AMERICAN LEAGUE Angels' Washburn returns to hill, 'bugs' Tribe, 6-1

A horde of insects infested the stadium beginning in the third inning.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Amid a barrage of bugs, Jarrod Washburn returned from the disabled list and led the Anaheim Angels to a 6-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday night.
Washburn (11-5), sidelined since July 20 with an injured rib cage, allowed two hits in five innings as Anaheim stayed four games behind Oakland in the AL West. In his previous start, Washburn gave up 13 hits -- four homers -- in a loss to Cleveland.
Scot Shields pitched three shutout innings, and Troy Percival worked the ninth as the Angels moved within 3 1/2 games of Boston in the wild-card race.
Washburn's return was a good sign for the Angels, who need him for their playoff push. If Anaheim was looking for another omen, it may have arrived in the form of thousands of bugs.
Gnats invade stadium
Beginning in the third inning, the unidentified flying objects -- they appeared to be gnats -- infested the playing field and the lower tier of seats.
Between pitches, batters swatted at the insects and fans used whatever they could to keep the winged critters out of their faces. Angels DH Troy Glaus had to be attended by a trainer after one of them flew in his eye during an at-bat in the fifth inning.
Unseasonably humid weather brought out the bugs, and relief from them wasn't easy. Plate umpire Bill Miller received a coating of repellant; ball boys and photographers covered their heads with towels; Indians first-base coach Jeff Datz wiped second baseman Ronnie Belliard's head after a single; and fans fled to higher seats to escape the swarms.
Garret Anderson hit an RBI single in the fifth off Jason Davis (2-7), who was making his first start for Cleveland since July 7. The right-hander was demoted to Triple-A Buffalo after going 2-3 with a 6.00 ERA in 18 starts.
The Indians have lost four in a row, and 15 of 19.
Nice stops
Angels third baseman Chone Figgins and shortstop David Eckstein made nice stops in the seventh to preserve Anaheim's lead. With a runner at first, Figgins robbed Matt Lawton with a dive and threw to second from his knees for a force.
Eckstein then went deep into the hole to backhand Ryan Ludwick's grounder before making a leaping throw in short left to get Lawton at second.
A two-run, three-base error by Cleveland first baseman Josh Phelps allowed the Angels to take a 2-1 lead in the fourth.
Anaheim made it 3-1 in the fifth when Vladimir Guerrero reached on an infield single, moved up on Davis' wild pitch and scored on Anderson's single.
After his encounter with the bug, Glaus was tripped up trying to beat out a grounder. He got up slowly after falling over Phelps' foot and the bag, and was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh with right shoulder irritation.
Glaus underwent shoulder surgery in May and recently returned after missing 97 games.
Anaheim added two runs in the eighth. Adam Kennedy doubled, moved up on a sacrifice and scored on first baseman Ben Broussard's error. Darin Erstad's sacrifice fly made it 5-1.
Coco Crisp put Cleveland ahead 1-0 with an RBI single in the second.
Notes
Angels OF Jose Guillen sat out with a sore wrist that has been diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. The Angels are awaiting test results to determine the extent of the injury. ... Davis has just three wins in his last 30 starts. ... Eckstein had two of Anaheim's five steals. ... Crisp is batting .341 (42-of-123) in his last 32 games. ... Indians 3B Casey Blake didn't start for the first time in 97 games. "I wanted to go for (Cal) Ripken's record," he quipped.
ANAHEIMCLEVELAND
abrhbiabrhbi
Eckstin ss4001Blliard 2b4010
Erstad 1b4001Vizquel ss4010
VGrero rf5120VMrtnz c4000
GAndsn cf5131Hafner dh4010
Glaus dh3110JPhlps 1b2110
Ktchm dh1011Brssrd 1b2000
DVnon lf4100Lawton lf2000
AKndy 2b3110Ldwick rf2000
BMolna c3100Gerut rf1000
Figgins 3b3010Crisp cf3021
JMcDld 3b3000
Totals35694Totals31161
Anaheim000210021--6
Cleveland010000000--1
E--JPhelps (3), Broussard (5). DP--Anaheim 2, Cleveland 1. LOB--Anaheim 10, Cleveland 4. 2B--Glaus (10), AKennedy (16), JPhelps (15). 3B--GAnderson (1). SB--Eckstein 2 (12), VGuerrero (12), GAnderson (1), Kotchman (3). S--Figgins. SF--Erstad.
IPHRERBBSO
Anaheim
Wshbrn W,11-5521116
Shields330002
Percival110002
Cleveland
JaDavis L,2-7543133
Riske2-310010
Miller110010
Bartosh1-300000
Howry112110
Wickman121100
WP--JaDavis. Umpires--Home, Bill Miller; First, Brian Gorman; Second, Dale Scott; Third, Ron Kulpa. T--3:02. A--23,786.