It's an arrangement that keeps fans like Chris Case, of Rancho Cucamonga, on constant lookout.

"You've got to pay attention the whole game," said Case, who attended Wednesday's game with his wife, Joesette. "I welcome a foul ball . . . until I get my teeth knocked out."

Among the improvements to Angel Stadium this season are 32 seats located just steps from each dugout. The seats go for $215 a game, and the Angels have sold close to 75 percent of their inventory.

The 4-foot wall that separates fans from the field also protects them from scorching line drives.

Case, whose company purchased four seats along the third base line, has watched Angels games from behind home plate and from a luxury suite. But nothing compared to seat 15 in the Diamond Field Box.

"This is the best place I've ever watched a game in my life," Case said. "Last season we had a suite up top. It's night and day. Just being this close, you feel like you're a part of the game on the field."

* * *

CURVE IS HIS KEY

In the first inning of his fourth career major league start, Nick Adenhart faced runners on first and third with Oakland's cleanup hitter, Eric Chavez, coming to the plate. The count ran full. At that point, Adenhart's performance seemed destined to follow his previous three at the major league level.

But Adenhart then threw a sweeping curveball that dropped right over the plate, freezing Chavez for the second out. After walking Jack Cust to load the bases, he got Kurt Suzuki to hit a grounder to third to end the inning.

The curve to Chavez, a pitch that spoke as much to Adenhart's confidence as his precision Wednesday, is one that the righty will surely remember from his 2009 debut.

"That was a big at-bat early. I was trying to stop the bleeding," said Adenhart, who finished with six scoreless innings and five strikeouts. "I leaned on my curve early in the game when the command of my change wasn't quite there."

Said Angels manager Mike Scioscia: "You have to have a lot of confidence to throw that pitch in that count," Scioscia said. "And he did."

* * *

CONFUSION ON DRIBBLER

Neither Brian Fuentes nor catcher Mike Napoli called for the ball on the two-out squibber by Suzuki that continued the ninth-inning rally.

"I didn't hear him and he didn't hear me," Fuentes said. "But if I didn't hear him, it means it's my ball. I ran up to it and we both got to it at the same time, and we looked at it. It's probably my ball."

* * *

SUPPORT FOR DECISION

Gary Matthews Jr., who was inserted into left field in the ninth inning Wednesday, made the right play, according to Scioscia, when he backed off and let Nomar Garciaparra's game-tying single fall in front of him rather than make a risky diving attempt.

"I thought it was a hit off the bat," Scioscia said.

Matthews went into the game in the eighth as a pinch runner for Juan Rivera.

Scioscia said Matthews would start at least one game against the Red Sox this weekend. Robb Quinlan and Maicer Izturis will play, too.

* * *

BIG NUMBER

6 . . . Scoreless innings by Nick Adenhart, his most impressive outing in four major league starts