Romanick Goes Long Way for Angels, 6-1

There was a certain urgency to Ron Romanick’s assignment as he made the first start of his second season Saturday.

The beleaguered Angel bullpen was carrying an earned-run average of 15.19. And Doug Corbett’s left knee was inflated just as badly. Corbett had it drained and was unavailable for service.

Manager Gene Mauch may have been justifiably apprehensive about employing some of the relievers he did have available.

“I recommend that Mr. Romanick be very good for a long time today,” Mauch said before the game. “I want to see him go all the way or until Donnie Moore arrives.”

The manager got his wish.

The Angels rebounded from Friday night’s 15-6 loss to defeat the Oakland A’s, 6-1, as Romanick scattered eight singles over 8 innings.

Moore arrived to strike out Steve Henderson with two on and one out in the ninth and then ended the game by striking out Dave Collins with the bases loaded.

Moore, the former Atlanta right-hander, has now made two strong appearances since his disappointing debut in Wednesday night’s loss to Minnesota.

Of Romanick, who pitched better last year than his 12-12 rookie record indicated, Mauch said: “He obviously knew what he had to do. He knew the situation. He had to at least get it down far enough for Donnie Moore.”

The Angels made it a bit easier for Romanick by providing him with a 5-1 lead after just four innings. In the process, they chased A’s starter Mike Warren by producing nine of their 13 hits in his brief stint of 3 innings.

The key--as he must be--was Gary Pettis.

The leadoff man tripled, singled twice, walked, stole a base, scored three runs and drove in one.

Harry Walker’s winter hitting lessons for Pettis may be paying dividends. Pettis sliced his triple up the gap in left-center. He slapped his first single down the left-field line. He got a pitch he could pull and lined it to right. The program is aimed at having Pettis reduce his swing and hit the ball where it’s pitched. Make contact. Use his speed.

“It’s still too early to say that I’m off to a good start,” Pettis said, dismissing his 6 for 16, “but I do feel I’m doing things well. I feel it’s getting better each day.

“I still have a tendency to overswing, but hopefully I’m now able to adjust in that at-bat rather than waiting for the next one. I don’t feel I had one bad swing today.”

Pettis opened the game with a triple and scored on Rod Carew’s single.

A two-out single by Pettis in the second scored Mike Brown, who had singled and moved to second on a Bob Boone single.

A three-run fourth included singles by Dick Schofield, Pettis and Doug DeCinces.

The Angels scored their final run in the eighth. Pettis walked and raced home on Brian Downing’s double.

The A’s scored only in the second off Romanick, who had last pitched in Sunday’s finale of the Freeway Series against the Dodgers. The rotation was designed to hold him out of the three-game series against Minnesota because of his 0-3 record and 7.04 earned-run average against the Twins last year.

“It was hard to stay sharp--it was hard to sit and wait,” Romanick said of the six days between starts. “I want my shot against the Twins, and I’ll get it. They rug-balled me to death last year. They got away with a lot against me. I’m not saying they’re not a good team, but I want those turkeys.”

He will not get them, however, during a three-game series that opens in Minnesota Monday night. Romanick will instead pitch against Seattle Friday night at Anaheim Stadium.

Of his Saturday debut, the 24-year-old right-hander alluded to the Corbett injury and the bullpen uncertainty when he said: “I felt I had to do a little more and I was able to do it. It’s tough this early to expect to be strong still after the sixth inning, but I was able to catch a second wind.”

Romanick pitched brilliantly in the spring of ’84 to make a surprising jump from the Double-A Eastern League. He was not nearly so flawless in preparing for his sophomore season. He reflected and said:

“I didn’t have the pressure of having to prove myself. I didn’t have to be Bob Gibson every time I went out there. I could work on improving the things that had to be improved. I could get ready at my own pace. I feel very strong, very confident going into this season. I expect to have a good one.”

Angel Notes

Doug Corbett is expected to miss two or three days while his knee remains immobilized. He said the problem stems from a high school football injury but that he’d never had it swell up in a similar manner nor been forced to have it drained. . . . Key play: The A’s had runners at first and third with no outs in the second when Bobby Grich made a diving stop of Mike Davis’ up-the-middle grounder behind second base. Grich rolled over and flipped to Dick Schofield for a force play, changing the complexion of a potentially big inning. . . . Reggie Jackson, who had a trying time in the outfield Friday night and went hitless, drew a rest Saturday. “I’m not sure Reggie understands my thinking,” Manager Gene Mauch said, “but he cares so much about winning that when a team isn’t doing well he tends to magnify his own problems. My feeling right now is that I’ll play him tomorrow.” . . . Mike Brown, frustrated by the decision that returned Jackson to right field, played Saturday and had a frustrating day. He had an infield single in the second but then popped out, grounded into two double plays and struck out. . . . On Schofield’s first grand-slam homer, off Keith Atherton in the ninth inning Friday night, Mauch said: “It was a hanging curve. It was going to wait there until Schofield hit it.” . . . Mike Witt (0-1) of the Angels will face Chris Codiroli (0-1) in today’s series finale.