Angels feel much more relieved

The game was in the hands of the bullpen.

Trouble for the Angels?

Not Friday night.

Justin Speier, Darren Oliver, Jose Arredondo and Brian Fuentes combined for four scoreless innings.

The bullpen that broke on this night was the Dodgers’, as setup man Cory Wade served up a bases-loaded, two-run single to Chone Figgins in the eighth inning that sent the Angels to a 3-1 victory at Dodger Stadium.

“The bullpen has been coming together in the last week or so,� Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “It’s an important part of our club and it’s great to see.�

The Angels’ bullpen entered the game with a 5.82 earned-run average that ranked last in the American League. But the unit has now given up only 11 runs in its last 44 innings, posting a 2.25 ERA in its last 11 appearances.

On paper, this wasn’t the way the game was supposed to unfold. The 3.78 ERA that the Dodgers’ relievers had entering this game ranked among the best in the National League.

With the victory, the Angels remained only two games behind first-place Texas in the AL West. The Dodgers’ lead in the NL West was trimmed to 8 1/2 games as San Diego leapfrogged San Francisco into second place.

The events that caused so much jubilation in the Angels’ clubhouse were the sources of frustration in the Dodgers’.

“We had 50 guys in scoring position,� Orlando Hudson muttered as he raced past reporters on his way to the showers.

Six Dodgers reached third base. Only one of them scored. The Dodgers were one for 14 with men in scoring position.

Dodgers Manager Joe Torre tipped his hat to the Angels’ pitchers.

“It was a good baseball game,� Torre said, “and a very frustrating baseball game.�

Torre admitted that his team looked like it was slowing down offensively. The Dodgers have been held to three or fewer runs in four of their last six games -- and 36 games remain on Manny Ramirez’s suspension.

“We’re scuffling,� Torre said. “The longer it goes, the worse it gets.�

Russell Martin had a particularly rough day.

Martin struck out with one out and the bases loaded in the fifth, which James Loney ended by grounding out to first. The All-Star catcher struck out again in the seventh, this time with men on the corners and one out.

“You get guys on third with less than two outs, you’re supposed to put the ball in play,� Martin said.

Both teams’ bullpens took over the game in sixth inning, as Angels starter Jered Weaver and his Dodgers counterpart, Clayton Kershaw, quickly ran up their pitch counts.

Weaver didn’t pitch as well as he did the last time he pitched at Dodger Stadium, when he lost despite giving up no hits in six innings, but fate was kinder to him this time around.

He lasted only five innings on this night, as he gave up eight hits, but he managed to hold the Dodgers to a solitary run, which was scored in the fourth inning when James Loney singled in Martin from second. The run tied the score at 1-1.

Kershaw didn’t last any longer.

The 21-year-old left-hander wasn’t the same pitcher who took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of his previous start, as he threw 36 pitches in a first inning that included three walks, a balk and four three-ball counts.

By the end of the second inning, Kershaw’s pitch count was up to 53.

Torii Hunter put the Angels ahead, 1-0, in the top of the fourth, which he led off with a double to left. He moved to third on a groundout by Kendry Morales and scored on an infield single by Gary Matthews Jr.

Kershaw left the game after giving up four hits and four walks.

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