Even the Magic Is Muted for Angels

Even after a rare victory, the smiles were tempered. After the Angels roused themselves from eight innings of slumber and rallied for a dramatic comeback, the joy was measured.

After Jarrod Washburn and Garret Anderson stopped the Angels’ five-game losing streak in a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Friday, the team cut popular reserve infielder Benji Gil, taking another step away from last year’s World Series championship and toward 2004.

Washburn pitched one of the finest games of his career, one that nonetheless would have been for naught had Anderson not hit the game-winning home run, with two out and two on in the top of the ninth inning.

“We’ve been taking our lumps pretty much all year,” Anderson said. “It was nice to do something like that. Those opportunities haven’t been too frequent this year.”

The Angels are on the wrong side of .500. They have not won consecutive games since the All-Star break. Anderson’s home run offered pain relief, at least for one night.

“That was the best feeling I’ve had since the All-Star break,” second baseman Adam Kennedy said.

In eight innings, Washburn gave up three hits. Unfortunately for him, two came back-to-back in the second inning, a double by Casey Blake and a single by Travis Hafner. The Indians led, 1-0, but they did not get another man past first base against Washburn.

After eight innings, they still led, 1-0, with rookie Jason Davis firing a five-hitter and Washburn icing his left arm before another defeat could be hung upon it.

With one out in the ninth, David Eckstein singled and Jeff DaVanon walked, the first walk drawn by the Angels in 22 innings. With Davis at 118 pitches, Cleveland Manager Eric Wedge visited the mound, sticking with his pitcher and urging him to induce a game-ending double play. Davis did his part, and so did Tim Salmon, but third baseman Blake bobbled Salmon’s ground ball and the Indians managed only a force play.

That brought up Anderson, with men on first and third. Rather than pitch around him, Davis pumped in a fastball, and Anderson drove it 414 feet to straightaway center.

“Maybe next time he won’t pitch to one of the best players in baseball,” Washburn said.

“Give them the benefit of the doubt, the way the game was going for him,” Anderson said. “It’s easy to second-guess, to drop the cliche that you can’t let one guy beat you. But I could have just as easily popped up or grounded out.”

The Angels scored twice more in the ninth, their third victory in their last at-bat this season. They won 22 times in their final at-bat last season. The Indians scored in the bottom of the ninth on a home run by Coco Crisp, the first homer given up this season by Brendan Donnelly.

Donnelly, who had been scored upon in three of his first 42 appearances this season, has been scored upon in three of his last five.

Washburn won for the first time since July 12. He is 3-0 with a 1.44 earned-run average in three starts against Cleveland this season, 6-11 with a 5.09 ERA in all other starts.

After the game, the Angels designated Gil for assignment. If no team claims him on waivers, the Angels have offered him a spot at triple-A Salt Lake, which Gil said he would be inclined to accept in the hope he could return to Anaheim when rosters expand Sept. 1.

Gil hit .285 last season, including .310 against left-handers, his primary role. He had eight hits in 12 at-bats in the playoffs, including four in five at-bats in the World Series.

But he hit .192 this season, .177 against left-handers. His playing time had vanished with the promotion of rookie Alfredo Amezaga, and with his friend Kennedy emerging as the full-time second baseman.