Angels flat in loss to Indians

By Mike DiGiovanna

July 22, 2008 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

Fox’s national broadcast team left Angel Stadium on Saturday afternoon. ESPN’s production trucks rolled out of the parking lot Sunday night. The Southern California branch of Red Sox Nation went back into armistice mode.

What was left for the Angels after their scintillating weekend sweep of Boston, which included two dramatic, late-inning comebacks and a playoff-like intensity in the stands, was the lowly Cleveland Indians, with their unsightly 43-54 record and without injured sluggers Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez.

Whoopee.

“I’ve definitely seen it,” center fielder Torii Hunter said, when asked of a possible hangover effect after such an emotional weekend. “Sometimes you have so much excitement, and then it’s gone, because Red Sox Nation is not there, and there’s no hype.

“I know in Minnesota, when the Yankees and Red Sox came in, it was electrifying. Then another team like Kansas City would come in and there would be 10,000 people. That can really drain you. But here, we draw 35,000 every night, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”

It looked like it was. The Angels barely stirred from the third through seventh innings, and Ervin Santana grooved a few too many fastballs in a 5-2 loss to the Indians, which ended the Angels’ five-game win streak.

Don’t blame the crowd of 43,037, strong for a Monday night. Maybe the Angels were due for a clunker, or maybe Cleveland’s crafty right-hander Paul Byrd, who entered with a 3-10 record and 5.47 earned-run average, was due for a good game.

Or maybe the Angels just did what they’ve done all season, play down to the competition -- they’re 39-18 against teams above .500 and 21-21 against teams under .500.

“Baseball is a crazy game -- you can get beat by anybody, any time,” said Hunter, who will miss the final two games of the series to be with his ailing grandmother in Pine Bluff, Ark.

“I know Cleveland is struggling, but they’re still a professional baseball team, and they can kick your butt. You can’t expect to win every day.”

Byrd, who helped the Angels reach the American League Championship Series in 2005, gave up nine hits in 5 1/3 innings but only one run, when Garret Anderson doubled and scored on Jeff Mathis’ single in the second.

The Angels were two for 13 with runners in scoring position, Anderson lining out to short with two on to end the fifth and Chone Figgins grounding into a double play with two on to end the sixth.

The Angels didn’t score again until Howie Kendrick, who had three hits, drove a solo home run to center against reliever Rafael Perez in the eighth.

“Byrd is like [Tim] Wakefield,” Hunter said, referring to Boston’s knuckleball specialist. “His ball was moving all over the place.

“He’s a smart pitcher. He invented pitches tonight. He’s that kind of guy.”

Right fielder Gary Matthews Jr., making his first start since being diagnosed with a small tear in his left knee last week, set a bad tone when he dropped Jhonny Peralta’s drive into the corner for a two-base error in the second.

Peralta scored on David Dellucci’s sacrifice fly. Mathis tied it, 1-1, with his RBI single in the second, but Santana (11-4) delivered a fat, 3-and-1 fastball to .172-hitting Andy Marte in the fourth, and Marte crushed it to left for a homer.

After Grady Sizemore doubled in the fifth, Casey Blake ripped an 0-1 fastball over the wall in left for a two-run homer and a 4-1 lead. Peralta’s solo shot to center reliever Justin Speier gave Cleveland a 5-1 lead in the eighth, and Santana left with an 0-6 career record and 6.03 ERA against the Indians.

“Ervin had good stuff, but he made a couple mistakes with his fastball, and they didn’t miss them,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said.

“He hasn’t matched up well with them, but give them credit. They hit some balls out, and Byrd pitched a good game.”

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