Losses Continue to Pile Up as Angels Reach New Depths

The Angels showed Saturday that if they combine bad pitching and horrendous defense with their usual punchless offense, they can look even more pathetic than they have for the last month.

And that’s not easy.

In a game that was shoddy even by the Angels’ third-rate standards and an eyesore for those who bothered to waste a Saturday afternoon tuning in on national television, the Boston Red Sox shredded the mistake-prone Angels, 14-3, before 36,577 at Edison Field.

Angel starter Tim Belcher returned from a six-week stint on the disabled list and was ripped for seven runs--five earned--and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings. Mike Fyhrie provided little relief, giving up two runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings, and left-hander Mike Holtz gave up five consecutive hits--three doubles and two singles--and four runs without retiring a batter in the eighth.

Sure-handed Angel shortstop Gary DiSarcina made two fielding errors, his first two-error game since June 25, 1997, and only the fifth of his eight-year career, paving the way to unearned Red Sox runs in the first and second innings.

Promising young catcher Ben Molina suffered a mental lapse in the third inning, getting caught out of position on a play at the plate, allowing Boston to score a run that proved inconsequential but showed Molina has some growing up to do.

And the Angels managed only six hits against Red Sox right-hander Pat Rapp (4-5), who gave up one run and struck out five in seven innings and probably had Boston ace Pedro Martinez salivating at the thought of facing this feeble Angel lineup tonight.

The Angels have lost 18 of 23 games since the All-Star break, and they fell 20 games behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West.

And it’s only Aug. 8, with 53 games to play.

“We’re getting some personnel back,” Belcher said, “but you almost wonder if we brought in Hank Aaron and Lefty Grove, how much of a difference that would make. When you get in a funk, you’re in a funk.

“We can’t continue to play like this and go into the winter feeling good about ourselves. We’ve got to find something to play for, and for us, it’s our sanity.”

The Red Sox pounded five Angel pitchers for 19 hits, including seven doubles, and the game was so lopsided that Angel Manager Terry Collins said his next pitcher out of the bullpen would have been catcher Matt Walbeck.

“Do you ever want to see a position player pitch?” DiSarcina said when asked about the prospect of Walbeck taking the mound. “That’s a pretty good sign that the game is out of hand.”

DiSarcina played a part in the game getting out of hand, booting Nomar Garciaparra’s first-inning grounder and Reggie Jefferson’s second-inning grounder, rare defensive lapses that helped Boston take an early lead.

“I stunk today, and when you stink, you stink,” DiSarcina said before returning to the field for the Angels’ annual family game. “It’s a tough day. You play one of the worst games of your career and then you have to chase your kids around in the family game on the same field you just stunk it up on.”

DiSarcina’s errors were costly, and his low throw to first on Jose Offerman’s third-inning, bases-loaded infield single was the beginning of a strange play that caught Molina off guard.

Offerman beat the throw, but first baseman Darin Erstad alertly spun toward the plate and threw in plenty of time to catch Jason Varitek, who was trying to score from second.

But Molina was a few feet up the first base line, and when he caught the ball, he made a motion as if to throw to third base. Molina then made a late rush toward Varitek, who tiptoed to the plate, giving Boston a 7-0 lead.

That was the final run charged to Belcher, who hadn’t pitched since June 26 because of a broken right pinky finger but said he felt strong.

“I felt OK, I felt normal, it was like riding a bike,” he said. “It was just a hell of a crash, with no training wheels.”