Angels Defeated on Split Decision

Clinging to a one-run lead, Brendan Donnelly got Carlos Beltran on an 83-mph split-finger fastball with two runners on base.

Then the Angel reliever struck out Mike Piazza with an 82-mph splitter.

Cliff Floyd, though, was an entirely different story.

The count full with two out in the bottom of the 10th inning, Floyd sat on an 83-mph splitter and hit it for a game-winning, three-run home run over the right-center-field fence.

The New York Mets’ come-from-behind 5-3 interleague victory thrilled the Shea Stadium announced crowd of 33,889 and left the Angels in a state of near shock.

“[Floyd] put together a great at-bat,” Donnelly said of Floyd’s nine-pitch plate appearance. “That’s all I can say.”

It was arguably the strangest loss this year for the Angels. The first pitch was delayed 84 minutes by rain and then the Angels blew leads to the Mets in the ninth and 10th innings on freakish plays.

Leading, 2-1, in the ninth with closer Francisco Rodriguez on the mound, Rodriguez had one out when pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson hit a 3-and-1 pitch into the gap in right-center field, splitting center fielder Steve Finley and right fielder Vladimir Guerrero.

Instead of trying to keep the ball in front of him to protect against potential extra bases, Finley slid trying to make a backhanded grab. He missed and kicked the ball into right field.

“It just tipped the end of my glove, hit my knee,” Finley said. “Tough-luck play. Freak play. Can’t really defend that.”

With Guerrero backing up Finley on the play, Finley had the momentum and chased the ball, and hit second baseman Adam Kennedy on the relay.

With Anderson turning third base, Kennedy’s throw was late, though there was a collision at the plate with catcher Jose Molina that left Anderson with a bloody lip but also with the tying run on an inside-the-park home run.

Manager Mike Scioscia defended Finley’s decision to try to make the catch.

“You’re trying to win; he had a bead on it,” Scioscia said.

It was the first inside-the-park homer in Shea Stadium since Darryl Strawberry’s on May 3, 1989.

The Angels regained the lead in the 10th inning when Darin Erstad’s hard single past third baseman David Wright drove in Kennedy, who had singled with one out.

Kennedy stole second base before Orlando Cabrera grounded out to third for the second out.

Pinch-hitter Jeff DaVanon hit a dribbler to first base that Doug Mientkiewicz could not handle and on which he was charged with an error, putting runners at first and third and setting the stage for Erstad.

Donnelly (4-2) got himself in trouble right away, giving up a bloop single to Jose Reyes to lead off the 10th before walking Mike Cameron.

Beltran and Piazza went down swinging before another bizarre play ensued.

With the count full on Floyd, who gave an omen of things to come with a foul drive that landed in the third deck just right of the right-field pole, Reyes stole third base while Donnelly was on the rubber.

“I thought it was a timeout,” Donnelly said.

And with the potential tying run at third, Donnelly feared throwing a wild pitch or a passed ball on a splitter.

So he eased up a bit.

And Floyd won the game.

Starter Jarrod Washburn was dominant, except in the second inning, when he gave up singles to Piazza and Floyd and walked the No. 8 hitter, Kazuo Matsui, and pitcher Kris Benson on eight consecutive pitches with two out, allowing Piazza to score.

“It’s weird, when you pitch sometimes you forget how to pitch,” said Washburn, who gave up one run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out three and walked two, and threw 97 pitches.

“Every game’s weird,” Donnelly said. “You don’t know what to expect.”