Angels Can Thank Figgins for Victory

Retribution came in several forms Tuesday night for the Angels, who shook off more than a week’s worth of woes while extending the Pittsburgh Pirates’ misery.

For third baseman Chone Figgins, it was atoning for a seventh-inning error that enabled Pittsburgh to score the tying run by poking a two-run double to left field in the ninth to lift the Angels to a 4-2 interleague victory over the Pirates before a crowd of 19,035 in PNC Park.

“I was loving the fact that I got to come up with a chance to win the game,” Figgins said. “You get upset that you make errors, but you’ve got to keep going. It’s baseball. You’re going to make errors.”

For Angel center fielder Garret Anderson, it was smashing a 95-mph fastball from left-hander Oliver Perez for a two-run home run in the sixth inning, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead and furthering his reputation as one of baseball’s best hitters.

“I’ve said it time and time again,” Anderson said. “It’s that old adage of people telling me I couldn’t hit left-handers when I was younger. I never believed them.”

And for second baseman Adam Kennedy, it was a hard slide to break up a potential double play and extend the Angels’ ninth-inning rally. Not that Kennedy had anything against Pittsburgh shortstop Jack Wilson, but Kennedy has absorbed his share of blows around the bag, and it was nice to inflict some damage for a change.

“Everyone watching will remember that; they’ll remember how important it is to go hard into second base every time,” Kennedy said. “You have to have faith that it works, because every now and then, it can help you win a game.”

So can a gutsy start by left-hander Jarrod Washburn, who admitted to being “zapped” by the humidity by the second inning but mustered the strength to complete six innings, giving up one run and three hits.

And a timely contribution from first baseman Darin Erstad, who, in his first start after sitting out 31 games because of a strained right hamstring, hit a double in the second inning and sparked the ninth-inning rally with a single to center.

It all added up to the Angels’ third win in their last 10 games, the Pirates’ ninth straight loss, and a happy ending for a young third baseman who has had to learn a new position in the pressure cooker that is the big leagues.

“He’s looked terrific at times,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Other times, he looks like he could use some more experience.”

In the same night. Figgins, who hadn’t played third base in the big leagues until this season, made a nice back-hand diving stop of Jack Wilson’s third-inning grounder and threw to first for the out.

But with a 2-1 lead in the seventh, Figgins let Craig Wilson’s hard two-hopper play him, and the ball nicked off his glove and into left field for a two-base error. Wilson scored on Bobby Hill’s two-out single to tie the score, 2-2.

“I could have kept that ball in front of me,” Figgins said. “That’s a ball I could have charged. It took another hop on me. I have to learn from my mistakes.”

It doesn’t hurt to make up for them. After Erstad singled in the ninth and took second on Jose Molina’s bunt, Kennedy walked. Pinch-hitter Jeff DaVanon hit a potential inning-ending double-play ball to second, but Kennedy slid hard into Jack Wilson, who couldn’t throw to first.

“I think he bobbled it before I got there,” Kennedy said, “but he could have been looking down at me a bit.”

Figgins fell behind reliever Solomon Torres, 0 and 2, before working the count to 2 and 2. He then reached for an up-and-away sinker and knocked a two-run double past the diving Hill at third base for the game-winner.

“When you make a mistake, it stings for a second, but the guys who are going to be good players will turn the page instantaneously and get back into it,” Scioscia said. “Figgy is pretty level-headed.”

So is Anderson, who came to the plate after Vladimir Guerrero’s double in the sixth with one thing in mind: Move Guerrero to third with a grounder or fly ball to the right side. He settled for a fly ball. Into the seats.

“He moved him over, all right,” Erstad said.

“Over and in,” Kennedy said.