Angel Victory Is Almost Too Much to Bear

There was controversy early, emotion and intensity throughout, and high drama at the end, when Angel reliever Scot Shields stared down the barrels of two of the game’s most lethal bats and didn’t so much as flinch.

There was another critical disputed call that cost the Angels a run, heated arguments that led to the ejections of Angel Manager Mike Scioscia and batting instructor Mickey Hatcher, and enough heart-stopping moments to keep a sellout crowd in Fenway Park on its feet for the last two innings.

When it was over, when Shields struck out American League RBI leader David Ortiz with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning and closer Francisco Rodriguez struck out pinch-hitter Roberto Petagine with the bases loaded in the ninth to seal Thursday night’s 3-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox, the Angels could finally exhale.

“I’m exhausted,” pitcher Paul Byrd said after the Angels pushed their AL West lead over Oakland to one game with 23 games left. “I’m mentally and physically drained.”

And that was as much from the stress of watching the eighth and ninth innings from the bench as it was from pitching the first seven innings.

Byrd (11-9) took a three-hit shutout and a 3-0 lead into the eighth, the Angels scratching out a run on back-to-back doubles by Chone Figgins and Orlando Cabrera in the fourth and two more on a pair of run-scoring grounders in the seventh, but Kevin Millar doubled to open the eighth for Boston, and Bill Mueller walked.

Angel bench coach Joe Maddon, calling the shots after Scioscia was ejected for the second consecutive game, summoned Shields, who gave up Ortiz’s prodigious walk-off home run Tuesday night.

Struggling cleanup batter Manny Ramirez, who has 33 homers and 117 RBIs but did not start Thursday, pinch-hit for Tony Graffanino and struck out looking at a 93-mph sidearm fastball that tailed back over the outside corner.

Shields walked Johnny Damon to load the bases but struck out Edgar Renteria looking with another sidearm, tailing fastball. Up stepped Mr. Clutch.

“I knew [Ortiz] was lurking,” Shields said. “When he walked to the plate, I turned to [third baseman Robb] Quinlan and he had this big smile on his face, just to keep me relaxed.”

Easy for Quinlan. He didn’t have to face Ortiz. Pitching coach Bud Black came to the mound and told Shields to “pitch Ortiz smart.” Said Shields: “I was OK with walking him.” But Shields struck out Ortiz looking at an 85-mph, full-count changeup.

“I got lucky,” Shields said. “I caught too much of the plate, and I was happy he didn’t swing.... We all know what kind of clutch hitter he is, and he got me a couple nights ago. But it felt real good to get him tonight.”

The Red Sox put two on with one out in the ninth, but Rodriguez struck out Millar on a slider, walked Mueller to load the bases and struck out Petagine on three straight sliders for his 35th save.

As he watched from the clubhouse, Scioscia didn’t have to be reminded that no three-run lead is safe in Fenway.

“A three-run lead in the Grand Canyon with that club is not safe,” Scioscia said. “They do a great job getting on base and have great power. Our guys, when they had to, made some terrific pitches.”

At least Scioscia had some company as he rode out the tense ending. He and Hatcher were ejected after second-base umpire Larry Young was involved in his second disputed call in as many nights.

After Cabrera’s RBI double in the fourth, Garret Anderson flied to right, Trot Nixon making a superb catch in front of the foul pole for the first out, his momentum carrying him into the bleachers in foul territory.

Cabrera tagged, the Red Sox appealed, and Young, whom the Angels thought missed a call on Ortiz’s check swing Wednesday, called Cabrera out for leaving the bag too soon. Scioscia argued, while replays showed clearly that Cabrera’s foot was on the bag after Nixon caught the ball.

“I don’t know if Larry had a good angle to see it,” Scioscia said. “It was a play he obviously missed.”

Vladimir Guerrero followed with a fly to right, but instead of a sacrifice fly, it ended the inning. Once Nixon made the catch, Hatcher stormed out of the dugout and went jaw to jaw with third-base umpire Eric Cooper. Hatcher was ejected and had to be restrained by Scioscia, who was ejected by home-plate umpire Marvin Hudson.

“I was frustrated because I went up, saw the replay, and it made me mad,” Hatcher said. “We got a guy over, the play was taken away from us, and I was frustrated.

“We have to bear down as coaches and players, and they have to bear down as umpires. That was a time to vent, I did, and I got what I deserved.”

Young said he felt he “made the right call” but didn’t see a replay. Cabrera didn’t have to see a replay.

“I was on the bag, I saw the catch, and I even told myself, ‘That was a great play,’ ” Cabrera said. “Then I figured I’d walk to third base.”

Instead, Cabrera walked to the dugout, temporarily deflated but not defeated.

“We could have mentally fallen apart after that call and felt like everything was going against us; we could have had the attitude we were snake-bit,” Byrd said. “But we didn’t, and that’s a credit to this team.”