Angels are roughed up by Cubs, 12-1
Reporting from Chicago — Well, at least the Angels were consistent across the board Sunday. Their starting pitching was as shaky as their defense, which was as shoddy as their relief work, and it all added up to a 12-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field.
Left-hander Joe Saunders (5-8) was roughed up for eight runs — five earned — and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings, and shortstop Brandon Wood, filling in for the injured Erick Aybar, committed two miscues that aided Cubs rallies in the second and third innings.
And to top it off, closer Brian Fuentes, summoned for an inning of work because he hadn’t pitched in a week, was torched for three runs and four hits in the eighth inning, leaving with an earned run average of 6.23.
“They beat us up pretty bad,” Manager Mike Scioscia said, in what seemed like an understatement.
The Cubs avoided a three-game sweep by pounding out 18 hits, seven for extra bases, with Derrek Lee (two hits, four runs batted in) and Ryan Theriot (three hits, three runs) leading the way.
Carlos Zambrano gave up one run and eight hits in seven innings, striking out seven and walking one, to improve to 3-5 and chipped in with two singles and an RBI.
Saunders had won four of his six previous decisions but has now given up 11 earned runs and 15 hits in 8 1/3 innings of his last two starts, losses to the Milwaukee Brewers and Cubs.
“I felt like I had great stuff, they hit a lot of ground balls, but they seemed to find a constant hole on the left side of the infield,” Saunders said. “The defense wasn’t quite there, but that’s going to happen sometimes.”
Saunders is considered one of the game’s better young left-handers, with a 53-30 career record, but he has a 1.97 ERA in 361 2/3 innings of his wins and a 9.54 ERA in 150 innings of his losses.
“That’s a weird statistic,” Saunders said. “If you give up five runs in five innings or six runs in four innings, your ERA is going to get blown up. I’ve got to keep the team in the game the best I can.”
Saunders is a sinkerball specialist who relies on groundouts, but five of Chicago’s hits were infield singles or balls that ticked off the gloves of infielders before reaching the outfield. He also needs sound infield defense, which the Angels did not provide Sunday.
With Theriot on second base and one out in the second inning, Wood charged Marlon Byrd’s chopper to the hole and flipped a throw to third base that was too late to get Theriot. Had Wood thrown to first base, the Cubs would have scored only one run instead of two in the inning.
“It wasn’t that tough of a play at third, but the throw was a little high and not firm enough,” Scioscia said. “I was OK with the play.”
Wood second-guessed himself.
“I thought we had him there, but looking back, maybe I should have taken the safe play at first,” said Wood, who opened the year at third base. “Those are the plays that, being away from shortstop, I have to keep in mind before they happen.”
Geovany Soto led off the third inning with a home run to left field, Starlin Castro singled with one out, Theriot walked and Zambrano singled for a run.
Byrd struck out for the second out, but Wood bobbled Jeff Baker’s chopper for an error, allowing Chicago to load the bases. Lee followed with a double to left field that gave the Cubs an 8-0 lead.
“I backed up on it, and it had a lot of top spin on it,” Wood said of the Baker grounder. “I didn’t think it would come up like that.”
Wood came up through the minor leagues as a shortstop and is getting reacclimated to the position that opened when the acrobatic-fielding Aybar suffered a knee injury June 14.
“Erick is one of the best shortstops in the game; it’s not like I’m going to fill those shoes,” Wood said. “I can only do what I’m capable of doing. The web gems he makes, I may not be capable of, but I’m capable of making routine plays.”
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