Time running out for big-money Angels

Anaheim has just nine games left to make up three games on Oakland.
By MARK SAXON
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- One of the last things Angels manager Mike Scioscia said about his club Wednesday night, two days before its biggest series of the season was, "I'm going to be shocked if these guys melt."
Wonders might never cease.
The Angels have looked uncomfortable in the heat of a pennant race and their disquiet grew after a lackluster 6-3 loss to the first-place Oakland A's on Friday night at Angel Stadium.
The season is getting painfully short for the third-highest-paid team in baseball. The Angels have just nine games left -- five with the A's -- to overcome a three-game deficit.
Some Angels hitters appear to be gripping the handles of their bats too tightly to make them effective. Scioscia juggled the lineup to set the table for the heavy hitters in the middle, but the big fellows have been the biggest disappointments lately.
Vladimir Guerrero and Jose Guillen look as if they are trying to homer on every pitch, and Garret Anderson appears either injured or disinterested. Anderson, long bothered by tendinitis in his left knee, is 2 for his past 19 with one RBI on this homestand, and his effort level in center field is sagging.
Private funks
Scioscia noted that six or seven of the Angels hitters are in private funks at the moment and that's not good math for the team.
"When we do get opportunities right now, there's a premium to get it done at that point," Scioscia said. "I don't know if pressure's the right word, but I think guys want it -- they can see it's right in front of them -- and some guys are trying to do too much, some are a little defensive at the plate."
Kelvim Escobar (10-12) couldn't blame lousy run support for this loss, because he put the Angels in a 3-0 hole before they even clutched a bat. Pitching the most meaningful game of his career, Escobar gave up three doubles in the first inning.
Finding their stride
The A's bungled their series with the Texas Rangers before they got here, but they seemed to re-find their stride while the Angels continued their ugly downward spiral.
Second-year right-hander Rich Harden overpowered the Angels early, blowing third-strike fastballs by Darin Erstad and Guerrero at recorded speeds of 98 mph and 99 mph in the first inning.
"This was a big game, a huge game," A's outfielder Eric Byrnes said. "I don't know if we ever talked about it, but if ever there was a must-win game, this was the one."
The Angels did have more offensive action than in most recent games, but it all came in a futile effort to catch up. Troy Glaus slammed a sacrifice fly to deep center in the third then yanked a two-out RBI single into left two innings later. His heir apparent, Dallas McPherson, launched another impressive home run.