Angels' defense costly in loss to Royals

07/21/2006
KANSAS CITY -- This one came out of the blue, totally unexpected.
The Angels, who had won eight of the previous nine games, committed four errors and starter Ervin Santana walked a career-high eight batters and also had two wild pitches in 4 1/3 innings in a 9-4 loss to the Royals on Thursday night to open a 10-game road trip. The loss snapped the Angels' nine-game winning streak at Kansas City.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia knew exactly what to do with a game like this one.
"That might be one of the ones you definitely want to turn the page on, not only turn the page, but rip it out of the folder, crumple it up and throw it away," Scioscia said.
This one was definitely one to forget.
"We haven't had a game like that in a while," Scioscia said. "We've been playing great baseball. Tonight isn't really something that you would expect, but it happens. We'll move forward. We've been playing very sound, fundamental baseball for a long time now. This game we've just got to turn the page on."
Scioscia said Santana was "physically fine."
"He just had a problem getting the ball into good zones and after a while getting the ball over the plate," he said. "That was probably the most erratic any of us have seen him. He's got to turn the page, too. It's a tough start for him."
Santana, an 11-game winner who is 7-0 in his past nine starts, received a no-decision.
"Every day is not a happy day," Santana said. "Today was not my day. I was struggling with my performance. I don't have command of my fastball, my slider, nothing. I don't have nothing today. I try to keep battling and battling and do my best.
"No excuses. It is over now. You can't go back and let me do it again. You cannot."
Despite Santana's early problems, the Angels tied the score at 4 with a pair of runs in the fifth. Vladimir Guerrero had a two-run double, scoring Maicer Izturis, who had singled, and Orlando Cabrera, who was hit by a Jimmy Gobble pitch. Guerrero also had a run-producing single in the third. Howie Kendrick's double in the fourth scored Mike Napoli with the other Angels run.
The Angels had Guerrero at third and Juan Rivera, who had singled, at first with nobody out in the fifth, but didn't score another run to seize the lead. Napoli flied out to left, too shallow to score Guerrero. Garret Anderson then lined into an inning-ending double play.
"We had a great opportunity after we tied the game with runners on first and third," Scioscia said. "That could have put a different light on the game as we moved forward, but Elmer Dessens came in and did a great job to come in and get out of that inning and hold it as a tie game. If we grab the lead, obviously we are in a little better position to do something on the mound, but that wasn't the case. We've got to regroup and go after them tomorrow."
Kevin Gregg, the second of four Angels pitchers, was charged with the loss. Gregg gave up an unearned run in the sixth when the Angels committed three errors. They lead the American League with 77 errors.
Napoli was charged with catcher's interference in the sixth on a pitch out when Doug Mientkiewicz was swinging to protect the runner and made contact.
"I've got catcher's interference before, but never on a pitchout," Napoli said. "We just need to forget about this game. It's not fun playing games like this. You've just got to let it go, which I'm sure everybody in this clubhouse will."

Source: http://angels.mlb.com/