Two Wrongs Don’t Make Angels Right : Baseball: First-inning error by Schofield and short, wild night for McCaskill add up to 4-1 loss to the Athletics.

The Angels and Oakland Athletics were on the field for 2 hours 42 minutes Friday night, but the last 2 hours 27 minutes mattered little.

The Angels’ chances of defeating the Athletics and Bob Welch slipped away in the first inning. With Fred Manrique on first base after a walk, Dave Henderson hit a grounder to the shortstop side of second base. Dick Schofield fielded it on the run and tried to flip the ball to second baseman Luis Sojo, who tried to catch the ball with his bare hand. The ball dribbled away, and with it the Angels’ hopes.

Given an extra out, the Athletics went on to score four unearned runs, three on Willie Wilson’s bases-loaded triple. With Welch in top form, that was all the Athletics needed for a 4-1 victory before 40,262 at the Oakland Coliseum.

“That was the game, the first 15 minutes,” said Schofield, who was charged with an error for his throw.

“It’s not a guaranteed double play, but we had (Manrique out) at second. . . . I

know where he (Sojo) is. I just flipped it. He was trying to make a great play barehanded and make the double play. I’ve just got to get rid of it, give him a good throw.”

Sojo accepted the blame. “I’m supposed to catch it with my glove because we have a chance to make a double play,” he said. “I messed up.”

The Angels couldn’t afford such lapses, not with Kirk McCaskill (2-2) issuing six walks in 4 1/3 innings in his second successive loss to the Athletics and Welch (2-1). It was the Angels’ fourth loss in their last five games and their fourth loss to Oakland in five meetings this season.

Welch defeated the Angels for the ninth consecutive time despite striking out no one in eight innings. He has worked with catcher Terry Steinbach this season, but Friday had Jamie Quirk as a target because Steinbach was sick with flu. Welch didn’t suffer for the change. He didn’t walk anyone, but he did hit Sojo in the fourth inning and Schofield in the eighth. Neither was injured.

“I didn’t throw to Jamie at all in spring training, just once on the side,” said Welch, who gave up five hits. “We had good communication.”

Said Quirk: “I found out tonight it isn’t the catcher who gets him 27 wins--it’s the pitcher. Bob Welch is a great pitcher.”

Even Angel Manager Doug Rader, who is reluctant to comment on opposing players, acknowledged Welch’s ability.

“He’s been a very good pitcher for a long time,” Rader said. “You give up four runs and come back against a very good pitching staff like they have, it’s a very difficult thing to do. (The first inning) pretty much set the tone for the ballgame and that’s unfortunate.”

Manrique, who was released by the Angels during spring training, walked on five pitches to start the inning. He went to second on Henderson’s grounder, and both runners moved up on Canseco’s grounder to short. Harold Baines struck out, but McCaskill walked Mark McGwire to load the bases. Wilson, who had a career .211 average against McCaskill, cleared them with a triple to right. He scored on Quirk’s single to left.

“I just never got it going,” said McCaskill, who walked six in seven innings in his last loss to Oakland, on April 15 at Anaheim Stadium. “In the past I’ve thrown pretty good against these guys. I was just trying to be a little too fine. It was the same problem I had last time. I just never got comfortable out there.”

The Angels scored their only run in the fourth inning when Sojo was hit by a pitch, went to second on Wally Joyner’s single to left and scored on Dave Parker’s single to center.

Welch coasted after that, and Dennis Eckersley retired the Angels in order in the ninth inning to earn his sixth save.

“Welch is a good pitcher,” Schofield said. “It seems like every time we played Oakland in spring training, he pitched. In Anaheim, he pitched. He’s good.”