Angels Take Pain Out on Zito in a 12-2 Victory

Who needs Garret Anderson when your lineup tags Barry Zito for more runs than most teams can manage off him in a season, strikes for 10 runs with two out and generally makes a mockery of one of baseball’s most heralded pitching staffs?

The Angels do.

Although they completed a surprisingly easy 12-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday before 23,507 at Network Associates Coliseum without their cleanup hitter, they know that getting Anderson back as soon as possible is pivotal to their long-term success.

The Angels learned they might be without their dependable slugger for at least a few more days after he missed a second consecutive game because of stiffness in his upper back that may have resulted from switching mattresses. Tim Salmon also sat out for the fourth consecutive game because of a sore left knee but could return today.

Troy Glaus, Darin Erstad and Jose Guillen delivered whopping blows in their absence as the Angels bolted to a 6-0 lead after two innings and pounded Zito and reliever Justin Duchscherer for 14 hits. Glaus smacked a two-run homer in the first inning, Erstad hit a two-run double in the second and Guillen drilled a three-run homer in the fourth, his first homer as an Angel.

“The depth of our club has kind of been highlighted the last few games with Garret and Tim out and us still having some continuity in the middle of the lineup,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said.

The Angels scored 10 of their 12 runs with two out, continuing a season-long trend of clutch hitting. Nearly half (45 of 93) of their runs have come with two out a year after only 35% (255 of 736) came in that scenario.

Zito gave up 10 hits and nine runs -- more than he had in any outing over his first five seasons -- in four innings after limiting the Angels to one run in six innings Sunday.

“He made a couple of mistakes,” Glaus said, “and we were able to take advantage.”

Zito (2-2) surrendered four consecutive hits during the Angels’ four-run second, which started well for the Athletics when Shane Halter was caught in a rundown between third base and home plate. But after Erstad hit his two-run double high off the wall in left-center field, Vladimir Guerrero stroked a run-scoring double down the right-field line and Glaus drove in a run with a single to left-center.

Angel starter Jarrod Washburn was uncharacteristically wild, walking five over the first three innings but escaping unscathed thanks to two double plays and a lunging snare of a Jermaine Dye line drive by second baseman Adam Kennedy with two out and the bases loaded in the third.

“I couldn’t throw strikes,” Washburn said. “Why? I don’t know. Anytime you get a 10-run lead, the last thing you want to do is let them back in the ballgame.”

The Athletics finally broke through in the fifth on Eric Byrnes’ two-run homer, and Washburn pitched himself into a further bind by giving up back-to-back singles to Eric Chavez and Dye before Eric Karros grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Kevin Gregg relieved Washburn to start the sixth and pitched four shutout innings for his first career save, against the team with whom he spent seven seasons in the minor leagues before coming to the Angels.

Washburn (3-1) has not lasted more than 5 1/3 innings in four starts, which he said was a positive sign considering his record.

“It just lets me know that when I start throwing the ball the way I can, good things will happen,” he said. “Anytime you can be 3-1 and throw the ball as poorly as I have to start the season, it’s a positive.”

Scioscia said the team hopes Anderson could rejoin the lineup in a couple of days but declined to set a definitive timetable for someone who typically plays through minor injuries and has missed only 11 games since 1999.

“That just shows you how durable he is,” Scioscia said. “It takes a lot to get him out of the lineup. Hopefully, it’s something that can be addressed so it’s not recurring.”