Angels Survive a Fright, but Fall in the 13th Inning

Young outfielder Mike Colangelo was still standing Sunday night, which was more than you could say for the Angels, whose wobbly offense managed only one run and nine hits in 13 innings of a 3-1 interleague loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks before 29,176 in Edison Field.

Tony Womack’s hit-and-run double off reliever Mark Petkovsek scored pinch-runner Hanley Frias with the go-ahead run in the top of the 13th, and the Diamondbacks added an insurance run on Jay Bell’s sacrifice fly.

Arizona closer Gregg Olson then retired the side in order in the bottom of the 13th, ending a game that featured a scary head-on collision between Colangelo and teammate Reggie Williams, the impact of which sent Colangelo to the hospital.

Colangelo, in his big league debut after being recalled from triple-A Edmonton Saturday, suffered a mild concussion and an injury to his left thumb, but X-rays of his spine were normal.

“I have a little headache,” Colangelo, 22, said after the game, “but other than that, I’m OK.”

He didn’t look OK in the seventh inning. With Matt Williams on first and no outs in a scoreless tie, Steve Finley lofted a fly ball between Williams in center field and Colangelo in left, and both outfielders sprinted toward the gap.

Though the ball was tailing toward Colangelo, Williams felt he had the right of way, but as soon as he made the backhand catch, he hit Colangelo in full stride.

Williams survived, but Colangelo remained face down in the turf for about 10 minutes, his upper body motionless and his legs occasionally twitching in pain.

Angel athletic trainer Ned Bergert checked Colangelo’s neck, and teammates Randy Velarde and Andy Sheets eventually helped roll Colangelo onto his back. Bergert summoned paramedics, who placed Colangelo in a protective neck brace and transported him to UCI Medical Center.

Colangelo, who singled and walked in his first two at-bats and threw out Andy Fox at second from the warning track in the third inning, was diagnosed with an upper-back injury, and a splint was placed on his left wrist, but he escaped serious neck injury.

He said he felt a lot better by the time he reached the hospital, and he was back in the clubhouse by the end of the game. Williams emerged unscathed, but the collision left a mental scar.

“When I hit him, I heard something snap,” said Williams, who was giving Garret Anderson a day off in center. “I didn’t want his season to end. He never moved, and I was like, ‘Oh, God, I don’t want this.’ I could strike out 20 times or get sent down to the minor leagues, but don’t let this to happen to him. It was unreal.”

Colangelo remained conscious after the collision but simply remembers that his face “was throbbing.”

“You always think the worst, and you get kind of scared when they put the neck brace on, but I passed all the tests,” the rookie said.

Williams alertly tagged up and took second after the collision and scored on Fox’s two-out flare to center, which Williams got a late break on and failed to catch with a dive.

But the Angels countered in the bottom of the seventh, beginning with Darin Erstad’s double to right. Matt Walbeck, who was hitting .219 with runners in scoring position, swung and missed at Omar Daal’s first pitch, squared to bunt and took his second pitch and looped run-scoring single to left field on his third pitch to tie the score, 1-1.

It remained that way until the 13th, when Kelly Stinnett singled with one out and was lifted for Frias, the pinch runner. Womack doubled to left-center, and it appeared the Angels might have a shot to get Frias at home, but Sheets’ relay throw sailed well over Walbeck’s head, allowing Womack to take third.

Arizona right-hander Vladimir Nunez, who struck out four in two scoreless innings of relief, was the winner. Both starting pitchers were outstanding, Angel right-hander Omar Olivares giving up one run on six hits in 8 1/8 innings, walking one, striking out five and tying a major league record by hitting four batters, and Daal giving up one run on seven hits in 7 2/3 innings.

Colangelo didn’t go the distance, but he had a big league debut to remember.

“It was exciting,” he said. “Hopefully next game I can stay all nine innings.”