Sele Not Providing Quality or Quantity

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —  By the time the crowd sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” Aaron Sele was out of the ballgame, again.

The hits just keep on coming against Sele, so many that he cannot complete as many innings as advertised when the Angels signed him to a $24-million free-agent contract. The Kansas City Royals pounded Sele for 11 hits over five innings of a 7-4 victory over the Angels on Tuesday, and opponents are now hitting .346 against him. No pitcher in the major leagues has given up more hits.

Darin Erstad and Troy Glaus hit the Angels’ first back-to-back home runs of the season in the first inning, and Garret Anderson homered too, but the Royals ripped Sele for hits aplenty without any of them leaving the ballpark. The Angels, winners of 22 of 26 games through Saturday, lost consecutive games for the first time since April 22-23.

The Angels are 28-20, including 6-4 when Sele starts. He is 4-3 with a 5.31 earned-run average.

“I don’t think I’m pitching overly well,” he said. “At the same time, it doesn’t really matter. We’re winning ballgames.”

But Sele’s performance has done little to dispel the perception that has dogged him through his career, that he cannot win big without big run support. In his four victories, the Angels have scored at least six runs.

“I don’t think we’re seeing Aaron at his best--not even at what you would say is an average period for Aaron Sele,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.

In signing Sele to the largest contract the Angels ever gave a free-agent pitcher, the team did not bill him as the second coming of Pedro Martinez. But they pointed to his endurance, four consecutive 200-inning seasons that translated to a starter who could pitch into the seventh inning more often than not.

In 10 starts, Sele has completed seven innings once. The most obvious statistic in explanation: too many hits allowed, leading to too many pitches and too many opposing runs. Sele doesn’t buy it, though.

“Some games you go out there and give up 15 hits in seven innings and get a couple double plays,” he said. “Some games you give up three hits, but two of them are long balls, and you lose. I’m the type of pitcher that gives up hits. I’m not concerned about giving up hits by any means.”

In 1999, Sele gave up 244 hits in 205 innings, and he still won 18 games for the Texas Rangers. But only once in his career have opponents hit better than .300 against him--in 1996, when he went 7-11 with a 5.32 ERA for the Boston Red Sox.

Scioscia said the number of hits allowed is less of an issue than the problems reflected by the statistic--falling behind in the count and failing to put hitters away. Kansas City starter Paul Byrd, whose eight victories tie him for the league lead and account for nearly half the Royals’ total of 20, demonstrated those points. He won despite giving up the three homers, largely because he never went to a three-ball count.

Sele shut out the Royals for the first three innings, getting ahead with first-pitch fastballs. He gave up five runs in the fourth--in part, catcher Bengie Molina said, because the Royals hit those first-pitch fastballs without Sele responding by throwing other pitches. As Molina and Sele continue to adjust to each other, the catcher said the veteran pitcher often shakes off signs.

“That man can throw four pitches for strikes,” Molina said. “For me to catch that guy, it’s a little hard. He can throw any pitch in any count. I try to guess what’s on his mind, and it’s very tough. It’s kind of frustrating.”

Scioscia said Sele can, and will, pitch better.

“We’re not concerned with Aaron,” Scioscia said. “We’re talking about some subtle adjustments that he can make and he will make. We’re not talking about a major overhaul. He’s going to be fine.”