there is always an adjustment period,” Scioscia said. “He needed time to learn the catchers, learn the staff. We made suggestions that we thought might help him. That adjustment period is over.”

The Reds came in as Central Division leaders and left without Ken Griffey Jr., who suffered a mild strained hamstring running out a ground ball to prevent a double play in the fourth inning.

With runners on first and second, Griffey hit a chopper to first baseman Scott Spiezio, who threw to second base. Griffey, who has already missed 41 games because of an injured right knee, appeared to hit the bag awkwardly in beating the return throw to first.

Griffey was examined by Dr. Craig Milhouse and is listed as day to day.

Still, the Reds have won without Griffey and the Angels were not sure what to expect from Chris Reitsma, a pitcher that they had not seen before.

“We are facing some guys who haven’t had a lot years in the major leagues, so it’s hard to have much of a scouting report on them,” Scioscia said. “We won’t know what pitches they throw until we get into the batter’s box and see them.”

The Angels figured things out quickly against Reitsma. It took six batters.

Reitsma (3-3) struck out three of the first six batters he faced. Spiezio then singled to center to start the third. Fabregas followed by rolling a single to right on a hit-and-run play and Adam Kennedy’s ground out scored Spiezio.

Things got worse for the Reds. David Eckstein walked and Darin Erstad beat out a high chopper to second. Troy Glaus singled, scoring Fabregas, with Eckstein being thrown out at the plate. Anderson then ripped a line drive that was just beyond the reach of left fielder Austin Kearns. Erstad and Glaus scored for a 4-0 lead.

“What we have on this team are guys who don’t try to do things they are not capable of doing,” Anderson said. “Everyone on this team knows what their role is.”

And Sele played his.