AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES : California vs. Boston : Downing Makes Amazing Discovery: His Swing : He Found It Down in Texas, but Boston and Clemens Have to Pay the Price

Angel Manager Gene Mauch’s postgame stay at the podium was nearly complete. He had been pleasant enough, answering inquiries about Angel starter Mike Witt, Boston starter Roger Clemens, Angel first baseman Wally Joyner, but at the same time, acting much like someone late for an appointment.

In walked Brian Downing and Mauch’s mood instantly brightened. And with good reason. Downing had chipped in two hits--each with two outs--and four RBIs. He had done what he was supposed to, produce runs. As an added bonus, he had helped dispose of the Red Sox, 8-1, Tuesday night at one of his favorite places, Fenway Park.

“You want to talk about a little hitting?” Mauch said, gesturing toward Downing. “Talk to him.”

Mauch later corrected himself. “A lot of hitting,” he said.

But to listen to Downing, his evening’s doings were part accident, part guesswork, part Reggie Jackson, part luck. This is typical of Downing. Every hit is a result of good fortune, every RBI is welcome but unexpected. Then you glance at his statistics and discover that he owns the Angel record for career regular-season RBIs, and that this year, he knocked in 95 runs.

Remind Downing of this and he usually laughs a sarcastic laugh and begins telling tales of how easily his swing can disappear.

But Tuesday night was different. This time, in almost hushed tones, Downing said that maybe, and keep it to yourself, will you, his swing was here to stay.

It happened during the final series of the season in Texas. As the Angels were busy limping to the playoffs, Downing was rediscovering himself.

“He worked it out,” said Moose Stubing, the Angel batting coach. “He knows himself better than anybody.”

The problem, Stubing said, had to do with the positioning of Downing’s hands during his swing. Now all seems to be corrected.

“But I don’t want to jinx myself,” he said. “You never know how you’re going to feel. I mean, you still have to have the pitches to hit. But I felt down in Texas that I had an idea, that I was getting a little comfortable. I feel really good offensively right now.”

There. He said it, but not without adding numerous disclaimers.

First, this talk of accidents.

According to Downing, his first hit--a two-run single to left in the second inning--was nearly a strikeout. He had taken a Clemens pitch on an 0-and-2 count. Clemens appeared to have thought he had a strikeout. Home plate umpire Larry Barnett thought otherwise and called it a ball.

“It was a pitch that could have gone either way,” Downing said.

And what if he had struck out?

“I wouldn’t have said anything,” he said. “It was a pitch that was too close to take, to tell you the truth.”

But he took it, of course, and shortly thereafter, on a 3-and-2 count, Downing had his first hit of the night. Coupled with RBIs by Ruppert Jones and Joyner, the Angels also had a 4-0 lead.

Downing said he guessed what pitch Clemens would throw with the count full, two outs and Jackson standing silently at the on-deck circle. If he has a weakness, Downing said, it is his ability to hit a inside fastball. So Downing thought one pitch: Inside fastball.

It worked.

“I knew (Clemens) would go with his best strength,” Downing said. “I took a chance on the fastball in.”

There’s more to the story. Even without a hit in five trips to the plate, Downing said Jackson deserves mention. The way Downing figures it, Jackson may have influenced the way Clemens pitched to him.

“So maybe he didn’t have any hits, but (Jackson’s) presence is felt,” he said. “That helped a lot. It’s what I’ve talked about, what Reggie means to the team. If Reggie’s not hitting behind me in that situation, then I don’t get to guess at the pitch.”

Then there’s this luck factor. Downing said that while Clemens showed little sign of ailing Tuesday evening, “he wasn’t getting ahead of the hitters as he normally does.” The thinking was this: Usually an 0-and-2 count like the one Downing had in the second inning would have meant a probable strikeout. But this time, Clemens let a strikeout slip away, replaced by a two-run single.

“I’m just happy to get off to a good start and beat their top guy,” Downing said, reverting to old form. “I enjoy hitting with men in scoring position. That’s why I’m in the middle of the lineup.”

There was talk that Downing might start Tuesday’s game at the top of the Angel lineup. Mauch has used him there before, though he says, Downing “would rather eat green flies” than bat leadoff.

Not to worry. Downing was back where he said he belongs: In the middle of the batting order.

Said Mauch: “(Downing’s) range of emotions is so wide, so broad. Everything about his play revolves around the way he feels at the plate.”

The emotions Tuesday night were as wide as a couple of broad smiles.