Pitching Concern As Angels Lose Third Straight

Updated 11:30 PM PST, Mon, Jun 22, 2009

Print Email Share TWITTER FACEBOOK

Getty Images

Suddenly, pitching is a concern for the Angels.

Before Monday’s game, the Angels placed right-hander Ervin Santana on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 12, and recalled right-hander Sean O'Sullivan from Triple-A Salt Lake to start Tuesday night's game against Ubaldo Jimenez.

Hopefully O’Sullivan can keep the ball out of the dirt. During the game Monday the Angles threw six wild pitches, tying a club record.

Colorado’s Brad Hawpe celebrated his 30th birthday with a three-run homer, Seth Smith also went deep and the Colorado Rockies beat the Los Angeles Angels 11-1 for their 17th victory in 18 games and club-record ninth straight on the road.

All the Angels wild pitches came with Jeff Napoli behind the plate. One was by Rafael Rodriguez in the seventh inning that allowed Troy Tulowitzki to score, one by Jason Bulger in the ninth that enabled Ian Stewart to come home. The Halos also had six wild pitches on April 13, 1991 at Minnesota.

The loss was the first of the season for 30-year-old rookie Matt Palmer. Palmer (6-1) threw 93 pitches in 4 2-3 innings, giving up six runs and seven hits. The right-hander was trying to join Jered Weaver as the only pitches in Angels history to win their first seven decisions with the club. Palmer is 1-1 with a 5.16 ERA over his last five starts, after winning each of his first five.

The Angels have lost three straight following a season-best seven-game winning streak.

Colorado, 8-2 this season against AL teams, opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI single by Ian Stewart and a two-run single by designated hitter Seth Smith.

Kendry Morales got the Angels on the board in the fourth with a two-out homer, but the Rockies increased the margin to 6-1 in the fifth with Hawpe's 11th homer.

Colorado made it 8-1 in the sixth when Smith hit his fifth home run and Helton added a two-out RBI double.