Washburn’s Effort Goes Long Way

With the exception of a Game 7, of course, it is a mistake to suggest that any game in a seven-game series is more important than any other.

If they are all must wins, it would also be a mistake to suggest that tonight’s Game 4 in the American League championship series didn’t shadow the Angels into Friday night’s Game 3.

After all, can they really know what to expect from rookie John Lackey, making his first start in 16 days tonight?

Can they expect to give Lackey much of a cushion considering he is being opposed by the Minnesota Twins’ Brad Radke, against whom neither the Angels nor their Rally Monkey ever have much of a chance?

There are no definitive answers, and Jarrod Washburn went to work in Game 3 knowing it. He knew, he would say after it was over, after he had come up big again in a game that, yes, was the biggest yet in this improbable postseason, that there’s an element of “uncertainty” to Game 4.

“We have a lot of confidence in John,” Washburn said. “We know he’s a tough kid. We also know how good a pitcher Radke is and how tough he’s been on us. We all thought tonight’s game was very important for us to win.”

The Angels won it, 2-1.

They won it on a Troy Glaus home run, breaking a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning. They won it with Francisco Rodriguez and Troy Percival retiring the last six Twins in order, and they won it because Washburn pitched six shutout innings and ultimately gave up only that one run in seven, giving up just six hits.

The Angels will now send Lackey out with a 2-1 lead in the series, and maybe that will deflate the pressure a little.

For Washburn, in the continuation of his breakthrough season, with a possibility now that his next start could be in Game 1 of the World Series, bring it on.

At 28, in his first full major league season, he has long since established his stature as the staff ace, and if it comes down, as it did Friday night, to pitching two games in one, pitching Game 3 for Jarrod Washburn and John Lackey, well....

“Cool,” he said, when all the cameras and notebooks had disappeared. “I love it. I love being the guy who’s expected to win. I love the pressure. To me it’s a lot of fun.”

A lot of fun? Protecting a 1-0 lead? Locked in a tense duel with Eric Milton?

“Well, sure,” Washburn said, smiling, “I’d prefer a six- or seven-run lead, but a pitching duel is always a lot of fun if you come out on top. I’ll probably remember this game the rest of my life.”

So may a crowd of 44,234, pounding those red sticks, making more noise than the Twins’ bats, but what’s new?

Washburn has dominated the Twins in three starts this year, allowing seven runs in 27 innings, a 2.33 earned-run average.

The lineup they started against him Friday night had a composite average against him of .198, with 19 strikeouts in 91 at-bats.

Washburn struck out seven more, walked none, and took Garret Anderson’s second inning home run into the seventh inning before a leadoff single by Dustan Mohr and a two-out double to left by Jacque Jones tied the score and ended Jones’ hitless streak at 18 at-bats.

“Look,” said Washburn, “Jacque Jones is a great player. People were saying maybe they should take him out of the lineup, maybe he shouldn’t be playing, but I give him credit. I threw a fastball that had too much of the plate and he took advantage of it. I’m disappointed I made that one mistake, but I feel good about the way I pitched.

“I had a good fastball, good slider, and probably threw a few more changeups than I usually do. The key was that I had good location.”

He also said he could have gone on, but the Angels have to keep in mind what’s ahead. He still might have to start Game 6 on three days’ rest, still might have to start a Game 7. He has pitched 225 innings this year, allowing only six earned runs in 19 innings of three postseason starts, and that total is 31 2/3 more innings than his previous career high.

For all the advice he has received from Kevin Appier and Aaron Sele about adjusting his work schedule between starts to improve his late-season stamina, the innings are piling up.

Nevertheless, Washburn, who broke down physically in August of last year, said he still feels as if it’s April.

“I don’t feel there’s any getting tired now,” he said. “If there is, the adrenaline takes over, but I feel great.

“I also feel we’re going to win every time we give it to our bullpen in a tight game. Like I said, I was disappointed with the mistake I made to Jones, but I was happy turning it over the bullpen. Of course, I sort of had the feeling it might go 15 or 16 innings.”

Glaus helped assure that it didn’t.

Washburn was in the clubhouse, an ice bag on his shoulder, watching on television.

“I was jumping up and down, screaming ‘get out of here,’ ” he said referring to the flight of the Glaus drive.

It is doubtful his screams were heard above those of the crowd, but he had already delivered his part of the statement, providing the foundation that will make it a bit easier for Lackey when he duels Radke, a pitcher who is 11-4 with a 1.72 ERA against the Angels, 6-1 at Edison Field.

Another big game in a series of big games--Game 3 having been just a little bigger than most.

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Angels’ Ace

Jarrod Washburn emerged as the Angels’ top starter this season and has continued to pitch well in the postseason. A look at his statistics (* in category indicates per-start average):

*--* GS IP* H* R* ER* BB* SO* W-L ERA BA HR Regular 32 6 1/3 5.7 2.3 2.2 1.8 4.3 18-6 3.15 235 19 Season September 5 6 1/3 5 1.6 1.4 1.6 4.2 3-1 1.93 213 1 Postseason 3 6 1/3 6 2.3 2 1 3.7 1-0 2.84 246 3 Friday vs. -- 7 6 1 1 0 7 0-0 1.28 222 0 Twins Career vs. 9 6 1/3 5.3 2.8 2.4 1.4 5.8 3-2 2.98 216 4 Twins

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