For Angel Escape Artist Witt, There Was Never a Dull Moment

Mike Witt’s Sunday afternoon was anything but leisurely. It was a struggle--a series of Houdini-like escape acts in which Witt somehow managed to disappear into the Angels’ dugout before the Milwaukee Brewers could strike the blow to send him there.

It was nowhere near perfect. Witt, who has a little experience with perfection, had to search long and hard for the right words to describe it.

The ones he finally settled on: “It was . . . satisfactory.” For a guy who makes it quite clear that he prefers to let his performances speak for him, that’s something of a dissertation. But what it lacks in style or flair it makes up for in accuracy.

For Witt, there is satisfaction in being the winning pitcher in Sunday’s 5-1 victory over the Brewers at Anaheim Stadium. There is satisfaction in winning the struggle.

Witt pitched seven eventful innings and faced one batter in the eighth before Donnie Moore finished up. Witt’s numbers on the day: seven innings plus, one earned run, seven hits, three walks, four strikeouts and several uneasy moments.

The first came in the second inning. Witt walked leadoff hitter Ben Oglivie, then gave up a single to Ted Simmons. Two on and no outs.

Witt then struck out Doug Loman, got Bill Schroeder to take a called third strike on a curveball and got out of the inning when Jim Ganter flew out to center.

Witt retired the next six batters before the struggle continued in the fifth. Loman led off with a double, and went to third on a single by Schroeder, who took second on Gary Pettis’ throw to the plate. Second and third with no outs.

Gantner grounded out to second, enabling Loman to score. Witt then walked Ed Romero, the Brewers’ No. 9 hitter, and had to face Paul Molitor with runners on first and third. Witt pulled off his second escape trick by getting Molitor to ground into an inning-ending double play.

In the sixth, Witt gave up a one-out triple to Cecil Cooper but got Oglivie to fly to short center and Simmons to pop out.

The seventh brought more trouble. With one out, Schroeder and Gantner had back-to-back singles and Witt was again pitching dangerously. This time, refuge came when Romero and Molitor both grounded out.

Dion James led off the Milwaukee eighth with a single and Angel Manager Gene Mauch decided he had seen Witt suffer long enough.

“In our hearts, we knew he had no business being out there in the eighth,” Mauch said. “The strain of inning two and inning seven took a lot out of him. Those were tough, dynamite innings.”

Doug DeCinces watched from third base as Witt wormed his way out of mess after mess, and agreed with Mauch’s assessment.

“I think that may be why Mike got tired,” DeCinces said. “All game long, he was having to make great pitches in key situations to get himself out of jams, and he did it. That’s the mark of a mature, excellent pitcher . . . making those pitches when he has to.”

Witt would prefer earning the respect of his teammates through means less traumatic. Let guys like Moore play Houdini.

“I don’t like pitching out of jams, because that means you’re struggling,” he said. “And I don’t like to struggle. “It seems like I was in trouble all day today.”

He was. He just kept finding his way out.