Homers Spoil Home Debut of Newest Angel in 5-2 Loss

Not even a healthy Jim Edmonds could have saved the Angels on Monday night.

The Angel center fielder, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained rib cage, has made more than his share of spectacular catches this season. But like replacement Garret Anderson, he would have been reduced to spectator status when three Milwaukee batters slammed home runs over the center-field fence during a four-run fourth inning.

So the Angels lost their center-field safety net and “one of the premier players in the game,” in Manager Terry Collins’ estimation. Then they lost their cool and Tony Phillips was ejected for arguing a called third strike. And finally they lost the game to the Brewers, 5-2, in front of 16,426 at Anaheim Stadium.

“We’re just not swinging the bat very well,” Collins said after being informed that the first four batters in the lineup were a combined 0 for 16. “We just never got it going.”

Angel starter Ken Hill probably had his doubts while walking to the mound for the first inning. The veteran right-hander, acquired from Texas on Tuesday, had been on this hill twice this season, but not for long on either occasion. He lasted only three innings June 24, giving up five hits and three runs, and then had a shorter, even more unpleasant experience three weeks later when the Angels pounded him for seven hits and five runs in 1 2/3 innings.

But he seemed to have finally found a comfort zone and retired eight batters in a row before Jose Valentin slammed a 1-and-1 delivery over the wall in left-center field leading off the fourth inning. One out later, Dave Nilsson deposited a 1-and-1 pitch in almost the same spot, and then Jeromy Burnitz tied a club record with his fourth homer in as many games to make it 3-1.

“The first two pitches were pretty decent, down and away, and they just caught them good,” catcher Chad Kreuter said. “The one to Burnitz was a little more over the plate than we wanted.”

Hill called all three pitches mistakes.

“I felt good,” he said, “but this is the major leagues and these hitters will make you pay for your mistakes.”

The Brewers, who have won 10 of their last 12 games, showed they could play “little ball” as well as long ball, manufacturing the fourth run of the fourth inning when Gerald Williams beat out a grounder to shortstop, stole second and scored on Todd Dunn’s ground-ball single to left.

Milwaukee left-hander Scott Karl (7-10) retired the Angels in order in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings, gave up only one earned run and struck out six in six innings.

Todd Greene led off the seventh with a double off the wall in left-center and Anderson followed with a single to left on an 0-and-2 pitch to put runners on first and third.

Milwaukee Manager Phil Garner decided to replace Karl with Bob Wickman, who promptly made it seem a wise decision. He got Kreuter to hit into a double play, with Greene scoring the Angels’ second run. Luis Alicea grounded out to end the inning.

It was a hot, sticky evening, the kind of night when tempers sometimes flare. Phillips went ballistic after Ray DiMuro called him out on strikes on a 3-and-2 pitch, ending the fifth inning with Kreuter on third.

Phillips slammed his bat down and went chest-to-chest with DiMuro, who wasted no time in ejecting him.

“We don’t want Tony getting thrown out in the fifth inning, but that’s Tony and it’s going to happen,” Collins said. “It was a big situation. If that’s ball four, then we have a couple runners on with the two, three and four hitters coming up. And those are the situations we’ve been taking advantage of all year.”

But the confrontation with DiMuro was the only fire the Angels could muster and they went weakly into this humid night, suffering only their third defeat in the last 14 games.