By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor -
APRIL 10, 2002
GAME 8 - MARINERS AT ANGELS
ANAHEIM -- If the Angels wanted to make a statement, they
picked a bad time to come down with a case of laryngitis.
With the defending American League West champion Seattle
Mariners in town for a four-game series, the Angels figured it would be a good
way to see how they stacked up. Three games into it, they have found they don't.
The Mariners jumped all over former teammate Aaron Sele on
their way to an 8-1 win Wednesday night before 17,784 at Edison Field. Mariners
starter James Baldwin, who took Sele's spot in the Mariners rotation, gave up
one run and five hits in seven innings.
Baldwin didn't give up a hit until Tim Salmon singled with
one out in the fifth. Meanwhile, the Mariners pounded Sele for 10 hits in five
innings, including home runs by Bret Boone and John Olerud.
In the series, the Angels have made little more than a peep
as the Mariners have outscored the Angels, 18-6. As a team, the Angels have hit
.172 (16 for 93) in the series.
''We're definitely looking forward to meeting teams in our
division early to see how you measure up head to head,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia
said before the start of the series. ''That way you see what kinds of
adjustments you need to make.''
The Mariners have beaten the Angels 11 consecutive times at
Edison Field and 18 of 22 overall going back to the start of last season.
''They're a good club, and we've got to play better,''
Salmon said. ''We're capable of playing much better. But as a whole we're off
kilter a little bit, off track.''
Scioscia shook up the lineup in an effort to get some
offense, dropping Salmon to sixth, moving up Garret Anderson to third, Troy
Glaus to fourth and Brad Fullmer to fifth. But after David Eckstein was hit by
a pitch to lead off the bottom of the first, the next 13 Angels hitters were
retired.
''We're doing as poor a job offensively as I think we'll do
at any time this year,'' Scioscia said. ''We're taking better hacks out there
but you don't get anything for trying. We've got to get it done.''
Salmon, who went into the game hitting .125, broke up the
no-hitter with a single to center in the fifth and broke up the shutout bid
with an RBI single in the seventh.
''It's something to build on,'' Salmon said. ''I just swung.
You don't want to go up there free swinging all the time but you don't want to
go up and try to guide the ball, which is what I was doing. Somewhere in
between is the perfect balance.''
Meanwhile, Sele, who was spurned by the Mariners' front
office in the off-season, was burned by his former teammates on Wednesday.
Jeff Cirillo's sacrifice fly in the third inning gave the
Mariners a 1-0 lead, but they broke open the game in the fourth. Singles by
Olerud, Mike Cameron and Desi Relaford, a double by Dan Wilson and sacrifice
flies by Mark McLemore and Suzuki resulted in four runs and a 5-0 lead.
Solo homers by Boone and Olerud in the fifth made it 7-0 and
spelled the end for Sele. In his two starts, Sele has pitched 10 innings,
allowing 11 runs and 18 hits.
''I was throwing my fastball over the middle of the plate,''
Sele said. ''I was trying to get the ball down or on either side of the plate,
but I couldn't do that. It's mechanical. I have to put my body in the right
position to be able to repeat quality pitches.
''To throw the ball the way I did, I did not give the team a
chance after the fourth inning.''
Sele won 32 games in two years for the Mariners, who went to
the playoffs both seasons he was there. And though Sele wanted to return to the
Mariners, he was told the club planned to spend its money on offense. But he
said going up against his ex-teammates was not a factor.
''I've gone through the process of facing old teammates,''
he said. ''You cross the line and battle and see what happens.''
NOTEBOOK
ANAHEIM -- A struggling Tim Salmon was dropped from third to
sixth in the batting order for Wednesday's game against the Mariners, but
manager Mike Scioscia insists it's not a panic move, just a move to help his
right fielder relax.
Salmon had the worst season of his career last year, hitting
only .227, so he was hoping to get off to a fast start this season. He hit .404
in spring training with a team-leading four homers and 18 RBIs, but going into
Wednesday's game was batting just .125 with nine strikeouts in 24 at-bats.
''We're trying to take the pressure off Timmy,'' Scioscia
said. ''He wants to succeed so badly he's taken it upon himself to do
everything at the plate.''
Last season Salmon's problems were more physical, as he was
coming off shoulder surgery. This season, his health is good and his swing is
fine. His confidence has taken a hit, but Scioscia said dropping him in the
batting order was good for the team.
''We have to balance Tim's confidence with what the needs of
the club are,'' Scioscia said. ''I think Tim understands the need to be more
productive than what he did the first seven games.''
Salmon met with Scioscia and hitting coach Mickey Hatcher in
the video room for about 20 minutes before batting practice.
''The main thing was to let him know we still have a lot of
confidence in him,'' Hatcher said. ''We have no concerns. Look at A-Rod (Alex
Rodriguez). That's what we told him. We're not the only offense in baseball
that's having a tough time.''
Salmon said he didn't have a problem with the move.
''He's just trying to shake things up,'' Salmon said. ''I'm
fine with that. What can I say? I'm not swinging the bat like I should.
''I wanted to get off to a good start, and the first week it
didn't happen. Now we're playing Seattle and Oakland, maybe I am pressing a
little bit. Whatever the reason, I'm trying to keep it in perspective. It's a
week into the year.''
Salmon also said he needs to stop analyzing himself so much.
After all, he isn't the only Angel hitter struggling. Going into Wednesday's
game Garret Anderson (.222), Darin Erstad (.214), Adam Kennedy (.130), Bengie
Molina (.238) and Scott Spiezio (.125) were all hitting less than .250.
*
Every team in the league has tried to figure out how to
pitch to defending A.L. MVP Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners, but Angels pitcher
Jarrod Washburn has tried to keep it simple.
''My strategy is not to walk him, because he's so good on
the bases,'' Washburn said. ''Other than that, throw strikes and hope he hits
it at somebody. And don't throw it down the middle.''
Washburn's approach has worked -- Suzuki is hitting .222 (2
for 9) against Washburn with one walk.
''I don't think there's one way to pitch him,'' Washburn
said. ''You can't just pitch him inside or just pitch him outside. He's one of
those guys that makes adjustments as he goes. He learns you the more he faces
you.''
*
Pitching coach Bud Black has left the team to be with his
family after the death of his mother, who was living in Palm Springs. Black is
expected to rejoin the team in a few days.
