Angels salvage finale

By Chris Ruddick, MLB Contributing Editor

Angels team report

(Sports Network) - After getting pounded on consecutive nights by the New York Yankees, the Angels did something on Thursday that no other team in the league had been able to do this season.

Beat a Yankee starting pitcher.

Bengie Molina belted a three-run homer and Tim Salmon added a solo shot, leading Anaheim to a 6-2 victory over the Yankees to salvage the finale of their three-game set at Edison Field.

Troy Glaus drove in two runs and Ramon Ortiz earned the win for the Angels, who snapped a three-game slide and won for only the third time in their last 10.

"We're very happy with Ramon's performance, going five good innings against those guys," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "That's what we need from our starters."

Ortiz (3-2) limited the potent Yankee offense to just two runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings He also struck out five and walked a batter.

"They have a lot of good hitters, but I was making my pitches," said Ortiz.

New York, which lost in four games to the Angels in last year's ALDS, had outscored Anaheim 17-5 in the first two games, racking up 27 hits in the process.

What makes Thursday's win even more impressive is the fact that the 'L' next to Andy Pettitte's name after the game was the first a New York starter has seen this season, bringing a close to one of the most remarkable streaks to ever start a season. The Yankee rotation had won a modern day record 17 straight decisions to open the 2003 campaign.

New York starters had also recorded wins in 20 straight regular-season decisions dating back to last season, breaking the previous AL record of 18 set by the 1906 Chicago White Sox. New York finished three wins short of the major league record posted by the 1916 New York Giants.

"They're as billed," Scioscia said. "They've been pitching as well as any group of guys can for the first month of the season."

SARS CONCERNS

Anaheim starting pitcher Kevin Appier spoke out recently on his concerns about playing a three-game set in Toronto next week. Appier, currently on the disabled list, is worried about the threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome, which has been linked to 16 deaths in the Toronto area.

"I'd say there are enough cases up there for it to be a concern," Appier said. "I think we should just switch and play that series here and move the one scheduled later in the season up there,"

Major League Baseball stated on Thursday that teams should be cautious while in the area. MLB's medical advisor, Dr. Elliot Pelllman told the New York Times that he will conduct conference calls with the trainers of the teams that will play in Toronto up through the All-Star Game break in mid-July.

"The fact is SARS is there," Pellman told the paper. "The other fact is there are 11 1/2 million people in Ontario, 2 1/2 million in the greater Toronto area. Take those figures and it's not an epidemic or the black plague. With proper precaution there is very little risk. Is there some risk? Yes."

WHO'S HOT

Brad Fullmer did not play in Wednesday's game, but is riding a seven-game hitting streak. He is 13-for-25 in that span with three RBI. He is hitting .417 on the season.

WHO'S NOT

Eric Owens has just three hits in his last nine games and is hitting .243.

COMING UP

The Angels close their nine-game homestand this weekend with a three-game set against the Boston Red Sox. After that Anaheim will hit the road for six games with a pair of three-game stops in Cleveland and Toronto.

04/25 14:35:29 ET