Angels’ Flaws Get Northern Exposure

The Angels would like to make one thing perfectly clear. They are not trying to duplicate their recipe for success last season, when they opened with the worst start in franchise history and closed by winning the World Series.

“We are not shooting for 6-14,” infielder Scott Spiezio said.

At this rate, they might get there anyway, and the scoreboard might be the least of their concerns right now. They lost their fourth consecutive game Tuesday, 5-0 to the Seattle Mariners, falling to 2-5 amid a disturbing collection of discouraging signs.

Jamie Moyer and two relievers combined on a four-hitter, and the Angels’ leadoff batters failed to reach base in every inning. Third baseman Troy Glaus strained his left hamstring and left in the second inning, center fielder Darin Erstad shook his right hand and winced in pain after his final at-bat, platoon specialists Benji Gil and Shawn Wooten struck out in all six at-bats against Moyer, the Angels stumbled through another comedic moment on defense and Ramon Ortiz delivered the latest brief and ineffective outing by an Angel starter.

Oh, and Ortiz wondered aloud whether his arm might be injured, even though he felt no pain.

“I didn’t feel like I had any power in my arm,” he said.

On Tuesday, and in his previous two starts, Ortiz said, he could not generate his usual velocity.

“I’ve never felt in my whole life like that,” he said. “My arm feels good. But when I throw the ball, I don’t have any power. I don’t know.”

Manager Mike Scioscia appeared taken aback when he heard those remarks. Ortiz has not complained to the coaching staff, Scioscia said, and his velocity has not dropped noticeably. Ortiz suspects he might be throwing 1 to 2 mph slower than usual -- although the Safeco Field radar gun was inconclusive -- and Scioscia traces the problem to a flawed delivery.

“If it’s a dead-arm stage, it will pass, but I don’t think it’s anything to be concerned about,” Scioscia said. “When your mechanics are together, you’ll throw the ball at maximum velocity. It was obvious he was fighting himself.”

Ortiz hit two batters in one inning, something he said he had never done before. He departed with none out in the fifth inning, giving up five runs. The bullpen shined again -- Scot Shields and Ben Weber followed Ortiz with four hitless innings -- but pitching when losing is all too recurrent. Closer Troy Percival has appeared in one game.

Moyer pitched seven innings, a feat no Angel starter has accomplished. The Angel starters have pitched beyond five innings twice, and their earned-run average is 6.81.

This is not, however, an indictment of the pitchers alone. The Angels, so sound on defense last season, have committed seven errors in seven games. They made two on one play in the fifth inning Tuesday, something of a Bad News Bears outtake.

With runners on first and third and none out, and the Angels trying to hold their deficit at 3-0, Spiezio fielded a ground ball at third base, then threw home rather than opting for the double play. That was the right call, but Spiezio short-hopped the ball past catcher Bengie Molina for an error. Ortiz, backing up, retrieved the ball and flung it into left field for another error, with not one but two Angels diving in futility to try to intercept the throw.

So the deficit was 5-0, imposing in any case and particularly so against Moyer, the latest in a string of soft-tossing left-handers to plague the Angels. Ted Lilly and John Halama beat the Angels in Oakland over the weekend, Moyer did it Tuesday -- with one pitch clocked at 69 mph -- and the Angels get to face Halama and Moyer again on their next homestand.

“We would probably like to see a 100-mph guy,” shortstop David Eckstein said.

The Angel lineup at the end of the game have five of the nine batters hitting below .200 -- Gil (.000), Spiezio (.083), Wooten (.111), outfielder Eric Owens (.111) and Eckstein (.125).

The pain in Erstad’s surgically repaired hand probably will flare all season, although the hamstring injury to Glaus does not appear serious.

“Last year, we were doing the same as now and we were world champions,” Ortiz said. “I’m not worried about anything now. We lost four games in a row. So what? I know this team is good. I know this team can hit. I’m not worried about that.”