Angels Suffer Another Insult

With nine games to play, the Angels are left with merely the latest in a series of sobering realizations: They will not finish with a winning record one season after winning the only World Series title in franchise history.

The Oakland Athletics eliminated that possibility Wednesday when they held off the Angels, 2-1, at Edison Field to keep their lead over the Seattle Mariners at 4 1/2 games in the American League West.

The A’s magic number for clinching the division is six, and they could win 100 games for a third consecutive season with eight victories in their final nine games.

There are no such heady accomplishments in sight for the Angels, who lead the cellar-dwelling Texas Rangers by 4 1/2 games and could move perilously close to last place if they falter during a three-game weekend series against the Rangers at Arlington, Texas.

The only constant during an Angel season marred by injuries and ineptitude has been the fans. A midweek afternoon crowd of 32,503 pushed the season total at Edison Field to 2,827,494, surpassing the franchise’s all-time attendance mark set in 1982 with six home games remaining.

The Angels set off fireworks to commemorate the occasion, but a grammatically challenged scoreboard operator struggled to carry out his part by posting a message that read, “The Anaheim Angels says ‘Thank you to our fans.’ ”

The decibel level reached a crescendo in the ninth inning when the Angels put two runners on base and threatened to rally from a two-run deficit for a second consecutive game before relievers Chad Bradford and Jim Mecir closed things out.

Oakland starter Barry Zito had shut out the Angels and given up two hits through eight innings, but Manager Ken Macha said he probably would have brought in Keith Foulke to start the ninth if the AL leader in saves hadn’t still been hampered by back spasms.

Zito walked leadoff batter David Eckstein and put runners on first and third when he fielded Chone Figgins’ grounder only to throw the ball past shortstop Miguel Tejada into center field. Garret Anderson followed with a drive to deep right field that momentarily looked as if it might give the Angels their second consecutive walk-off homer after failing to record one in the first 151 games.

“I didn’t look at Anderson’s ball at all,” Macha said. “It was going to the wrong place as far as I was concerned.”

But right fielder Jermaine Dye caught the ball and Figgins scored from third, cutting the Angels’ deficit to one. Bradford replaced Zito and retired Tim Salmon on a grounder before intentionally walking Scott Spiezio, who Tuesday had delivered a game-winning, three-run homer.

“I watched Spiezio beat us yesterday,” Macha said. “I tried not to let that happen again.”

Mecir, who had given up Spiezio’s homer, retired pinch-hitter Jeff DaVanon on a fly ball to center to end the game.

The Angels’ inability to complete the rally saddled starter Scot Shields (4-6) with a loss in a game he pitched well enough to win. Shields gave up four hits -- all doubles -- and two runs in eight innings, his longest outing this season. He struck out six, mixing in more breaking pitches than he had in his previous 10 starts.

“He looked like a starter out there today,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He didn’t look like a guy coming in just trying to bull his way through a hole and throw the ball by everybody. It’s definitely the way I think we envisioned him to be able to pitch as a starter.”

Shields, who gave up both runs in the second on doubles by Scott Hatteberg and Billy McMillon, said he decided to throw more breaking balls after a meeting with Scioscia and pitching coach Bud Black following his last start against Oakland, a disastrous outing.

“When I came out of the bullpen,” Shields said, “I strictly relied on my fastball, and I can’t do that as a starter.”

Zito (13-12) retired the first 15 batters before Adam Kennedy walked leading off the sixth. Alfredo Amezaga singled one out later.

Said Spiezio, who was hitless in three at-bats: “He was throwing all three pitches for strikes and not down the middle. It was probably the best I’ve seen him.”