As Usual, McGregor Stops Angels : Oriole Left-Hander Improves to 17-5 Against California

As news flashes go, “Scott McGregor Beats Angels” ranks right up there with “Rain Is Wet” and “Wars Are Dangerous.”

Well, how about that? Learn something new every day.

Whenever the Baltimore Orioles pitch McGregor against the Angels, as they did Monday afternoon, the effect is the same as placing a phonograph needle on a scratched record.

Who’s going to emerge victorious?

McGregor . . . McGregor . . . McGregor . . . McGregor . . .

It’s been that way since 1978, when the Angels first became acquainted with the name they’ve learned to hate. During one stretch between July 8, 1979 and July 19, 1982, McGregor recorded 11 straight regular-season wins against the Angels. Overlapping that period was a streak of 10 consecutive victories at Anaheim Stadium, which was broken last August when a line drive by Brian Downing broke a finger on McGregor’s pitching hand.

But on Memorial Day, history was again observed at the Big A, with McGregor’s repertoire of off-speed junk and smartly placed fastballs doing its Old Faithful impression in a 6-4 triumph over the Angels. It was a game, for all intentions, that was decided when the pitching matchups were announced.

Not only did McGregor come through as expected--allowing just six hits in nine innings--but he also happened to be paired against the Angels’ Mike Witt, who must have spent a good part of the off-season encountering black cats and walking under ladders. And on Monday, Witt’s luck was no better that it had been during his 2-5 start, as he yielded two earned runs in 5 innings yet emerged with no decision.

Given the pitchers’ track records, you could have called this one a week ago.

The complete-game triumph boosted McGregor’s career record against the Angels to 17-5--or 18-5 if you count his pennant-clinching shutout during the 1979 American League playoffs. Overall at Anaheim, McGregor is 11-2.

McGregor’s mastery of the Angels continues. But if you’re searching for clues why, don’t expect to get anything from the 31-year-old left-hander.

McGregor has a stock response for that line of questioning, a phrase made popular by Pete Townshend and the Who years earlier:

I Can’t Explain.

“I just go out and pitch,” McGregor said. “There’s no way to explain it. Maybe it’s because the weather here is beautiful or my family is here (McGregor grew up in El Segundo). I don’t know.

“I’m glad I’m 17-5, but I’ll never be able to explain it. Every time I think about it, it mesmerizes me. Sometimes I wonder when it’s going to quit.”

McGregor’s manager, Joe Altobelli, is no help, either.

“I’ve only been here three years,” Altobelli said. “He had it (the streak) going before I got here.

“Part of it is that he’s a good pitcher. He’s done it against other teams, too.”

Altobelli paused, but didn’t want to think too hard about it.

“Those things, nobody would even know about if it wasn’t for guys like you (sportswriters) and statisticians,” he said.

Well, almost. The Angels, it’s safe to say, might have some sort of idea.

“I really admire that little rascal,” Angel Manager Gene Mauch said of McGregor. “He’s got to have a lot of guts to go out there with that stuff and try to get people out, but he’s been doing it for a long time.”

What amazed McGregor most about his latest conquest of the Angels was his ninth-inning duel against a pinch-hitter named Reggie Jackson. McGregor’s fastball is fast in name only, but he threw three of them by Jackson for a crucial strikeout.

“I threw all fastballs to Reggie,” McGregor said. “That has to be the mystery of the century. For some reason, over the years, I’ve had success with him by just going after him, at his strength.”

Again, don’t ask him for specifics. You’re looking for reasons? It beats McGregor.

Which is more than what can usually be said for the Angels.