Misery Has Lots of Company

KANSAS CITY, Mo. â€”  The Angels unleashed their fury on first base umpire C.B. Bucknor, whose blown call enabled the Kansas City Royals to extend a ninth inning that ended with Gregg Zaun’s two-out, game-winning RBI single Thursday night. But that was nothing compared to the assault Angel left fielder Darin Erstad launched after the Royals’ 2-1 victory before 12,159 in Kauffman Stadium drove another dagger in the Angels’ dying playoff hopes. Erstad’s target: Himself.

“That was the worst performance of my life, in any sport,� Erstad said after going hitless in five at-bats and stranding 10 baserunners. “That’s embarrassing. I can count on one hand how many times that has happened. I let the team down.�

A three-game sweep at the hands of one of baseball’s worst teams left the Angels nine games behind Oakland in the wild-card race with 28 to go. Reliever Al Levine walked two in the fateful ninth, and the Angels went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

But no one took the loss harder than Erstad, who flied to shallow left with one out and a runner on third base in the third inning, and grounded out to second with two on to end the fifth, two on to end the seventh and the bases loaded to end the ninth.

“It hurts, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time,� said Erstad, whose average slipped to .262, .236 with runners in scoring position.

“There’s no excuse for it. I’ll turn the page, but right now, this one stings. I’m not a quitter, though. I’ll play until I’m not breathing any more. That’s just the way it is.�

The Angels were convinced they’d live to play at least one more inning Thursday night.

With the score tied, 1-1, one out and runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth, Mark Quinn chopped a grounder to short. Benji Gil fielded the ball and flipped to second baseman Adam Kennedy to start what appeared to be an inning-ending double play. But Bucknor ruled Quinn safe at first. Levine fumed at Bucknor, and Manager Mike Scioscia rushed onto the field to argue.

Replays showed Quinn was out by half a step. Zaun then slapped a 1-and-1 pitch into left field for the game-winner.

Bucknor declined comment after the game. The Angels didn’t. “We didn’t do our jobs all night, but that inning, we did our job,� Gil said. “Al got the double-play ball, we turned it, that’s it. [Bucknor] is human, he’s allowed to make mistakes, but the only way you miss that call is if you’re not anticipating the play. If he’s a major league umpire, he should be good enough to not miss that call.�

First baseman Scott Spiezio, when asked if the play was even close: “Not in my opinion.� Levine: “I didn’t have to watch the replay; I knew he was out. If his job is that tough, why do it? It’s human error. Things like that happen. Unfortunately, it cost us the game.�

What did Levine say to Bucknor after the play?

“I said he’s the best umpire in the world,� Levine said facetiously. “Really, I can’t repeat it.� Levine appeared to bark at Bucknor after Zaun’s game-winning hit, but he said he actually bit his tongue.

“I didn’t say anything, because all they’ll do is hold it against you,� Levine said. “That’s not going to help.�

What would help is an occasional clutch hit, better offensive execution and more pitching performances like the one Jarrod Washburn provided Thursday.

The Angel left-hander gave up one run on seven hits in 7 1/3 innings to snap a string of nine shaky starts in which the Angel rotation went 0-5 with an 8.49 earned-run average.

Washburn’s only blemish was Carlos Febles’ sixth-inning homer, which gave the Royal leadoff batter four homers in the series and wiped out a 1-0 lead the Angels forged on Troy Glaus’ 35th homer of the season in the top of the sixth.

But the Angels couldn’t get Gil home from third with no outs in the third, Gil failed to drop a sacrifice bunt before grounding into a rally killing double play in the seventh, and they failed to capitalize on two Royal errors.