Zero Hour for Washburn

CHICAGO —  Jarrod Washburn’s string of 145 starts without a shutout, which the Angel left-hander ended with a four-hitter in a 12-0 win over the White Sox on Wednesday, was the second-longest streak without a shutout to begin a major league career since 1900.

The longest streak belongs to San Francisco Giant right-hander Jason Schmidt, who started 163 games without a shutout before blanking Arizona on May 28, 2002. Schmidt started the 2003 All-Star game and might get the start for the National League in Tuesday’s All-Star game.

“See? Good pitchers wait a long time for their first shutout,” Washburn said. “Of course, that guy’s got about 15 shutouts since then. I don’t want to wait another 145 games until my next one.”

Since leaving a June 20 game at Houston after two innings because of upper-back and neck spasms, Washburn shut out the Dodgers for seven innings in a 13-0 win June 25, gave up six runs in 5 1/3 innings of a 7-3 loss to Oakland on July 1, and threw what Manager Mike Scioscia called the best game of his career Wednesday.

Washburn has been undergoing chiropractic treatments on his neck and back, “and everything’s back in the right place,” he said. “The pain and the spasms are out of there. This is the best I’ve ever felt physically going into the All-Star break.”

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Though a shoulder injury might jeopardize Yankee right fielder Gary Sheffield’s All-Star availability, Angel left fielder Jose Guillen, who tied Sheffield for the final American League outfield spot but was edged out because Sheffield got more first-place votes, said he would decline an invitation to the game if Sheffield bowed out.

“No, no, no, no, that’s my final word, I’m not changing my mind, I’m going home to the Dominican Republic,” said Guillen, who is batting .297 with 15 homers and 63 runs batted in. “I appreciate the support from the fans and my teammates, but I’m not changing my mind. Maybe next year I’ll put up the numbers and people will realize I belong there.”

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ON DECK

Opponent -- Toronto Blue Jays, three games.

Site -- SkyDome, Toronto.

TV -- PAX today and Sunday.

Radio -- KSPN (710), KTNQ (1020).

Records -- Angels 44-40, Blue Jays 39-46.

Record vs. Blue Jays -- 0-3.

Tonight, 4 PDT -- Bartolo Colon (5-8, 6.57) vs. Roy Halladay (7-5, 3.83).

Saturday, 1 p.m. -- Kelvim Escobar (4-5, 3.94) vs. Ted Lilly (7-5, 4.01).

Sunday, 10 a.m. -- John Lackey (6-8, 4.85) vs. Miguel Batista (8-5, 3.85).