Lazorko, Buice Mound of Trouble for Indians

Pitching is the name of this game, they say, although most people still call it baseball. But the Angels were favored--in Las Vegas, anyway--to repeat as American League West Division champions on the merit of their pitchers.

What figured to be one of baseball’s best starting rotations and a proven stopper in the bullpen were supposed to carry the Angels to another division title.

Tuesday night in Anaheim Stadium, the combination of strong starting pitching and solid relief spelled a victory for the Angels, but the arms weren’t connected to the right bodies. Two guys with a combined 20 years of minor league experience and a total of 210 days of big league seasoning got the job done as the Angels beat Cleveland, 6-5.

Jack Lazorko, who has played in the Houston, Texas, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Detroit and Seattle organizations before being called up from the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate in Edmonton May 18, started and pitched seven innings, allowing four runs--only three of which were earned--and six hits. He earned his second major league victory and his earned-run average (3.48) is second to only Willie Frazer among Angel starters.

The save went to DeWayne Buice, the diminutive right-hander who has replaced the ailing Donnie Moore as the Angels’ No. 1 man out of the bullpen. Buice (2-3) earned his fourth save Tuesday night.

“I really enjoy watching Lazorko pitch,” Angel Manager Gene Mauch said. “What’s the name of that snake the mongoose gets ahold of?

“Well, that’s Jack, the mongoose,” he said, gritting his teeth and shaking his head back and forth like a puppy with a chew toy. “He just hangs in there.”

Lazorko fell behind, 4-1, when the Indians scored three runs in the fourth inning on an error, two bunt singles and a base hit, but he used a fake pickoff move to get out of the inning. With Cory Snyder on third and Brook Jacoby on first, Lazorko faked to third, wheeled and caught Jacoby halfway between first and second. He spun around again and caught Snyder breaking for home. Snyder was out in a rundown between home and third and Jacoby was out trying to take third while Snyder was caught in the pickle.

“(Don) Sutton has played more than 20 years and he told me he’s never seen that play work,” Lazorko said.

Mauch said he’d seen it work, but never that good. “I’ve never seen it result in a double play,” Mauch said.

The play seemed to buoy Lazorko, and he retired the next seven Indians. He left in favor of Buice after walking leadoff hitter Brett Butler in the eighth.

“I knew we’d have a chance to win if I just kept it close,” Lazorko said. “That’s my job. I just keep battling. That’s me. I told you guys before that I’m never happy unless I go nine innings.”

Lazorko hasn’t had a lot of chances to accomplish that feat. Of his first 352 professional appearances, only five were starts.

Lazorko is obviously pleased with his new role. And so is Buice, who struck out the side in the eighth before giving up a solo homer to Mel Hall in the ninth, a high fly ball that hit the right-field foul pole.

“I was going to throw him one hellacious forkball,” Buice said, “but it was more fat than mean. I was trying to blow that sucker foul.

“But I felt good out there tonight. I had a good forkball . . . most of the time, anyway. And a good fastball. And I’m really comfortable and confident now. It’s just baseball now.”

Maybe so, DeWayne, but pitching’s the name of the game, you know.