Some Lesser Orioles Produce the Runs in 4-3 Win Over Angels

The Baltimore Orioles came to town Friday night with their big-name batting order.

This is the team that can throw Cal Ripken, Eddie Murray and Fred Lynn at you, back-to-back-to-back. This is the team that thrives on the quick-strike, the team that leads the major leagues in home runs.

Once again, the Orioles lived up to their imposing reputation, hitting a pair of home runs in a 4-3 victory over the Angels before an Anaheim Stadium crowd of 31,356.

But this time, the power and the decisive blows were struck by a trio of players who play supporting roles to the Big Three.

Their names are Larry Sheets, Fritz Connally and Lenn Sakata. Do not be alarmed if you do not know them.

Sheets had 16 major league at-bats prior to April. Sakata is a 31-year-old journeyman infielder with a .225 career average. And Connally? His profile is not included in the Orioles’ 1985 media guide.

But these guys dealt the Angels their second straight one-run loss after Gene Mauch’s club had compiled an 11-1 record in its first 12 one-run games.

Here’s how they did it:

In the fourth inning, Sheets and Connally delivered consecutive home runs off Jim Slaton, quickly evening a game that the Angels had led, 2-0.

In the sixth inning, Connally singled home Lynn, giving the Orioles their first advantage of the night at 3-2.

And in the eighth inning, after the Angels had forced a 3-3 tie, Sakata, who had singled and doubled in his two previous at-bats, contributed another single, this one driving in, yep, that man Sheets, for the game-winner.

Together, Sheets, Connally and Sakata had seven hits, three runs and four RBIs. For once, it was their turn to take a bow.

Connally, a rookie third baseman, wasn’t sure what to do. He said the proper, typical things--it was a high fastball he hit; he likes to hit right-handers; he was just lucky to be in the lineup, etc., etc.

Sakata, meanwhile, played it for laughs. Cutting up in front of a television crew, Sakata joked, “I really wasn’t paying attention. I was just hoping not to get pinch-hit for. It was really a boring game, I don’t know what happened.”

Storm Davis can tell you what happened. Struggling with a 5.95 ERA through the season’s first two months, Davis finally earned his second victory of 1985 with a seven-hitter.

Davis (2-1) threw a complete game to keep the Orioles 2 1/2 games off Toronto’s first-place pace in the American League East. Over in the West, the Angels remained two games ahead of Minnesota as the Twins were defeated by the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-2.

Davis credited a former Oriole pitcher of some renown, Jim Palmer, with an assist.

“Jim Palmer got ahold of me in Baltimore two weeks ago and started screaming at me,” Davis said. “He said I was throwing too much breaking stuff early in the count.

“It’s the Palmer philosophy. If they’re going to beat you in a one-run game, it better be on your pitch. That’s what Oriole pitching is all about.”

Slaton was able to handle the Baltimore big guns all right, holding Ripken and Murray hitless while splitting with Lynn (a single and a fly-out) through the first five innings.

But when he faced the bottom of the Orioles’ lineup, Slaton went bankrupt.

First, he lost the lead--yielding home runs to Sheets (his sixth) and Connally (his third) in succession. Then he fell behind, via Connally’s RBI single in the sixth inning.

Eventually, he wound up out of the game--setting up reliever Stu Cliburn (1-1) for the final fall.

“I don’t know for sure, but sometimes it’s feasible that a pitcher might get a tad careless when he gets by Ripken and Murray,” Mauch said. “I’m not saying Jim did that, but we’ve talked about it. Maybe he wasn’t careless--maybe he just got out of synch that inning.

“With intense concentration on those big hitters, maybe when he gets by them, he just goes, ‘Whew!’ ”

The Angels had forged their lead with solo runs in the second and third innings. A triple just inside the right-field foul line by Bobby Grich scored Jack Howell from first with the game’s initial run. Consecutive singles by Juan Beniquez, Jerry Narron and Ruppert Jones accounted for the second.

After the Orioles went ahead, 3-2, the Angels drew even--at least temporarily--when they scored again in the seventh. This run was manufactured by three players who came into the game hitting a combined.204. Boone (.221) singled to center, was sacrificed to second by Dick Schofield (.202) and scored one out later on another single by Wilfong (.179).

Angel Notes

The Waiting Game, Cont’d: Gary Pettis’ scheduled return to the Angel lineup was pushed back at least another day when he reported to the park Friday and told Manager Gene Mauch that his groin injury was “about 90%” recovered. “I’m running harder, but I’m still holding back a little. It (the injury) is still in the back of my mind,” Pettis said. Said Mauch: “If you mess around with a groin pull that’s 90%, it could stay 90% for a long time. If he were a guy where speed was not such a big part of his game--if he were a Harmon Killebrew type--I’d go ahead and play him. But I want all of him. When he can run on it carefree, he will play.” . . . Mauch said he expects his other disabled outfielder, Reggie Jackson (hamstring pull), to be available for pinch-hitting duty today. Jackson jogged in the outfield before Friday’s game and will take batting practice today . . . Trade talks between the Angels and the Cleveland Indians regarding pitcher Bert Blyleven continue. The Indians reportedly contacted Boston’s John McNamara, who managed the Angels in 1983-84, to inquire about several prospects in the Angels’ minor league system. Pitcher Rafael Lugo is said to be the Indians’ primary interest . . . Jerry Narron accomplished a major league first Friday when he batted cleanup in the Angels’ lineup. The last time Narron, a .210 career hitter, batted in the No. 4 spot was his final game in Triple-A . . . Mauch on rookie third baseman Jack Howell, who’s starting in place of the sidelined Doug DeCinces: “It’s gonna happen for that man--and I hope it happens now. He has a lot of ability, he’s a blue-collar guy--’What do you want me to do and how long do you want me to do it?’ Howell won me over in spring training. If the club was selected strictly on merit, on the way you play in spring training, both Howell and (infielder Wally) Joyner would’ve been on the roster.” Howell hit .387 during the spring and was recalled from Edmonton Monday . . . The Angels’ Ron Romanick (5-1) will face Dennis Martinez (3-2) in today’s 1 p.m. game.