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On a day when rookie Mike Trout was recognized as Baseball America's minor league player of the year, one of the Angels' beat writers posed an interesting question to manager Mike Scioscia: Do the Angels have the best center-field depth in baseball history?

Scioscia laughed, and wondered about the Yankees: "When they had DiMaggio playing and Mantle on the way up, that might be something."

The writers' point, though, was that the Angels have 12 Gold Gloves earned in center field on their roster -- Torii Hunter has nine and Vernon Wells has three -- and those two are third and fourth on the depth chart in center, behind Peter Bourjos and Trout.

A little bonus pregame coverage ... lineups from the series finale for the Angels, who have a chance to move back to within 2 1/2 games after Texas lost to Tampa Bay earlier today:

Mariners (59-82, fourth A.L. West, 21 games back)
Ichiro Suzuki, RF (.272, 3 HR, 36 RBIs)
Brendan Ryan, SS (.249, 3, 38)
Dustin Ackley, 2B (.304, 6, 34)
Mike Carp, LF (.282, 8, 34)
Justin Smoak, 1B (.227, 12, 45)
Miguel Olivo, C (.222, 16, 55)
Wily Mo Pena, DH (.235, 2, 6)
Trayvon Robinson, LF (.272, 1, 9)
Alex Liddi, 3B (.000, 0, 0; major-league debut)
Charlie Furbush, LHP (.2-4, 6.39 ERA)

Angels (77-65, second A.L. West, 3.5 games back)
Maicer Izturis, 3B (.277, 5, 31)
Peter Bourjos, CF (.274, 10, 35)
Howie Kendrick, 2B (.292, 15, 51)
Torii Hunter, DH (.266, 19, 75)
Mark Trumbo, 1B (.256, 26, 80)
Vernon Wells, LF (.219, 20, 54)
Mike Trout, RF (.238, 5, 14)
Erick Aybar, SS (.266, 7, 53)
Bobby Wilson, C (.198, 1, 7)
Jerome Williams, RHP (2-0, 4.58 ERA)

ANAHEIM -- A little bonus Angels coverage, with tonight's lineups and some pregame comments from Mike Scioscia:

White Sox (63-64, third AL Central, 6.5 games back)
Juan Pierre, LF (.284, 2 HR, 40 RBIs)
Alejandro De Aza, RF (.316, 1, 9)
Paul Konerko, DH (.317, 28, 86)
Alex Rios, CF (.214, 8, 31)
Alexi Ramirez , SS (.259, 13, 53)
Adam Dunn, 1B (.167, 11, 40)
Tyler Flowers, C (.310, 1, 3)
Brent Morel, 3B (.258, 2, 22)
Gordon Beckham, 2B (.238, 9, 34)
Zach Stewart, RHP (1-2, 3.74 ERA)

Angels (70-59, second AL West, 3.5 games back)
Peter Bourjos, CF (.285, 8 HR, 32 RBIs)
Alberto Callapso, 3B (.284, 5, 40)
Bobby Abreu, DH (.251, 6, 48)
Torii Hunter, RF (.259, 17, 65)
Mark Trumbo, 1B (.260, 23, 69)
Howie Kendrick, 2B (.294, 11, 42)
Vernon Wells, LF (.205, 17, 46)
Erick Aybar, SS (.259, 7, 44)
Jeff Mathis, C (.176, 2, 17)
Jered Weaver, RHP (14-6, 2.10 ERA)

ANAHEIM -- Before tonight's game with the White Sox, Mike Scioscia announced his pitching rotation for this weekend's crucial series at Texas.

Well, sort of.

"Dan (Haren) will pitch on Friday," Scioscia said.

And who comes after that?

ANAHEIM -- Tyler Chatwood may not be with the Angels, but the pitcher from Redlands East Valley is still clearly in the team's plans.

Manager Mike Scioscia offered an optimistic update on Chatwood's outing Sunday with Salt Lake, his first since being sent back to triple-A on Aug. 18. In the Bees' 6-5 win at Colorado Springs, Chatwood was the winning pitcher, giving up four earned runs in six innings. He allowed nine hits, struck out one and walked two.

"Velocity was good," Scioscia said. "Fastball command was improved. Threw some good breaking balls and tightened up the breaking ball with a little cutter look that he's been trying to develop. I think for the first time out, he felt comfortable with it.

ANAHEIM -- This was a game that will be talked about for a while. But could it be the type of game that the Angels eventually look back on as a turning point?

"Ask me in November," Mike Scioscia said, after the Angels took the Rangers' best punch and then came back with a haymaker of their own, answering Texas' five-run fifth with their own six-run sixth for a 9-8 victory over the team they're chasing for the American League West lead.

"Hopefully we'll be talking about it. But we have a long way to go."

But, as was noted in Thursday's column, this game and this comeback could well represent a four-game swing in the standings should Jered Weaver (12-4, 1.90) take care of business Thursday afternoon against the Rangers' C.J. Wilson (10-3, 3.11).

A loss Wednesday and the Angels would have had a six-game deficit, with the possibility of a seven-game difference by the close of business Thursday. Instead, if they win that 12:30 matinee they'll only trail by three.

"It says a lot about our team," said Howie Kendrick, who had four RBI and delivered the game-winning hit, a two-run single in the sixth. "There's a lot of character on this team, and we've all played together for a while. Everybody knows what everyone else is capable of doing. Tonight, everyone contributed and did their part."

After falling behind 8-3 -- when the Rangers sent 10 men to the plate and knocked Dan Haren out, with Josh Hamilton contributing an RBI single, Michael Young a two run double and Yorvit Torrealba a two-RBI double that Vernon Wells lost in the lights -- the Angels came back to the dugout and thought small.

"Things obviously were getting a little bit away from us," Scioscia said. "When guys got back to the dugout Mickey (Hatcher) was saying, 'Just get good at-bats, one at-bat after another. Get a couple of guys on, keep the inning going, pass the baton. We were able to do that."

Said Torii Hunter:

"Yeah, you do think small, because with nobody on you're going to hit a five-run (homer)? Can't do that. You gotta shorten your swing, work the count, try to get runners on base, try to make things happen."

Two plays early in the inning were critical. Kendrick doubled and Mark Trumbo followed with an RBI hit, and Rangers center fielder Endy Chavez made a misguided throw home on Trumbo's ball, allowing him to reach second. That meant that Bobby Wilson's subsequent grounder, which otherwise might have been a double play ball, moved Trumbo to third.

The other critical play? Mike Trout hit one into the hole, and shortstop Elvis Andrus made a fine stop and an accurate throw -- and Trout still beat it, with Trumbo scoring on the play.

"We don't have a time on it, but he was flying," Scioscia said.

He was flyin' home, too, on Erick Aybar's double to make it 8-6. Hunter followed with a bullet to second base, recording the second out of the inning but moving Aybar to third. Abreu drove him in with a single and stole second. Wells walked. Alberto Callaspo prolonged the inning with an infield single, and Kendrick ripped a single to center to give the Angels the lead.

Then, on a night where not many pitchers had clean innings, Scott Downs pitched two perfect innings to get the ball to closer Jordan Walden, who came at the Rangers in the ninth with heat, heat and more heat. Walden got Hamilton on a fly ball for the first out, struck out Adrian Beltre on a 100 mph fastball for the second out, gave up a double down the line to Young and wild pitched him to third, but fanned Nelson Cruz to nail it down and record his 22nd save.

In a year where the Angels' bullpen and particularly the middle guys have been uncharacteristically wobbly, Downs and Walden have been two bright spots. Downs hasn't surrendered a run at home in 19 appearances and now has a 1.36 ERA. Walden, with his save, tied the club record for a saves by a rookie, originally set by Ken Tatum in 1969.

"What Scotty Downs and Jordan Walden have done has been a season saver up to this point," Scioscia said before the game. "We wouldn't be talking about hopefully getting into a pennant race if it wasn't for what those guys did."

ANAHEIM -- Another day, another player sent back to the minors for further development.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia was quick to make a parallel between Tuesday's move sending down catcher Hank Conger and today's transaction, which sent reliever Michael Kohn to Salt Lake City. To take his place, the team purchased the contract of veteran left-hander Horacio Ramirez.

"Michael Kohn, almost in the same boat like Hank Conger, has terrific upside," Scioscia said, "but really needs to clean a couple things up. He made some strides when he went back down to the minor leagues earlier in the year. There are some things that are very clear that he needs to tighten up, and hopefully we'll see a better product when he gets another shot."

*--Adds Angels starter Haren, previously omitted.

The lineups for the second game in the three-game series between the first- and second-place teams in the West:

Rangers (56-41, first AL West)
Ian Kinsler, 2B (.254, 15 HRs, 37 RBIs)
Elvis Andrus, SS (.283, 3, 34)
Josh Hamilton, LF (.301, 13, 53)
Adrian Beltre, 3B (.270, 30, 74)
Michael Young, DH (.321, 8, 63)
David Murphy, RF (.247, 4, 18)
Yorvit Torrealba, C (.256, 3, 17)
Mitch Moreland, 1B (.262, 12, 27)
Endy Chavez, CF (.347, 4, 15)
Derek Holland, LHP (8-4, 4.32 ERA)

Angels (51-46, second AL West, 5.0 games back)
Erick Aybar, SS (.285, 7 HRs, 40 RBIs)
Torii Hunter, RF (.237, 11, 45)
Bobby Abreu, DH (.271, 3, 37)
Vernon Wells, LF (.218, 14, 35)
Alberto Callaspo, 3B (.289, 3, 33)
Howie Kendrick, 2B (.291, 8, 30)
Mark Trumbo, 1B (.259, 18, 43)
Bobby Wilson, C (.235, 0, 3)
Mike Trout, CF (.125, 0, 1)
Dan Haren, RHP (10-6, 2.75 ERA)

Also, the Angels made a roster move today, sending down reliever Michael Kohn and purchasing the contract of reliever Horacio Ramirez. More on that shortly.

ANAHEIM -- That head of steam the Angels built up before the All-Star break? Going, going gone.

They've lost four of five coming out of the break and lost four games in the standings in less than a week. They are now five games behind Texas in the American League West following Tuesday night's 7-0 loss, a game that was manageable through 7 2/3 innings but got out of hand in the last inning and a third, when young reliever Michael Kohn gave up three home runs.

Here's a hint: In five games they've scored 11 runs, and in the last 26 innings -- going back to the second game of Saturday's doubleheader -- they've scored two.

"We really need to get niternal and get into our game, no matter who we're playing," manager Mike Scioscia said after the Angels were handcuffed by Alexi Ogando (10-3) for eight innings and Darren Oliver for the ninth.

"We had a little more continuity going before the break. I don't think we were killing the ball, but we were driving the ball better, hitting some home runs and doing some situational things. Since we came out of the break obviously it's tough to get it going."

Before the break the Angels won 11 of 13 and moved within a game of the division lead.

Tyler Chatwood (5-6) had some control issues in his five innings, during which he allowed three runs and seven hits and walked four.

"I've got to cut down on walks," said the former Redlands East Valley star. "That's been an issue all season. I've got to stop trying to nitpick and just go after them.

This was a night of triumph for ex-in Angel Mike Napoli. Traded away to Toronto in the Vernon Wells deal, and then flipped to Texas days later, Napoli entered the night hitting .253 but with 13 home runs. He had two hits and two walks Tuesday night and scored twice.

"It was weird to walk in on the other side today," Napoli said. "But I'm a Texas Ranger now and I love it here.

"This is my new home and my new team, and I'm the enemy now."

ANAHEIM -- First pitch will be delayed by around 20 minutes tonight, but it's for a good cause. The ceremony to induct Gene Autry into the Angels' Hall of Fame has just begun.

Nolan Ryan just received a nice round of applause in absentia. Ryan, the Rangers' CEO, was scheduled to be here for the induction and to throw out the ceremonial first pitch as an Angels alumnus, but was hospitalized Monday because of chest pains and did not accompany the Rangers to Anaheim.

The lineups:

Texas (55-41)

Ian Kinsler 2b (.252, 15 HR, 36 RBI)
Elvis Andrus ss (.285, 3, 34)
Josh Hamilton lf (.294, 12, 52)
Adrian Beltre 3b (.268, 19, 72)
Michael Young dh (.321, 8, 62)
Nelson Cruz rf (.245, 21, 56)
Mitch Moreland 1b (.264, 12, 27)
Mike Napoli c (.253, 13, 34)
Endy Chavez cf (.342, 3, 13)
--
Alexi Ogando rhp (9-3, 2.92)

Angels (51-45)

Maicer Izturis 2b (.272, 4, 22)
Torii Hunter rf (.239, 11, 45)
Bobby Abreu dh (.275, 3, 37)
Vernon Wells cf (.221, 14, 35)
Alberto Callaspo 3b (.288, 3, 33)
Howie Kendrick lf (.294, 8, 30)
Erick Aybar ss (.285, 7, 40)
Mark Trumbo 1b (.255, 18, 43)
Jeff Mathis c (.194, 2, 12)
--
Tyler Chatwood rhp (5-5, 3.62)

Incidentally, to make room for the activation of Chatwood the Angels sent catcher Hank Conger to Salt Lake. Conger was hitting .214 in 50 games.

The Angels have forwarded a note originally dug up by ESPN: Russell Branyan's home run Sunday, the game-winner in a 3-1 defeat of the Dodgers and his first as an Angel, meant the veteran infielder-outfielder has now homered for 10 teams, one shy of the Major League record held by Matt Stairs.

Branyan's 191 career homers have come with Cleveland, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, San Diego, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Arizona and the Angels.

Stairs, who originally played with (but did not homer for) Montreal, has hit home runs with Boston, Oakland, the Cubs, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Texas, Detroit, Toronto, Philadelphia and San Diego. Stairs is now with Washington but has yet to homer with the Nationals.

ANAHEIM -- On their ninth try, the Dodgers finally delivered a hit with a runner in scoring position, as James Loney doubled in Rafael Furcal with two outs in the top of the sixth. Centerfielder Peter Bourjos nearly snared Loney's sinking line drive, but the ball bounced away from him, allowing Furcal to score while Loney advanced to second.

Dodger starter Chad Billingsley has allowed just one hit, striking out four and walking two, while throwing 68 pitches in six efficient innings. He has allowed just one run in his last 17 1/3 innings.

Ervin Santana has struck out eight and allowed five hits. The Dodgers have left seven on base, five in scoring position.

ANAHEIM -- The made-for-TV 5 p.m. start time, with its resulting shadows, is proving to be predictably difficult for hitters. The Dodgers have three hits off Ervin Santana while the Angels have just one off Chad Billingsley.

Reprising a familiar issue, the Dodgers are already 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position, having left runners at second or third in each inning. Santana has struck out five, including three straight in the second after James Loney and Aaron Miles singled to open the inning.

Lineups for the final game of interleague play, which marks the return of Dodger shortstop Rafael Furcal from the disabled list (Casey Blake has gone on the DL to make room for Furcal). It also features the teams' two All-Star position players -- centerfielder Matt Kemp and second baseman Howie Kendrick -- at positions other than the ones that earned them All-Star status:

Dodgers (37-47):
Tony Gwynn Jr., CF (.248, 0 HR, 12 RBIs)
Rafael Furcal, SS (.212, 1, 5)
Andre Ethier, RF (.322, 7, 41)
Matt Kemp, DH (.327, 22, 64)
James Loney, 1B (.271, 4, 28)
Aaron Miles, 3B (.324, 1, 21)
Trent Oeltjen, LF (.333, 1, 4)
A.J. Ellis, C (.258, 0, 5)
Jamey Carroll, 2B (.300, 0, 8)
Chad Billingsley, RHP (7-6, 4.22 ERA)

Angels (43-41):
Maicer Izturis, 2B (.290, 4 HR, 20 RBIs)
Erick Aybar, SS (.281, 5, 35)
Bobby Abreu, RF (.288, 3, 34)
Vernon Wells, LF (.212, 11, 28)
Howie Kendrick, 1B (.307, 8, 26)
Alberto Callaspo, 3B (.281, 3, 31)
Russell Branyan, DH (.171, 0, 2)
Hank Conger, C (.223, 4, 15)
Peter Bourjos, CF (.268, 3, 16)
Ervin Santana, RHP .3-8, 4.08)

Jered Weaver and Howie Kendrick will represent the Angels while Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershew were selected from the Dodgers for this year's All-Star Game, to be played July 13 in Phoenix. Reliever Heath Bell is the lone Padres selection.

Here are the full rosters, pending the fan balloting to determine the last player on each team:

ANAHEIM -- If Saturday night was the sole determining factor, and it likely isn't, Dee Gordon will be handed a plane ticket Sunday morning and told to go rejoin the Albuquerque Isotopes.

He yet may. Rafael Furcal comes off the disabled list Sunday, and as was noted in Sunday's notebook, Gordon may well be the logical candidate to go down, because (a) he's a shortstop and (b) Furcal's injury is the reason he came up in the first place.

The last two nights have been an example of the maddening quality of youth. Friday night Gordon was sensational, stealing two bases -- including home -- and making a back-to-the-infield catch of a pop fly into short center field.

Saturday night, in the Dodgers' 7-1 loss to the Angels, Jekyll came face to face with Hyde. Gordon committed two throwing errors, was picked off first base and was caught standing in the sixth on a bunt that he obviously thought was foul but that plate umpire CB Bucknor ruled fair. Gordon stood at the plate as Angels catcher Jeff Mathis whipped a throw to first for the out.

"Yeah, he's gotta run," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, who said he planned to address the issue with his young shortstop.

In his exit meeting, maybe?

"We haven't made a move yet," Mattingly said.

But he did address the possibility that Gordon might be the guy, when asked what he'd need to work on most to get back to the big leagues.

"You want him to learn every day and get better every day," Mattingly said. "You're going to see some good. We saw some excitement (Friday) night. And then (Saturday) night ... you have a guy who you know is going to be a good player, but he's going to have some tough plays."

The goal, he said, is "continuing to get better, to be more and more consistent. Three of the (five) errors he's committed have been kind of routine plays, balls that have been at him. He made a play in Minnesota the other day where he kind of overplayed it. He had a play early on against Houston where he just tried to throw quick and I think overestimated the guy's speed and threw the ball away. And then the play today (an Erick Aybar grounder in the hole on which he misfired, allowing Peter Bourjos to score). Three kind of routine day in and day out plays you want him to make.

"A guy like Dee is going to get to the balls that guys don't get to. But you need him to make that day in and day out play."

That was, in fact, part of the scouting report on him when he came up from Albuquerque -- makes the sensational play, occasionally kicks the routine play.

Would his spirit or confidence be affected if he went down? Tony Gwynn Jr. thinks not.

"Dee is one of the more headstrong young guys I've seen," Gwynn said. "Him and (Jerry) Sands are both pretty headstrong. So I don't think it's going to be an issue, if that (being sent down) is going to be the case. I think he'll just work on the things that he felt he needed to work on while he was up here, and he's just going to keep getting better.

"You're not just going to see him for a couple of weeks, then send him down and never see him again. He'll be back, and he'll probably be a lot better, too."

Then again ... they may make an entirely different move Sunday morning. Stay tuned.

ANAHEIM -- This was supposed to be another great pitcher's duel, on the order of the one Clayton Kershaw and Jered Weaver waged last Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

Instead, through four innings, it's a blowout for LA of A.

Kershaw has allowed eight hits in four innings. A throwing error by shortstop Dee Gordon, when he overshot catcher Dioner Navarro while trying to nab Jeff Mathis trying to score from third on a grounder, led to the Angels' first run in the third. Vernon Wells then slammed a two-run homer for a 3-0 Angels lead.

Then, in the fourth, Kershaw walked Alberto Callaspo and gave up an infield single to Peter Bourjos, a play on which replays suggested the throw actually beat the Angels' speedster.

After Kershaw speared Mathis' popped up bunt -- and Gordon saved him from an error on his leaping, whirling throw toward second -- Erick Aybar singled home one run and Bobby Abreu singled in two more, giving the Angels their 6-0 lead.

The Dodgers had one budding rally short-circuited in the fourth. Weaver walked Casey Blake and gave up a single to Andre Ethier, but Matt Kemp hit into an inning-ending double play.

They broke up Weaver's shutout in the fifth when James Loney doubled, took third on Aaron Miles' infield out and scored on Trent Oeltjen's sacrifice fly.

There has been no recurrence of the friction from Friday night, when four batters were hit and Angels' manager Mike Scioscia took particular umbrage over Hiroki Kuroda plunking Mark Trumbo in the seventh. The closest thing to an incident: Weaver buzzed Kemp with a 1-2 pitch in the second before striking him out, and Kemp walked away from the plate glaring at Weaver.

ANAHEIM -- The Dodgers' leadoff position has been a revolving door. Five players have occupied the top of the batting order, with none starting there for more than 25 games.

Tony Gwynn Jr. may be making a bid to change all that.

"We've tried so many different guys there at different times," manager Don Mattingly said, "and Tony's been one of those guys at different times. But it seems like this time, he's kind of taken charge a little bit."

In his last five games in the leadoff spot, he's batting an even .500 -- 10 for 20 -- after going 3 for 3 with three walks, two runs and an RBI in Friday's win at Anaheim. Gwynn thought the six times on base in a game might have been a personal record, but wasn't sure.

ANAHEIM -- Matt Kemp's fourth-inning sacrifice fly -- scoring Tony Gwynn Junior, who is 4 for 3 with a walk -- gave the Dodgers runs in their first four innings, which thus far has been ample support for Hiroki Kuroda.

Kuroda, who has lost six consecutive decisions, has allowed just three hits while stirking out three, walking one and hitting a batter.

Tyler Chatwood (Redlands East Valley) was lifted after Andre Ethier doubled to open the sixth. In five-plus innings, Chatwood gave up 12 hits, walked two and struck out one. All for runs against him are earned.

ANAHEIM -- Although they aren't exactly ripping the ball, the Dodgers have seven hits and have scored in each of the first three innings against Tyler Chatwood.

Tony Gwynn led off with a double and scored (on a sac fly by Andre Ethier) in the first, and drove in a run in the second with an opposite-field blooper. Aaron Miles had an RBI blooper in the third to score Ethier, who had singled.

Dodger starter Hiroki Kuroda -- who has already received more run support than in five of his last six starts -- has allowed two hits and a walk. He also hit one batter: Torii Hunter, who left the game with a contusion on the top of his left hand. Hunter has been taken for precautionary X-rays.

ANAHEIM -- Tonight's game against the Dodgers marks the first time in his brief major-league career that Tyler Chatwood has faced the same opponent in consecutive starts, prompting a question to pitching coach Mike Butcher: Where does the line come between giving opponents a different look and staying true to your best stuff?

"I think he's going to stick true to what his stuff is," Butcher said, "what he can command, what he can control, and go out there and pitch his game. The adjustments you make, you might make adjustments on guys you might attack a little bit differently, but your overall game plan's going to be relatively similar to what it's been the whole year. Just because you faced a team a week ago doesn't mean you have to change your game and have a different game plan going into it."

Lineups for tonight's opener of the three-game set between the solvent and insolvent, wrapping up interleague play:

Dodgers (36-46)
Tony Gwynn Jr., LF (.239, 0 HR, 11 RBIs)
Casey Blake, 3B (.246, 4, 18)
Andre Ethier, RF (.318, 7, 40)
Matt Kemp, CF (.331, 22, 63)
James Loney, 1B (.276, 4, 28)
Aaron Miles, 2B (.311, 1, 20)
Trent Oeltjen, DH (.381, 1, 3)
A.J. Ellis, C (.286, 0, 5)
Dee Gordon, SS (.243, 0, 4)
Hiroki Kuroda, RHP (5-9, 3.10 ERA)

Angels (42-40)
Maicer Izturis, 3B (.295, 4, 20)
Toriii Hunter, RF (.239, 8, 39)
Bobby Abreu, DH (.289, 3, 32)
Vernon Wells, LF (.216, 10, 26)
Howie Kendrick, 2B (.305, 8, 26)
Erick Aybar, SS (.283, 5, 33)
Mark Trumbo, 1B (.258, 13, 35)
Hank Conger, C (.230, 4, 15)
Peter Bourjos, CF (.263, 3, 16)
Tyler Chatwood, RHP (5-4, 3.64 ERA)

Chatwood 1

ANAHEIM -- It wasn't just the shadows, as Dan Haren was quick to point out. But they didn't hurt.

Taking advantage of the lengthening shadows in the latter stages of a 4 p.m. start, Haren tossed 7 1/3 innings Wednesday, and the bullpen did the rest in a 1-0 win over Washington that gave the Angels a sweep of the interleague series.

"The shadows definitely come in as the game progresses, so it's nice to have a lead come the late innings," Haren said. "The hitters said it's definitely tough to see. I went to more off-speed stuff toward the end of the game, too, but I was able to do that because I had established the fastball."

ANAHEIM -- In an almost offense-free game, the Angels lead thanks to an unearned run in the fourth. The Angels have just two hits off Jordan Zimmerman -- neither of them figuring in the run -- while Washington has just one hit off Dan Haren.

The run came as Bobby Abreu walked. Vernon Wells followed with a fielder's-choice grounder to third, but Ryan Zimmerman threw the ball into right field, allowing Abreu to move to third and score on a double-play grounder by Howie Kendrick.

Brian Bixler's bunt single in the fourth is the only Washington hit. Alberto Callaspo's throw as he charged the bunt was off-line, allowing Bixler to go to second, but the play was scored as a hit and error.

ANAHEIM -- The pitchers have the upper hand in the early stages of this late afternoon start. Angel starter Dan Haren has retired all nine Washington batters he's faced, striking out three, while Washington's Jordan Zimmerman has allowed just two hits.

Alberto Callaspo's two-out single in the second and Peter Bourjos' leadoff single in the third account for the Anaheim offense. The Angels were unable to advance Bourjos.