Angels Sweep Into Boston on a 6-1 Win

Now that they’ve restored their good name in Milwaukee, sweeping those who swept them two months ago, the Angels have scheduled another salvage project for Boston, where they open a four-game series tonight against the Red Sox.

Their assignment: Return some credibility to the AL West, the division where .500 is enough, where even the Texas Rangers can dawdle in first place for two months.

The Angels, owing to a winning streak that reached four games with their 6-1 victory over the Brewers Wednesday afternoon, have overtaken Texas and currently preside over the West by 1 1/2 games. Boston has been in control of the AL East ever since baseball fans learned there was no “t” in Roger Clemens’ last name.

Thus, as a preliminary to the All-Star game, an added attraction: The American League’s best in the West against the best in the East.

“I think it’ll be a hell of a series,” Angel Manager Gene Mauch said, going over the list of projected Red Sox starting pitchers. “Who have they got going for them--Nipper, Seaver, Clemens and Boyd? They’ve got it just the way they want it, and we’ve got it just the way we want.”

It may all fall apart on the East Coast--it has before--but for the present, the Angels find themselves in optimum working condition.

They are nine games above .500, their highest standing of 1986, and are 5-1 on this trip, during which they have scored 43 runs. John Candelaria is back in the starting rotation, and until Don Sutton allowed an eighth-inning run Wednesday, Angel starting pitchers had put together 21 consecutive scoreless innings.

After losing three straight in Milwaukee in May and taking a 1-5 record against the Brewers into this series, the Angels outscored Milwaukee, 23-5, in three games.

“It’s not easy to come in here and take three in a row,” Mauch said. “I can tell you about a couple of other series we’ve had in Milwaukee.”

Yes, he can, although time didn’t permit Mauch time to rehash his worst flashback--the 1982 American League playoffs, in which the Angels won the first two games from the Brewers and then lost the next three.

Suffice it to say, Mauch left County Stadium this time with a considerably improved state of mind.

Sutton, a former Brewer, saw to it that his boss had a nice day. Sutton (8-5) outpitched Ted Higuera (10-7), working 7 innings before allowing a run. Higuera, the pitcher with the second most wins in the league, was down, 4-0, before he left the game with two outs in the fourth inning.

Sutton’s last pitch of the afternoon was made to Charlie Moore, who lined it to center field for an RBI single. Angel reliever Donnie Moore then came on to end the eighth inning, pitch a scoreless ninth and earn his eighth save--his first since May 20.

Before that, Sutton had limited Milwaukee to four singles and two walks while striking out seven. He left with his 303rd career victory in tow, still in possession of a personal winning streak that has reached six games.

Sutton’s last five starts have produced a 2.36 earned-run average--something of a switch from those April days when it was 23.14. Someone suggested to Sutton that he might currently be “the hottest” pitcher in the league.

Sutton cut him off.

“I’m not the hottest,” he said. “Maybe the luckiest. For the first three innings, it seemed like I was in the same routine--three lousy pitches, one good one and one lucky one.”

Both Sutton and his catcher, Bob Boone, called the victory a struggle. “Bob Boone made more trips to the mound than he ever makes,” Sutton said. “He had to keep reminding me what he was looking for.”

Mauch was most impressed by Sutton’s fourth inning, when the pitcher had to work out of a bases-loaded jam that had been largely created by Doug DeCinces’ trials at third base. An infield single off DeCinces, a walk and then an error by DeCinces put Brewers on every base before Sutton struck out Rick Manning to retire the side.

“I have never seen, in 40-some years, a pitcher be required to make--and then make--the number of blueprint pitches he made in the fourth,” Mauch said. “Doug couldn’t handle those two balls at third, but Don kept dotting it, hitting one corner and then the other. It was a masterful job of pitching.

“By the time he got back to the bench, his jaw was set so tight, he couldn’t say a thing.”

Offensively, the Angels got what they needed from Wally Joyner (three singles), Doug DeCinces (a double), George Hendrick (a double), Rick Burleson (an RBI single) and Boone (an RBI single).

And now, it’s on to Boston. The Angels all agree--it’s an important series.

But they’re trying not to get carried away about it.

“I remember a similar matchup last July with Toronto,” DeCinces said. “The only thing is, we never got back to Toronto,” meaning for the playoffs.

Angel Notes

Third base was not the place to be at County Stadium Wednesday. Doug DeCinces made like a hockey goalie on a couple of balls in the fourth inning, and Milwaukee third baseman Dale Sveum botched two ground balls in the first three innings. When Sveum finally fielded a ball cleanly--Brian Downing’s bouncer in the fifth--he was rewarded with a Bronx cheer from the Brewer fans. DeCinces later complained of the condition of the infield. “I got hit in the shoulder, I took one off the chest and another off the shins--and that was just in infield (practice),” DeCinces said. “In the fourth, I didn’t get leather on either of those balls. Milwaukee is notorious for not having the best groundskeeping.” . . . Wally Joyner went 23 days between his 19th and 20th home runs, finally ending the drought Tuesday night against Bob Gibson. “And it might be another while before No. 21,” Joyner said, smiling. “I was still hitting the ball good in between home runs, hitting line drives and driving in runs. That’s really my game--making contact and playing good defense. Somebody asked me the other day if I was playing over my head. I think I’m playing the way I’ve always played, with the exception of the home runs. I thought double figures (in) home runs would be a good year; 20 has doubled my goal.” . . . Joyner’s three singles Wednesday gave him 100 hits for the season--and his major league career. After the third, a line drive to center field off Dan Plesac in the eighth inning, Joyner asked for the ball as a memento. “Now I’ve got two for the collection,” he said. “My first and my 100th.” For Joyner, it marked his 32nd multiple-hit game of the year. . . . In the ninth inning, Gary Pettis stole his 19th base, giving him 10 steals in his last 11 attempts. Pettis is eight stolen bases short of Sandy Alomar’s Angel career record (139). . . . The series sweep left the Angels with a 4-5 record against Milwaukee, so Manager Gene Mauch wasn’t claiming total vindication. “I still think we’re one down,” he said. “We have to find some way to get even and then play the last two for the seasonal series.” One reporter sarcastically suggested, “That’ll be a big series.” Mauch stared at him. “To me, it will be,” he said.