INDIANS Another defeat extends slide to 8

Cleveland had another poor offensive performance in a month full of bad ones.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Fighting street crime might be easier than rescuing the Cleveland Indians.
Brian Anderson couldn't halt Cleveland's losing streak Wednesday as Jarrod Washburn pitched eight strong innings and Anaheim got two-run homers from Bengie Molina and Brad Fullmer in a 6-2 victory over the reeling Indians.
"I cherish those opportunities," Anderson said. "I had one given to me, and I fumbled it away."
Heroes
Anderson pitched for the first time since he and teammate Carl Sadler made national headlines over the weekend by apprehending a purse snatcher outside a restaurant in San Francisco.
The Indians' dynamic duo chased down the thief, returned him to the restaurant and held him there until police arrived.
But Anderson couldn't corral the Angels, who have won six straight at Jacobs Field.
Washburn (2-3) had little trouble with the Indians, taking a shutout into the eighth inning before giving up Matt Lawton's two-run homer.
"I'm not going to lie to you, I was thinking about it," said Washburn, who came within five outs of his first career shutout. "But it wasn't meant to be."
That's beginning to be a familiar refrain with the Indians, who have lost eight straight-- their longest slide since 1990 -- and had one of their poorest offensive performances in a month full of bad ones.
Cleveland's 7-20 record in April is the club's worst since it went 2-15 in 1969. In its last seven games, Cleveland is just 3-for-40 (.075) with runners in scoring position.
Staying positive
Anderson can only hope this is the bottom. In the meantime, he and his teammates are trying to stay positive.
"If that starts to go, look out," he said. "Who knows how far we would fall? But I don't think we're there, and we have to fight to never get there."
Washburn gave up only two doubles and a single through seven innings, and the 28-year-old left-hander was closing in on a shutout when he allowed a one-out infield single to Omar Vizquel and Lawton's homer.
Washburn gave the Angels their second straight strong outing by a starter. On Tuesday night, Ramon Ortiz pitched a seven-hitter in a 10-1 win.
"We knew it was just a matter of time," Washburn said. "We have too good of a starting staff to be pitching like we have. I don't think we were panicking at all, but we wanted to get back into the groove."
Washburn wasn't in one early, but his command improved as the game progressed. He retired 10 in a row before Vizquel reached in the eighth by beating out a slow roller to second with a headfirst dive into first.
Washburn allowed five hits. Brendan Donnelly pitched a perfect ninth, extending his scoreless innings streak to start the season to 17 -- the longest by an Angels reliever since Lee Smith in 1995.
Anaheim scored twice in the second off Anderson (2-3), and doubled its lead in the fourth on Molina's second homer this season. Troy Glaus singled leading off, and with two outs, Molina connected on a 2-1 pitch.
Fullmer put the Angels up 6-0 in the sixth with a shot into the right-field stands -- another two-out, two-run shot off a disgusted Anderson.