| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Five days after a disastrous outing at
Texas, Brian Moehler faced an intimidating lineup of Anaheim
hitters without a problem.
Moehler held the Angels scoreless on six hits through the first
seven innings and Bob Higginson hit a two-run homer as the
Detroit Tigers won 5-3 Wednesday.
|  | | Brian Moehler, one start after being shelled by Texas, gave up one run and struck out five in seven innings to beat Anaheim. |
"I don't blow the ball past guys. I've got to mix speeds. The
ball was down and I tried to hit my spots," Moehler said. "Last
time was a struggle. I really didn't know where the ball was going
and today I did."
Moehler (7-7) was charged with one run and struck out five. He
walked his only batter leading off Anaheim's three-run eighth
inning before being replaced by C.J. Nitkowski -- despite throwing
only 84 pitches in 90-degree heat.
"He had a couple of rough outings and it was a real hot day. I
wanted him to leave the game with a good feeling about himself,"
Detroit manager Phil Garner said.
Moehler struggled in his previous start at Texas on July 28,
giving up 10 runs on 11 hits in 2 2/3 innings. The right-hander
yielded at least 11 hits in three of four previous starts. He
worked with runners on base in each of the first six innings, but
allowed a runner past second only once.
"I would've loved to have stayed out there, but the last thing
you want is to give them a big inning," Moehler said. "I feel
better than the last start."
About the only bat Detroit couldn't silence belonged to Tim
Salmon, who was 4-for-4 for the second time in the three-game
series, in which he was 10-for-12 overall.
"Sometimes it seems like when you have a good game, you don't
have anything to show for it. Ultimately, it's about winning,"
Salmon said. "It's really kind of strange. When everybody else has
been hitting, I've usually been the quiet one. Now I'm hitting and
everybody else is quiet."
Higginson gave Detroit a 2-0 lead in the first with his 21st
homer on a 2-1 pitch from Ken Hill (5-7). Detroit capitalized on
Hill's throwing error, coming on a sacrifice bunt by Shane Halter,
to score three runs in the fifth. Former Angel Damion Easley hit a
two-run single and Dean Palmer made it 5-0 with a sacrifice fly.
"I got a couple of balls up, but I thought I did OK," Hill
said. "The pitch to Higginson was a mistake -- up and in the middle
of the plate, and he drove it out of the ballpark."
Salmon had an RBI single off Doug Brocail in the eighth,
followed by Garret Anderson's two-run double over the outstretched
glove of a leaping Higginson at the left-field fence.
"I threw him everything I had and he hit some good pitches,"
Moehler said. "He's so strong and was able to put it almost out of
the park."
Todd Jones pitched the ninth for his AL-leading 31st save in 33
chances.
"Todd was brilliant again. That's what we've come to expect
from him," Garner said.
Hill is winless in five consecutive starts. The right-hander
gave up five runs -- four earned -- on seven hits in six innings,
walking three and striking out two.
The Angels wasted an opportunity with the tying run at the plate
in the ninth.
"There's frustration, obviously," Salmon said. "Offensively
speaking, we haven't been able to get out to a good early lead at
all. It would just be nice to be able to jump out and take command
of a game early."
While the Angels didn't score early, left fielder Darin Erstad
and Adam Kennedy made sparkling defensive plays. Erstad's diving
catch in the second robbed Halter of extra bases, while second
baseman Kennedy fielded Juan Gonzalez's grounder up the middle and
made a nice backhanded flip to Benji Gil for the force on
Higginson.
Game notes
1B Mo Vaughn, who's played in all but one of Anaheim's 109
games this season, left the game with a knot in his left bicep in
the seventh. Manager Mike Scioscia said Vaughn was taking extra
batting practice to find his swing and perhaps overworked himself.
He'll get a rest Thursday when the Angels travel to Cleveland. ...
Anaheim C Matt Walbeck threw out two Detroit runners after the
Tigers were 18 of 19 in stolen-base attempts. ... Hill allowed a
homer for the sixth straight game and his ERA hasn't been under
6.00 since his third start of the season. ... Juan Encarnacion
became only the second batter hit by Hill in 77 2/3 innings. ...
Detroit improved to 42-17 when scoring four or more runs. ...
Starting Friday in Cleveland, Anaheim plays 32 of its remaining 53
on the road. ... RHP Matt Wise made his major league debut for the
Angels in the seventh, a day after being promoted from Triple-A
Edmonton. ... Angels All-Star 3B Troy Glaus, who batted only .194
in July, did not benefit from getting a day off Tuesday. He
grounded out all four times up, including one that ended Anaheim's
eighth-inning rally.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Anaheim Clubhouse
RECAPS
Kansas City 4
NY Yankees 1
Minnesota 10
Baltimore 6
Oakland 5
Toronto 4
Detroit 5
Anaheim 3
Cleveland 5
Tampa Bay 3
Texas 7
Chi. White Sox 2
Boston 5
Seattle 2
NY Mets 2
Cincinnati 1
Los Angeles 11
Pittsburgh 5
Milwaukee 6
San Francisco 4
Chicago Cubs 3
Colorado 2
Florida 5
Houston 4
St. Louis 10
Montreal 7
Arizona 2
Atlanta 0
San Diego 5
Philadelphia 2
|
