Angels’ Slip-Ups Benefit Mariners

The early returns are in, and the Angels are far from conceding their playoff aspirations despite a somewhat exasperating start in which they lost more times than they won during a stretch of 19 games against the American League West.

The Angels remain ahead of last season’s wild-card pace even after a disappointing 7-6 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday in front of 28,942 at Edison Field dropped them below .500 for the eighth time this year.

Nevertheless, there are signs that these Angels (9-10) might have greater difficulty turning things around than the bunch that won 93 of its final 142 games in 2002. The starting pitching has displayed no consistency, compiling a 6.08 earned-run average. The offense has underachieved in critical situations and the defense could be best described as spotty.

“We might have played better last year when we started 6-14,” said Jarrod Washburn, the latest Angel starter to achieve mediocrity by giving up four runs in 6 1/3 innings Sunday. “We really didn’t play that bad [then]. We had a lot of games we could have won, and we had a lot of games where we just didn’t get a big hit.

“We’re making mistakes this year that aren’t typical of our team.... For the most part, I don’t think anyone in this room is pleased with how we’re playing baseball so far.”

Especially not Julio Ramirez. The reserve outfielder made three crucial mistakes Sunday after entering as a pinch-runner in the bottom of the eighth inning. A baserunning blunder kept the Angels from turning a three-run rally into something bigger; an errant throw off the pitcher’s mound allowed a runner to advance; and a pop-up on a sacrifice bunt attempt in the ninth helped seal the defeat.

The gaffes loomed large for the Angels, who have lost two consecutive series and five of their last seven games.

“I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who feels worse about it than Julio,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “In Julio’s defense, he hasn’t been out there a lot, and at times you have to get into the flow of a game and a season to execute and create things.”

The Angels had trimmed a 5-2 deficit to 5-3 when Ramirez entered the game to run for Tim Salmon, who had just driven home David Eckstein with the Angels’ third consecutive single to open the eighth against reliever Jeff Nelson.

Garret Anderson followed with a single against Arthur Rhodes that appeared to load the bases, but Ramirez, who had rounded second base with his head down, was thrown out by John Olerud after being caught drifting too far toward third. Troy Glaus later walked to load the bases and Shawn Wooten followed with a flare in front of Mike Cameron in center field to tie the score.

Bret Boone, who had homered in the fifth, led off the ninth with a double against Troy Percival that Ramirez fielded in left-center field. Ramirez might have had a play on Boone at second, but his throw was well wide of the bag. Olerud drove in the go-ahead run with a single and took second when Ramirez’s throw home bounced off the mound and carried all the way to the backstop. Olerud went to third on Mike Cameron’s fly ball to right and came home when Eric Owens’ throw to third skipped past Glaus and into the stands.

Eckstein got the crowd salivating over the prospects of a second consecutive comeback victory -- the Angels rallied with three runs in the ninth to defeat the Mariners on Saturday -- when he led off the bottom of the inning with a double down the left-field line. Scott Spiezio pulled the Angels to within a run when he drove in Eckstein with a single to right against closer Kazuhiro Sasaki, who had blown a save opportunity Saturday.

But Ramirez popped up his bunt attempt, catcher Dan Wilson cradling it in his glove for the first out. Glaus singled one out later to move Spiezio to second, but Brad Fullmer struck out on a full count to end the game.

Ramirez declined to comment after the loss, which dropped the Angels two games behind the Mariners (11-8).