Angels and Zahn Lose, 6-1 : Lead Is Cut to 2 1/2 as Twins Darken Pitcher’s ‘Spring’

Having missed 85 games and about 17 starts with tendinitis in his left shoulder, Geoff Zahn is now experiencing spring training. He pitched 4 innings against Minnesota in his return to the rotation Aug. 3, then went four innings in a 6-1 loss to the Twins Friday night.

The Angels had 13 hits, 4 by Juan Beniquez, but stranded 11 runners. Now 0-2 since the strike ended, their lead over Kansas City in the American League West has been reduced to 2 1/2 games.

And there is this question about Zahn’s status: Can the Angels afford March in August?

Manager Gene Mauch’s answer was an emphatic yes.

“Geoff will be there when we need him,” Mauch said, “but that’s not to say that I’m only trying to get him ready for September, that I’m putting him out there to nurse him. I expect him to pitch well, because I’ve seen him pitch two innings all spring and then come in and pitch up a storm.”

The Twins whipped up a storm with nine hits and six runs off Zahn, who has now allowed 16 hits and 10 runs in the 8 innings of his comeback.

“His stuff is good,” Mauch said, “but his location isn’t worth a dime. I’m not surprised (because of the layoff) but I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was the other way, because I’ve seen him do it. Geoff doesn’t blow hitters away. Location is his game.”

Now 38, Zahn displayed immediate effectiveness last year in coming back from three leg injuries. None of them, however, sidelined him for 85 games. Nor did they affect his shoulder.

“I feel fine,” Zahn said. “I just pitched poorly tonight.”

Is his stamina a problem?

“I don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t gotten out of the fifth inning yet.”

Is there added pressure now because of the increasing importance of the standings?

“No,” Zahn said, “because I’ve come back under these conditions before.”

Zahn has won 10 or more games in six of the last seven seasons. If his return seems imperative to the Angels, so does the need for more than a run or two.

“You can talk about Geoff and Ron Romanick (who went only three innings as Thursday night’s starter),” Mauch said, “but we’re also supposed to win, 9-6, once in awhile.”

Romanick lost, 4-2. The Angels scored for Zahn only in the fourth on a Gary Pettis double and a Bob Boone single. Twins left-hander Frank Viola allowed 13 hits in 6 innings but left to an ovation from the crowd of 21,738. The frustrated Angels got two hits in each of Viola’s last five innings, then only one off Frank Eufemia, who pitched the final 2 innings.

“Our base-hit swing is pretty potent,” Mauch said. “We’re going to blow somebody away pretty soon.”

Cleanup hitter Doug DeCinces had a chance to blow away Viola and Eufemia but stranded seven in going 0 for 4. Mauch had Darrell Miller and Beniquez running with one out in the fifth, but DeCinces struck out and Miller was nailed at third.

“Viola can’t strike out DeCinces,” Mauch said of the strategy that came with the Angels losing, 5-1. “DeCinces struck himself out. Sometimes a big home run (DeCinces beat Bert Blyleven with one in Anaheim last Saturday) can set a guy back. Doug got a big kick out of that homer, but he’s forgotten how good his bat can be hitting to all fields.”

The Twins hit to all fields against Zahn, particularly shortstop Ron Washington, who came in with a .241 average, no homers and six RBIs. Washington his a solo homer to left in the first, walked and scored in the third and tripled to right in the fifth, when he ultimately scored the final Minnesota run.

The big inning was the third. Kent Hrbek had a two-run double, then scored on a double by Mickey Hatcher.

Stewart Cliburn and Al Holland held the Twins scoreless over the final four innings, but Mauch can’t afford to overuse the bullpen. He needs distance from his starting pitchers inasmuch as the Angels now face doubleheaders in Seattle on Monday and Wednesday.

“Good teams have to handle all situations,” Mauch said, adding that at this point in the season, it becomes easier to play the powers.

“The last 50 games it’s better to play a team in contention,” Mauch said, “but we know that. We just have to turn the dial up a tad.”

Beniquez agreed. “We’re going into the last part of the season,” he said. “We can’t wait for things to happen--we have to make them happen. These guys (the Twins) can put you out of the race. They did it last year (going 9-4 against the Angels) and they can do it again. We can’t lay back against the lesser teams and expect to turn it on against the better teams.”

Angel Notes

Geoff Zahn has now pitched 288 innings since a base was last stolen against him, by Omar Moreno on Aug. 26, 1983. Runners are 0 for 14 in that span. Kirby Puckett was thrown out by Bob Boone attempting to steal second in the first inning and was picked off first by Zahn on a fourth-inning attempt. . . . Add Puckett: The center fielder has 15 throwing assists, tops in the majors. No. 15 came in the third inning when he fielded Brian Downing’s double as it caromed off the fence, saw Downing slip rounding second and threw him out before he could get back. . . . George Hendrick grounded out four times and is now 0 for 8 as an Angel. . . . Al Holland pitched two shutout innings and has now not allowed a run in his 3 innings as an Angel. . . . Kirk McCaskill (7-7) faces Mike Smithson (11-8) in a game to be televised by Channel 4 at 10:20 today.