Angels Waste Another One

The Angels’ deficit in the American League West stood still for a seventh consecutive day, but the sand in the hourglass that is their season continued to run out.

Chicago right-hander Jose Contreras baffled the Angels for most of eight innings with an assortment of off-speed pitches and arm angles, and the White Sox packed virtually all of their offense into a three-run fifth to defeat the Angels, 3-2, Monday night.

Though a promising ninth-inning rally against Chicago closer Bobby Jenks fizzled when Juan Rivera bounced into a double play, the Angels didn’t lose any ground to Oakland, which lost to Minnesota and remained 5 1/2 games in front.

But that’s twice in three days the Angels have failed to capitalize on an A’s loss, and now there are only 18 games left. Seven of those final 10 games are against Oakland, but to have any chance of overtaking the A’s, the Angels must be within striking distance before that final stretch.

And what is striking distance? Two or three games, which means the Angels must shave at least 2 1/2 games off Oakland’s lead over the next 10 days.

“I wouldn’t say it’s desperation,” pitcher John Lackey, who lost despite allowing four hits in eight innings, said of the Angels’ predicament. “We know we need to win. Oakland is playing good baseball, there are only going to be so many opportunities, and you have to take advantage of them. There’s only so many games left.”

Monday night’s loss provided a double dose of frustration -- not only did the Angels fail to gain ground on the A’s, they failed to win a game in which Lackey did not allow a hit in seven of the eight innings he pitched against one of the league’s best lineups.

The way the game ended also left a sour taste in the Angels’ mouths.

Contreras (13-7) limited the Angels to one run and six hits and struck out eight in eight innings before handing a 3-1 lead to Jenks, the Angels castoff with a blazing fastball and sharp slider.

But Vladimir Guerrero singled on an 0-and-2 pitch to lead off the ninth and took third when Garret Anderson singled on another 0-and-2 pitch. Then the Angels, as they often do in the clutch, got impatient and overaggressive.

Juan Rivera swung at a first-pitch slider, sending a soft one-hop grounder to second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, who started a double play. Guerrero scored to make it 3-2, but the bases were empty, and, in the eyes of Jenks, order was restored.

The right-hander struck out overmatched rookie Howie Kendrick on three pitches for his 40th save, enabling Chicago to pull within three games of Detroit in the AL Central and remain 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota in the wild-card race.

“When you’re behind, time is never an ally, but we’ve had a sense of urgency since May, when we were 11 games under .500,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We need to get back into our game, which is what got us to where we are now. If we play that way, we’ll have a chance.”

Lackey was on from the start, retiring 11 of the first 12 batters he faced, and he seemed to have no-hit karma working for him when he deflected a Jermaine Dye fourth-inning liner to second baseman Adam Kennedy, who made a backhand, diving catch and threw to first to double off Iguchi, who had walked.

But those good vibes dissipated in the fifth. Jim Thome walked, and Paul Konerko broke up the no-hitter with a single to right, advancing Thome to third. A.J. Pierzynski doubled to right-center, scoring Thome, and Joe Crede singled to left, scoring Konerko. Rob Mackowiak’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0.

The Angels rumbled briefly in the sixth when Chone Figgins led off with a triple to right-center and scored on Maicer Izturis’ single to make it 3-1, but Orlando Cabrera, with Izturis running on a 2-and-2 pitch, lined out to Crede to start a double play. The seventh inning ended with Kennedy lining into a double play.

“We didn’t pressure them enough,” Scioscia said, “and when we did, we hit it right at guys.”