Angels Have a Solid Night

NEW YORK — This was the blueprint the Angels hoped to follow in 2005, a season in which success will be predicated on solid starting pitching, lights-out relief, superb defense, timely hitting and aggressive baserunning.

They just didn’t expect to roll out the entire package in one night as they did Wednesday, when the Angels used Jarrod Washburn’s dominant start, 1 1/3 hitless innings by reliever Scot Shields, two-run home runs by Steve Finley and Garret Anderson, an assortment of defensive gems and three stolen bases for a decisive 5-1 victory over the New York Yankees.

A Yankee Stadium crowd of 37,934 saw Washburn pitch 7 2/3 pitch-efficient innings, giving up one run and nine hits, to gain his first win after going four starts without a decision. The left-hander also continued his perplexing pattern of following a mediocre start with a superb one.

In three games against Texas (April 6), Oakland (April 16) and New York (Wednesday night), Washburn has given up one earned run in 21 2/3 innings for an 0.42 earned-run average. In two games against Texas (April 11) and Cleveland (April 21), Washburn has given up 11 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings for a 9.58 ERA.

“I don’t have an explanation, do you?” Washburn said after striking out four and walking two. “I’d like to have a great start every time out, but it hasn’t worked out that way.”

It would help if Washburn hit both corners with his fastball, changed speeds and worked ahead in the count as he did against the Yankees, a team known for its patience and power. Washburn threw only 99 pitches, 60 of them strikes.

“If your command is there and you’re repeating pitches, you force guys to swing the bats,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “The Yankees are a very disciplined team. For him to get that deep into the game with that pitch count is outstanding.”

The Angels also backed Washburn with three clutch double plays, one after the Yankees put the first two runners on in the third inning, one that preceded Alex Rodriguez’s fourth-inning solo home run, minimizing the damage of the Yankee third baseman’s fourth homer in two days, and one that got them out of a first-and-third, two-out jam in the sixth.

Third baseman Dallas McPherson, who started two of the double plays, made a diving stop of Derek Jeter’s seventh-inning grounder and forced Tino Martinez at second to end the inning, and Anderson set the tone when he nailed Jeter at home in the first inning as Jeter tried to score from first on Bernie Williams’ double.

Jeter had walked, and Williams’ shot went down the left-field line. Though there were none out and the heart of the Yankee order was coming up, third-base coach Luis Sojo waved Jeter home, a decision Yankee Manager Joe Torre said “was a little over-aggressive.”

Anderson made a strong one-hop throw, and catcher Jose Molina blocked the plate perfectly before tagging Jeter. Washburn struck out Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui to end the inning.

“You won’t get a better throw, block of home and tag than that,” Scioscia said. “With such a small margin of error, Garret made a terrific throw, and Jose made a great tag.”

Said Washburn: “Garret took another step in proving he’s the best defensive left fielder in the game. That was a huge play. This is not a lineup you want to give any momentum to.”

The Angels clustered seven of their 12 hits in the fourth and sixth innings, when they scored all their runs.

Vladimir Guerrero’s leadoff double in the fourth, Anderson’s run-scoring single and Finley’s two-run homer to right, his fourth of the season, gave the Angels a 3-0 lead.

Anderson followed Guerrero’s leadoff single in the sixth with his second homer of the season, to right field, to make it 5-1, and Washburn made it stand up.

“I mixed my pitches well and located my fastball and off-speed pitches,” Washburn said. “J. Mo called a great game, the defense played great ... it was one of those nights when everything seemed to work.”