Texas Almost Repeats History a Year Later

Gene Mauch, manager of last year’s American League West division champions, says it was the game that probably “turned our season around.”

When Texas pitcher Charlie Hough recalls the evening of June 16, 1986, it turns only his stomach around.

The Angels and Rangers were back in Anaheim Stadium Tuesday night on the one-year anniversary of the game in which Hough lost his no-hitter--and then the game--in a wild ninth inning that ended in a 2-1 Angel victory.

And, wouldn’t you know it, there was Ranger right-hander Jose Guzman cruising through the Angels’ lineup for 7 innings without allowing a hit.

Last year, it was Wally Joyner--celebrating his 24th birthday--who singled with two out in the ninth to ruin Hough’s bid for a no-hitter. Tuesday night, Doug DeCinces hit a line drive inches beyond the reach of lunging first baseman Pete O’Brien for a one-out double in the eighth.

Guzman allowed two more hits and a run, and the Angels scored three in the ninth off relievers Mitch Williams and Dale Mohorcic, but Texas and Guzman won, 5-4.

The game was not easy for Guzman, who has suffered a bad back since late last season. In his last start, June 9 at Seattle, he left with a 3-0 lead after five inning when his back muscles stiffened.

Tuesday, his back didn’t bother him, but his stomach did.

He felt well enough to make the Angel hitters look a bit sickly. Guzman, 24, had struck out a career-high nine batters, walked two and faced the minimum--thanks to two double plays--before DeCinces’ hit.

“He was terrific,” Texas Manager Bobby Valentine said. “He had quality stuff, but the fact he was sick, coupled with the emotional letdown of losing the no-hitter, made me decide to go with someone else.”

Guzman wasn’t so sick that he didn’t think about the no-hitter.

“I was thinking about making the no-hitter in the dugout, but when I cross the line, I just think about throwing strikes and making outs,” he said. “I had real good stuff. I kept my changeup on the outside and had a real good curve.”

Guzman admitted that he thought about Hough’s strange encounter here last year as he sat in the clubhouse and watched the final inning. When catcher Mike Stanley ran into the photographers’ well and dropped DeCinces’ pop foul with two out in the ninth and the Angel third baseman then hit a homer that made it a one-run game, he started thinking about it a lot.

“Yes,” he said. “I was thinking about Charlie last year . . . I wanted to finish the game and make the no-hitter, but then I at least wanted a win.”

And it wasn’t just for himself. Guzman had returned Saturday from his hometown of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, where he visited his father who is suffering from cancer of the esophagus.

“I was going to call him now, but I think I’ll let him rest,” Guzman said. “It’s about 4 a.m. there so I will call him in the morning. This will make him very happy.”

The Guzmans won’t be the only ones smiling today. Valentine said he didn’t realize that Tuesday night marked the anniversary of Hough’s loss, but that hadn’t kept the nightmarish recollections from rushing back.

“Really? It’s exactly one year? I didn’t know that,” Valentine said, shaking his head. “But I didn’t need to know it. I don’t need any reminders. That game will live forever in my mind.”