Break Is at Bad Time for Angels

There was every reason for the Angels to collectively take a deep breath and relax. The difficult part of the season is still ahead of them.

They survived three days with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, finishing up a series sweep with a 2-1, 10-inning victory Sunday. All three games were decided by one run, two in extra innings. All were won by hits that look like line drives in the box score, but in reality fall into the dinker category.

Tim Salmon did the honors Sunday, flaring a two out single just beyond the infield to score pinch-runner Jose Nieves with the game-winner, sending the Angels into the All-Star break three games behind Seattle in the AL West.

“I got jammed, but it was a beautiful thing,” Salmon said. “If you put all three of those [game-winning] hits together, they probably are a shallow fly out.”

It came too late to help starter Ramon Ortiz, who gave up a home run by Randy Winn to start the game. Ortiz then dominated before leaving to a standing ovation from the 26,446 at Edison Field after an impressive nine-inning performance.

This is the 10th time since 1986 that the Angels have reached the All-Star break either in first place or within five games. Post-mortems, not postseasons, have been the result each time.

The Angels have three days to ponder such things. Then they will spend the second half of the season chasing Mariners and shooing demons.

“No one is running up pennants around here yet,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We still have a mountain to climb to get to first place. That tempers everything. We know we have a challenge ahead of us.”

Since winning their last division title in 1986, the Angels have had a winning record in September only twice, a tribute to freak occurrences and massive collapses, low-lighted by the Angels blowing an 11-game lead in 1995.

They were 6-21 last September and won only two of their last 21 games.

“I think communities remember things like that,” Salmon said. “Players have short memories. Teams change, players come and go. Each year is different. The past is the past.”

Of course, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

School is in session right away for the Angels, as their season could go either way shortly after the All-Star break. They have a four-game series at Kansas City when they return, then play their next 20 games against Minnesota, Seattle, Oakland, New York and Boston.

“We need to be a little more consistent,” pitcher Jarrod Washburn said. “We had a long stretch where we played great. We have been going through a stretch where we’ve been playing mediocre. We don’t have to be great, but we can’t be mediocre.”

They were both Sunday. The batters were mediocre. Ortiz was great.

The Angel offense amounted to two excuse-me singles by Salmon.

He tied the score in the fourth inning with a jam shot that fell just beyond the reach of shortstop Chris Gomez.

Devil Ray starter Tanyon Sturtze, who has a deceiving 1-9 record, went nine innings, giving up only the one run.

It was the third time this season Sturtze has pitched nine innings. All three have been no-decisions.

“It looks like we’re scuffling, but we have been hitting the ball hard,” Salmon said. “We hit some balls to the warning track today where you had to think, ‘What is it going to take?’ But it’s the broken bat hits and the ones that fall in between that make the difference sometimes.”

Ortiz made sure the offensive inertia didn’t hurt the Angels.

The Angels might not need to pick up a power hitter before the trade deadline. They already have a player on a 40-home run pace. Unfortunately for them, he pitches every fifth day.

Ortiz gave up his major league-high 26th home run with his third pitch, as Winn looped a home run into the right-field corner seats to give the Devil Rays a 1-0 lead.

Ortiz was in control after that, retiring 22 of the next 24 batters before John Flaherty led off the eighth with a double.