Bailes Drops Angels Into Last Place

So much for that baby winning streak the Angels had going. Rather than resist like any self-respecting infant--kicking and screaming the whole way--the Angels returned quietly to last place in the AL West Tuesday evening as if they were late for feeding and a nap.

Blame Cleveland Indian starter Scott Bailes. First he stuck a pacifier in the Angels’ mouths and then a collar around their bats. In no time at all, the Angels had a 7-1 loss in front of 22,519 at Anaheim Stadium and a quick end to their very modest, almost blushing (2 games) victory streak.

For Angel history buffs, the team hasn’t won three consecutive games since early April. Nor are they expected to surge from the depths anytime soon, what with a month of May that includes six upcoming games against the New York Yankees and five against the Boston Red Sox. Only the Baltimore Orioles provide a possible rest area in May, though nothing is for certain with the Angels.

With center fielder Devon White out for the next 6-8 weeks because of knee surgery and third baseman Jack Howell bench-bound Tuesday evening because of an injured left thumb, the Angels were short on offense to begin with. Then came Bailes, three Indian scoring rallies and that was that.

Gone, too, was a certain measure of optimism that Angel fortunes were on the rise, perhaps this time for good.

“You like to keep that streak going, but we just didn’t hit,” Manager Cookie Rojas said.

And the feeling wasn’t confined to the manager’s office. This from catcher Butch Wynegar: “You don’t get too excited over two wins, but the way things were going for us, it looked pretty good.

“We can play pretty good baseball,” he said. “We’re not that bad of a team.”

Chuck Finley (2-5) earned the loss, though rookie reliever Ray Krawczyk helped. Finley allowed three runs in the fifth, and Krawczyk, his replacement to begin the seventh, allowed three more runs in the eighth. Stewart Cliburn allowed a single run in the ninth.

If nothing else, Finley lasted considerably longer than his previous start, a brief 1-inning appearance last Thursday against the Detroit Tigers, a game where he gave up 4 runs and 6 hits before most of the Anaheim Stadium crowd had time to blow up a beach ball or two. This time Finley labored early and often.

Two hits and a walk in the first inning . . . but saved from runs because of an inning-ending double play.

A single in the third and another taken away by a wonderful defensive play by shortstop Dick Schofield.

A single in the fourth and a hit batter. Still no runs.

That was before the fifth inning, when Indian catcher Andy Allanson lined a double off the center-field wall and, with one out, Pat Tabler hit his first homer of the season--another line drive, this one sailing quickly over the left-center-field wall. Tabler was unsure enough to sprint to first before settling into his home run trot.

Joe Carter doubled. Ron Kittle singled, and the Indians had a 3-0 lead.

“I just made one bad pitch, that’s all it was,” Finley said.

Actually, Finley allowed 9 hits and walked 3 (1 intentionally). But only the home run and Carter’s double were hit with authority, he said. “The ball Kittle hit was a good pitch,” Finley said. “It just crawled through there.”

Rojas, too, could find little wrong with Finley’s performance. The home run, he said, was unfortunate. But so were the silent Angel hitters, who collected only 4 singles off Bailes (2-3). The Angels now have gone nine games without a home run.

“Finley has pitched in bad luck so far,” Rojas said. “We haven’t been able to put up many runs for him.”

By Rojas’ reasoning, the Angels should have trailed, 3-1, rather than 6-1, entering the eighth. Tabler was ruled safe at first when Krawczyk apparently missed the bag while fielding a throw from first baseman Wally Joyner. Too bad, since the bases were loaded with two outs. By inning’s end, three more runs would be added to the Indian total.

If Finley & Co. struggled, Bailes breezed. He gave up a single to Joyner in the first and then sent 19 consecutive Angel hitters back to the dugout, presumably muttering all the way.

Pinch-hitter George Hendrick drove in Johnny Ray with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, but that just about did it for Angel highlights . . . and runs.

“When I got into the eighth, I wanted a shutout,” Bailes said. “But when I put two runners on and got out of (the seventh) with just one run, I was pleased.”

Not so for Rojas, who finds himself trying to find answers to another evening of old questions: Where went the hits?

Angel Notes

Reliever Greg Minton’s rehabilitation moved forward Tuesday. He made his second appearance for the Palm Springs Angels, this time going 2 innings, allowing 2 hits, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. On Sunday, Minton pitched two scoreless innings. Now Angel management must decide if Minton, who is recovering from an elbow injury, is ready to come off the disabled list. If Minton is activated, either Ray Krawczyk or Stewart Cliburn--relievers both--likely would be sent down to make room on the roster. Manager Cookie Rojas declined to list specific candidates for Edmonton. His reasoning: “I’m not going to speculate. Because if (Minton’s arm) is bad (the day after he pitches), what happens?” Rojas also said he doesn’t want to risk bringing Minton back only to discover the elbow is prone to injury. With that in mind, General Manager Mike Port said the Angels “probably” wouldn’t activate Minton until first determining how his elbow feels after Tuesday night’s outing. “It’s probably a toss up,” Port said.

The Angels appear to be close to signing left-handed outfielder Ken Landreaux to a triple-A contract. “At this point, we have not signed him,” Port said. “I do have an obligation to give him a call (Wednesday).” Landreaux spent last season with the Dodgers and hit .203 after 182 at-bats.