A’s Seventh-Inning Stretch Is Downfall of the Angels, 4-2

The answer to that not-so-old Angel question--Who is the fifth starter?--became less of a quiz and more of an afterthought Tuesday evening.

Rookie Ray Chadwick, making his major league debut, worked his way to the seventh inning before, as Angel Manager Gene Mauch likes to put it: “The wheels came off.”

But Chadwick was not entirely to blame for the Angels’ 4-2 loss at the Oakland Coliseum. He allowed four hits and just two of his three runs were earned. He walked five, but only one of the walks became a run.

“You knew the stuff was there,” Mauch said. “You never know how the young man is going to react to it. He handled it well.”

More distressing to Mauch, was what happened after Chadwick left the game.

The Angels held a 2-1 lead entering the seventh when Chadwick gave up a single to Dwayne Murphy. By the time it was over, Murphy was standing in the on-deck circle, awaiting another turn at bat.

The A’s scored three runs in the inning, aided by a fielding error by second baseman Rob Wilfong. They also had help from the Angel bullpen.

Three times Mauch sent coach Marcel Lachemann out to change pitchers and three times the A’s responded with runs. When it came time to replace Chuck Finley with Vern Ruhle, the last available Angel reliever, Mauch decided to make the switch himself.

Ruhle promptly got Dave Kingman to ground out, but by then the damage had been done.

The Angels nearly escaped the seventh with a 2-2 tie. After Murphy’s single, pinch-hitter Donnie Hill doubled to left, moving Murphy to third.

In came reliever Gary Lucas, who cleanly fielded Alfredo Griffin’s bunt, looked Murphy back at third and threw to first for the out.

Everything worked except that Wilfong, covering for Wally Joyner, who had rushed toward the bunt, dropped Lucas’ waist-high throw. The error loaded the bases.

Tony Phillips forced Griffin at second but not before Murphy scored.

Mike Davis popped to Wilfong for the A’s second out, and when right-hander Doug Corbett came in to face the right-handed Jose Canseco, the major league RBI leader, it appeared the Angels might sneak away from further trouble.

But Canseco singled to score Hill and the A’s had their lead. Then, with Finley in the game, Bruce Bochte singled, which again loaded the bases. Finely then walked Carney Lansford to force in another run.

Mauch, then Ruhle, arrived shortly thereafter.

“We had a chance to get out of the inning with one run and we didn’t quite pull it off,” Mauch said.

All of this meant the Angels felt better about a fifth starter, but not quite as secure about their standing in the American League West.

The second-place Texas Rangers won Tuesday night, reducing the Angels’ lead to three games.

Despite the Angel loss, Chadwick did little to hurt his chances for at least another start. A sampling from teammates:

“A fine effort,” catcher Bob Boone said. “If we score a couple more points, it’s a real fine effort.”

Said Lucas: “He pitched outstanding. He looked like a veteran. He was totally in control, in command for the most part.”

Chadwick’s fate could depend, in part, on what happens between now and Thursday, the last day before the major league trading deadline. The Angels were looking for a starting pitcher to replace Ron Romanick, now in Edmonton. Now they must decide if they still have to search.

General Manager Mike Port said Tuesday he could not comment on any possible deals. As for Chadwick: “He’s pitching tonight and we’ll see what happens.”

Chadwick’s critique of his own performance was favorable. “I felt pretty good,” he said. “I didn’t think I had the good fastball I think I’ve had, and if I alleviate the walks, maybe I win.

“But I know for sure now that I can pitch here. I thought it all along while I was in Triple A. I pitched well. Except for the ball, I was getting guys out.”

If Chadwick was nervous at game’s beginning, he didn’t show it. His first major league out was a soft grounder to first baseman Joyner, who ignored Chadwick and stepped on the bag himself. With that done, Chadwick got Davis to fly out to right and Canseco to pop to second base.

If nothing else, Chadwick could tell his grandmother, who had flown from North Carolina to Oakland to attend the game, that he had lasted at least one inning.

Chadwick’s second inning had everything his first didn’t. There was a leadoff walk to Bochte. Bochte moved to second when Lansford grounded to Chadwick.

Kingman was next and he added to Chadwick’s evening of firsts by doubling to left. Bochte scored easily to give the A’s a 1-0 lead.

Oakland starter Dave Stewart, enjoying sort of a renaissance season himself, took the lead into the third and promptly gave it up.

Wilfong, in the lineup partly because he’s left-handed and partly because Bobby Grich has a slightly injured shoulder, singled to begin the inning. Schofield did as expected: He bunted, which moved Wilfong into scoring position.

Boone popped to catcher Mickey Tettleton for the second out. But, as in Monday night’s game when the Angels scored five of their six runs with two outs, Pettis singled home Wilfong with a line drive to center. The inning ended shortly thereafter, but not before Pettis had stolen first second and then third.

Stewart entered the game with a 3-0 record and a 4.26 earned-run average. He got his three victories, in part, by relying less on his fastball and more on off-speed pitches. Good thing, too, since the previous two season, when he was with the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies, Stewart had the fifth-lowest win percentage (.259) in the majors. A 7-20 record saw to that.

Stewart was doing well enough until he reached the fifth. That’s when Schofield deposited his first pitch into the left-field seats with a line-drive home run, his eighth of the season, which matches his total of last year. Later, with one out, Pettis reached base and then stole second, which is notable since it tied a career best. It also left him one short of the Angel career stolen base record (139) held by Sandy Alomar.

But Stewart had little trouble after the fifth. He walked Reggie Jackson to start things and later did the same thing with Jack Howell, but it didn’t matter. Jackson was forced at second. DeCinces was thrown out trying to steal and Wilfong flied out to left to end any Angel threat.

And in the seventh, Stewart was aided by three wonderful defensive plays. Schofield hit a slow roller to Alfredo Griffin that Griffin fielded near third and threw off-balance in time for the out.

Boone followed with a hit deep in the hole, but Griffin got him by two steps. Next came a long line drive by Pettis to right. What looked like an extra-base hit became a spectacular out as Davis caught the ball a moment before slamming into the right-field wall. He nearly staggered to the ground but regained his balance and kept the ball.

Angel Notes

Jack Howell was back in the lineup Tuesday night, but in left field, not at third base, where he normally platoons with Doug DeCinces. Howell took Brian Downing’s place in left after Downing complained that his persistent cough, recently diagnosed as viral bronchitis, was affecting his play. “He (Downing) said it would be a good idea if he missed a night,” Manager Gene Mauch said. “The night air seems to irritate that cough.” Mauch said he was sorry to see Downing miss the game. Two of his four previous hits against A’s starter Dave Stewart were home runs. “I feel very unstable in the outfield,” Downing said of the condition. “I could use a day off anyway.” Downing said it was the first time he could remember requesting a game off. “It’s a little bothersome trying to hit at this level, and you’re coughing while the guy is winding up.” . . . Howell, who was making his third start of the season in left, last played the outfield on an infrequent basis in high school. “It’s the same side of the diamond, so you’re getting pretty much the same look (as third base) except that you’re farther away,” he said. “It’s peaceful out there.”