Angels Ruin Twins’ Opener, 5-0, Before a Restive Crowd of 51,190

Only a week into the 1985 season, the expectations generated in 1984 seemed to be weighing on the Minnesota Twins as they returned for their Metrodome opener Monday night.

They had lost four in a row since opening the season with two straight wins at Anaheim, and the papers here were already full of negatives.

There were quotes from Manager Billy Gardner second guessing the pivotal pitch selections of relief pitchers Ron Davis and Rick Lysander in a weekend series at Seattle and a dissection of Kent Hrbek’s 1-for-21 start.

A crowd of 51,190 booed Davis and Lysander during the pregame introductions and later got after Lysander again.

Even Hrbek, who hit .307 with 107 RBIs and 27 homers felt the fans’ scorn as he collected a first-inning double and then went hitless in three at-bats against Geoff Zahn, whose now-you-see-’em, now-you-don’t pitches were a potent weapon against the already-frustrated and overanxious Twins.

Zahn, whose five shutouts tied Boston’s Bobby Ojeda for the American League lead last year, allowed only six hits as he pitched his first of 1985, the Angels winning, 5-0.

The five runs allowed by Mike Smithson were one more than the Angels had scored off the Minnesota right-hander in 32 innings. Smithson beat the Angels three times last season and picked up his first win of this season Wednesday night in Anaheim.

Manager Gene Mauch packed his lineup with left-handed hitters and got solo home runs from two. Designated hitter Ruppert Jones connected in the second and catcher Jerry Narron in the third. It was 2-0 until the seventh, when Brian Downing doubled and scored on consecutive ground outs to the right side of the infield.

A single by Jones and a walk to Bobby Grich led to Smithson’s departure in the eighth.

Lysander ultimately enchanted the crowd by wild pitching two more runs home.

Zahn walked two, struck out four and retired the final seven Twins in order.

If it is not unusual for Zahn to be at his best in April--he has a career record of 25-5 for the month--it is also not unusual for him to win a home opener in the Twin Cities.

The Twins have won only two in the last 11 years and ex-Twin Zahn won both of those--in 1978 and ’80.

Mauch was his manager here then, too.

In fact, it was Mauch who helped resurrect Zahn’s career here at a point when Zahn was out of baseball.

It was also Mauch who convinced Zahn that he could no longer make consistent use of the fastball that had been his staple with the Dodgers.

Asked by a reporter Monday night if it was fair to describe the 38-year-old left-hander as a junkball pitcher, Mauch said:

“I’ve been calling him that since he learned how and it’s pretty to watch. He has a tremendous awareness of what he’s capable of and doesn’t try to go beyond it.

“He knows what he has to do and keeps getting better at it.”

The Twins didn’t describe it as pretty, though Gardner said the Zahn changeup is comparable to Andy Messersmith’s as the best he has ever seen.

Said Mickey Hatcher, who doubled in the third:

“It’s just his placement. He doesn’t challenge you that much, but when he’s on with his off-speed pitches, it’s tough to beat him.”

Zahn got Hrbek to ground to first with two on and two out in the third, got Gary Gaetti to ground into a force play with two on and two out in the sixth and then, with two on and two out in the seventh, got Hatcher to hit a synthetic surface chopper over the mound that Grich gloved while standing on second for an inning-ending force play.

Zahn, who allowed only one earned run in 6 innings of the Angels’ loss to Smithson in Anaheim, reflected on the fact that he had battled a tired shoulder through the last two weeks of spring and said:

“When I warmed up tonight it was the best I had felt in a month. I finally began making some progress a couple days ago. I’m hoping it will stay strong now.”

Asked if there was special satisfaction in making a stylish return to Minneapolis, Zahn smiled and said: “Sure, anytime you come back against an old team the adrenaline is pumping, particularly considering that they handled us pretty good last year (winning 9 of 13 games).”

Said Mauch: “This was by far our cleanest, best executed game of the year. The infield was in outstanding position all night, and we were getting runners to third base and then getting them in. Of course, it’s a good idea to bring your A game with you against Smithson.”

In the quiet Twins’ clubhouse after the crowd had left, Hrbek said patience is the key, that he refuses to panic with 155 games left. He also said that he would refuse to carry the Minnesota load.

“I don’t know if this whole team plans on leaning on my shoulders,” he said, “but I’m not the key.

“We’ve got nine guys playing in this game, and if they want to start leaning on my shoulder, that’s a bad attitude on their part. We have to go out and play as a team. That’s how we won games last year.”

Angel Notes The Ruppert Jones and Jerry Narron homers both cleared the new right-field “fence,” which is nothing more than a blue canvas extended 10 feet above the previous 13-foot fence. Reggie Jackson walked over to Gene Mauch before the game, pointed to the extension and said: “I don’t like mocked up things unless they have a first name of Gene.” . . . Gary Pettis, who had reached base via hit or walk six of his last nine at-bats, struck out four times against Mike Smithson before drawing a walk off Rick Lysander. Said Mauch: “I told Gary it happened, neither of us liked it, but it’s over. I told him the only thing I was concerned about now is that I wanted him to put it out of his head and go on to the next game.” . . . Mickey Hatcher has hit in all seven Minnesota games and has a 12-game streak dating back to last year.