Peter Gammons said so on ESPN tonight......
LINK to the game
Aug 24, 10:09 PM EDT
Bartolo Colon earns 17th win for Angels
By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Bartolo Colon came within one out of a complete game, earning his American League-leading 17th win in the Los Angeles Angels' 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.
Colon (17-6) allowed five hits, struck out two and walked one in improving to 6-0 in his last seven starts since July 16. The victory put him within three of becoming the Angels' first 20-game winning since Nolan Ryan in 1974.
After Rafael Palmeiro hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, Francisco Rodriguez retired Javy Lopez for his 30th save.
Bengie Molina had two hits and drove in a run for the Angels, who scored all three of their runs in the fifth inning against Erik Bedard (6-5).
The Angels win their fifth straight road game, tying their season high.
Melvin Mora doubled in the ninth for the only extra-base hit for Baltimore, which has lost five straight.
Palmeiro returned to the Baltimore lineup after missing five games with a sprained right ankle. He went 0-for-3 with the sacrifice fly and is 2-for-11 in three games since returning Aug. 11 from a 10-day suspension for using steroids.
Los Angeles wasted several scoring opportunities before going up 3-0 in the fifth inning. After Orlando Cabrera drew a leadoff walk Vladimir Guerrero received an intentional walk with one out, Garret Anderson, Molina and Robb Quinlan hit RBI singles.
Baltimore got runners on first and second with no outs in the fifth and sixth, but the Angels turned two line drives into double plays to quell the threats.
Bedard allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings. The left-hander is 1-4 in eight starts since leaving the disabled list on July 18.
The Angels put runners in scoring position in the second and third innings but failed to score. In the fourth, Molina hit a leadoff double and Juan Rivera followed with single, but Bedard again escaped without allowing a run.
Baltimore had only one baserunner over the first four innings - Luis Matos, who hit a third-inning single.
Notes:@ LA's Darin Erstad extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a third-inning single. ... Baltimore's Sammy Sosa got the night off. He's 5-for-47 in his last 13 games.
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