Radke Throws Blanks at Angels

What’s left of the Angels gathered in center field for their official 2003 team photo Tuesday afternoon at Edison Field, three hours before playing the Minnesota Twins in a game that had far bigger implications in the Midwest than in Southern California.

Minnesota Manager Ron Gardenhire, painfully familiar with the Angel team that won the 2002 World Series, wasn’t the only one who needed a lineup card to figure out who was whom.

A patchwork Angel lineup that included four players who started the season at triple-A Salt Lake folded as easily as a chessboard during a 3-0 loss to the Twins before 35,415.

Minnesota starter Brad Radke limited the Angels to five hits during his first complete-game shutout of the season as the Twins remained 1 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox in the tightly contested American League Central. Kansas City is in second place, a half-game in front of the Twins and one game behind the White Sox.

The Angels managed only two baserunners in scoring position over the first eight innings -- stranding them both -- before putting runners on first and second with one out in the ninth.

But the game ended on a strikeout, throw-out double play when Tim Salmon failed to check his swing and Chone Figgins was thrown out trying to steal third base.

“That’s the downside of putting guys in motion, but we’re going to stay aggressive,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “They executed that play perfectly, and that was the ballgame.”

Figgins, who singled to lead off the ninth and stole second, might have cost the Angels a run earlier in the inning. He broke for third base when Garret Anderson hit a sinking liner to right field before retreating to second when the ball one-hopped into outfielder Shannon Stewart’s glove.

The breakdowns overshadowed an acceptable performance by Angel starter John Lackey, who gave up three runs over eight innings. The Twins managed 10 hits off Lackey, but most were insignificant except for solo home runs by Jacque Jones and Luis Rivas; Jones hammered a high changeup in the sixth, and Rivas blasted a fastball away in the seventh.

“I located all night except for two pitches,” said Lackey, who walked one and struck out five. “You hear all the cliches -- it’s going to build character -- but I’d rather win than build character. But I took some steps that are going to help me down the line.”

Lackey (8-13) escaped with only one run scoring in the second after the Twins hit three consecutive one-out singles to load the bases and Denny Hocking followed with a run-scoring single up the middle that gave Minnesota a 1-0 lead.

Figgins fielded the ball in shallow center field and made a strong throw home that beat Torii Hunter, trying to score another run, but Hunter appeared to touch home plate with his outstretched hand as he slid past the tag from catcher Bengie Molina.

Home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg did not make a call on the play, prompting Hunter to scramble back toward the plate while Molina made a lunging tag on Hunter. Kellogg called Hunter out this time, causing Gardenhire and Twin third-base coach Al Newman to sprint over in protest.

Lackey retired Cristian Guzman on a grounder to second to avert further damage.

“If John can keep the poise and direction he showed tonight,” Scioscia said, “he’s going to get back to where he needs to be.”