Angels Classic Rewind | Dateline: June 14th, 2002

[AngelsWin.com]

By Joe Haakenson, AngelsWin.com Contributor - 

JUNE 14, 2002

GAME 64 - ANGELS AT DODGERS

LOS ANGELES – After an off-day, the Angels offense got busy early, allowing starting pitcher Ramon Ortiz to settle in and lead the Angels to an 8-4 win over the Dodgers before 51,722 at Dodger Stadium.

The Angels scored three runs in the third inning and again the fourth to give Ortiz a cushion, and he went on to pitch a complete-game four hitter.

The Angels had 11 hits in all, including three each from Darin Erstad and Bengie Molina, two hits from Tim Salmon and Garret Anderson’s 14th home run of the season.

The Angels kept pace with the Seattle Mariners in the A.L. West, remaining one game out.

NOTEBOOK

LOS ANGELES -- The Angels made a move to bolster their bullpen Friday, promoting Scot Shields from Triple-A Salt Lake and releasing Donne Wall.

Wall, in his eighth major league season, was 0-0 with a 6.43 ERA in 17 games this season. He gave up a three-run double to Pokey Reese in a loss to the Pirates last Tuesday in his last appearance with the Angels.

Angels general manager Bill Stoneman and manager Mike Scioscia, though, said Wall's release had more to do with the current state of the bullpen rather than Wall's inconsistent pitching.

``The reason it didn't work out was as much everybody's fault in the bullpen as it was Donne Wall's,'' Stoneman said. ``Donne's role was to come into games that weren't on the line, either we were ahead by a lot or behind by a lot. But with the rest of the guys struggling -- other maybe than Troy (Percival) -- Mike's options were limited and it showed.''

In Shields, the Angels have someone who is more versatile out of the bullpen, able to pitch more innings at a time than Wall. Shields, 26, was 2-2 with a 3.06 ERA at Salt Lake, which included a spot start.

``He has a live arm and he has his career ahead of him,'' Stoneman said of Shields. ``He might be what the doctor ordered.''

Shields made his major league debut with the Angels last season, giving up one unearned run and eight hits in 11 innings in eight appearances.

``I didn't expect it one bit,'' Shields said of his call-up. ``They've been playing real well up here. It's a surprise for me to be here, but I'm ecstatic about it.''

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First baseman/DH Shawn Wooten hit soft toss Friday, testing the strained muscle on his right side. Wooten hopes to begin taking live batting practice sometime next week and possibly begin a rehab assignment by the end of next week.

Scioscia, though, is taking the cautious approach. Wooten hasn't played all season, injuring his thumb in spring training, requiring surgery, and then hurting his side on a rehab assignment on May 31.

``He'll pick it up every day, based on how he feels,'' Scioscia said. ``I hope we're talking within weeks now, not months.''

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Darin Erstad's three hits Friday gave him 999 hits in his career. His 132 hits in interleague play ranks first in the majors. … Going into Friday's game, David Eckstein had struck out only once in his previous 60 at-bats. He strikes out once every 19.5 at-bats this season, third best in the American League. ... Garret Anderson's home run in the sixth inning Friday extended his hitting streak to eight games. Anderson holds the club record, hitting in 28 straight games in 1998.

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