Victory Gives Angels an Even Demeanor

It began just up the freeway with a victory over the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. It ended in the heat of Texas Thursday night with another victory, 6-3, over the Rangers.

In between, there were clutch hits and crushing blows, new faces like rookie pitcher John Lackey and new places like Milwaukee’s Miller Park.

And after 14 games in 13 days through four states, merciless summer heat, stifling humidity and ferocious thunderstorms, the Angels finished their longest trip of the season 7-7.

“It was a tough road trip,” Angel outfielder Tim Salmon said. “We are glad to be getting out of the heat and the humidity. It drains you.”

The Angels had just enough in reserve to pull out Thursday’s victory at The Ballpark in Arlington in front of 22,077. They won behind the pitching of Jarrod Washburn, Scot Shields and Troy Percival and another balanced performance by a lineup that pounded out 11 hits.

Washburn had much to be pleased about. He won his eighth decision in a row after starting the season 0-2 and improved his record in June to 12-1.

But ever the perfectionist, Washburn chose to focus on another set of numbers, 105 pitches in six innings. In his last outing, against the Milwaukee Brewers, he threw 122 pitches in six innings.

“One hundred pitches in six innings is not cutting it,” Washburn said. “That’s asking a lot of the bullpen, to leave them with that many innings. I’ve got to find myself a way to get deeper in the game.”

Washburn allowed a home run by Ivan Rodriguez and four hits while striking out six and walking two.

For Rodriguez, it was only his third home run of the season, but his second in as many days and his third in his last eight games. Before hitting his first homer Friday, Rodriguez had gone 101 at-bats over two seasons without hitting the seats.

Washburn left with a 4-1 lead. The Angels got three runs in the fifth, two coming home on a Salmon single and the other on an Adam Kennedy single, all off starter Rob Bell (3-3).

They got a gift run in the sixth when right fielder Juan Gonzalez lost Brad Fullmer’s fly ball in the sky. It bounced in front of him for a double. Fullmer scored on a single by Scott Spiezio.

But Angel Manager Mike Scioscia has learned not to relax on this trip because of the inability of his pitching staff to avoid damaging control problems. In the previous four games against Texas, the Angels had walked 20 men in 33 innings.

Sure enough, in the eighth, reliever Ben Weber slipped into the frustrating pattern. He walked two men and gave up a single to Gonzalez to load the bases. With one out, Weber hit Kevin Mench in the hand to send home a run.

On came reliever Dennis Cook to walk in another run.

On came Shields to pitch to Ranger outfielder Ryan Ludwick. Shields knew one thing. He wasn’t going to give Ludwick a fastball. He remembered clearly the fastball Ludwick had hammered for a home run when the two faced each other in a triple-A game earlier this season.

“I remembered,” Shields said, “and I wanted redemption.”

He got it with a slider. Ludwick grounded the pitch to Kennedy, who started an inning-ending double play.

The Angels pulled away with two more runs in the ninth. One came home on a double by Darin Erstad. Salmon’s grounder to short was responsible for the second run. Shortstop Alex Rodriguez threw home trying to get the runner, David Eckstein, but his throw was wide right, leaving Eckstein out of reach of the other Rodriguez, Ivan, the catcher.

Enter closer Troy Percival in the ninth.

Exit the Rangers, 1-2-3.

While Washburn, who equaled a career high with his eighth consecutive victory, wasn’t pleased with a split of the long trip, he saw the bright side.

“We are not playing good baseball,” he said. “When you are not playing good baseball and you come out of it at .500, it was not a total waste.”

The Angels lost two of three to the Dodgers, two of three to the St. Louis Cardinals, swept three from the Brewers and won two of five from the Rangers.

Not a total waste, but totally exhausting.