Situation Gets Even Cloudier for the Angels

The World Series champions would collect three hits and score once against the virtually impregnable Eric Gagne in the ninth inning, but moral victories are not what they need as they approach the midpoint of a 162-game schedule.

They need the real thing, but they have lost seven of their last nine games, are 35-37 only a year after being 42-29 on this date, and they have generally become spectators to the division and wild-card races.

The inconsistency that has haunted the Angels for almost three months now continued in this latest loss. Another starting pitcher contributed to another early deficit, and the offense wasted several chances to rally against the Andy Ashby/Wilson Alvarez back end of the Dodger rotation.

Only two days after Tim Salmon, concerned about his team's direction and focus, had called a players-only meeting in Seattle, Angel Manager Mike Scioscia conducted his own team meeting, seemingly at odds with his postgame contention that he hasn't seen any of his players coming to the park burdened by the previous game's "baggage."

Said batting coach Mickey Hatcher: "It was a positive meeting. We simply wanted to remind them that what we're going through right now is part of the game. We also wanted to remind them that part of our game is making things happen, not waiting for them to happen.

"Basically, we've performed poorly in that regard. We're not playing aggressively, not playing Angel baseball. We became world champions with a style of play that attracted national attention. Win or lose, we have to get back to that."

It's a team game, but the burden of that style falls heaviest on the catalytic top of the Angel lineup, and no one feels the weight of that burden more than leadoff man David Eckstein.

A year ago, when he was batting .293 with a .363 on-base percentage during the regular season and collecting 25 hits in 16 postseason games, more than one manager and/or opposing pitcher identified the smallest Angel as a pest.

Now, they have been doing a consistent job of eradicating him.

Eckstein was hitless in five at-bats Saturday. He is hitting .232 for the season, .175 in June. He has two hits in his last 27 at-bats, his on-base percentage dropping below .320.

No longer a problem for opposing managers, he has become one for his own.