Angels Unable to Finish What They Start : They Take an Early Lead, but Rangers Rally for 10-Inning Victory, 6-3

For the first few innings, the Angels often are one of baseball’s best teams. Trouble is, the game lasts at least nine, and by the time it is over, they are usually another game back in the standings.

Pitcher Kirk McCaskill says they lack the “killer instinct.” Manager Cookie Rojas isn’t sure what’s going on, but it isn’t making him happy.

“Every time we get something started, we just stop. Boom, stop,” he says.

Wednesday night in Anaheim Stadium, the Angels displayed their inability to finish what they started.

Three of the Angels’ first 10 batters scored, but the bats went silent and the Texas Rangers rallied for a 6-3, 10-inning victory in front of what was left of a crowd of 23,241.

In the past 12 games, the Angels have scored 12 runs in the first two innings. But they’ve managed to score just 18 more in the other innings.

Texas right-hander Jeff Russell (6-0), who pitched his second-consecutive complete game, struck out eight and walked just one. But he didn’t look like he was on his way to a complete game after two innings.

The Angels had six in the first two innings and were ahead, 3-1.

Dick Schofield and designated hitter Jim Eppard led off the first inning with back-to-back singles to left. Russell slipped called third strikes past both Wally Joyner and Chili Davis, but Jack Howell hit a single to drive in Schofield.

The Rangers tied the game in the second on a walk, a single and Steve Buechele’s run-scoring double to left.

Then the Angels did something they seldom have been able to do this season: They scored in consecutive innings.

Tony Armas hit a single to right, Schofield hit a single to right and Eppard, making his third start of the year, drove in Armas with a single to center.

“We got the three runs early, but then Russell just shut us down,” Rojas said. “He pitched a hell of a game. He had good stuff.”

Angel starter Dan Petry, who has been involved in three 1-0 decisions this year--and lost two of them--might have let all this support go to his head. In the fourth inning, he gave up a leadoff single to Pete O’Brien and then got a pitch out over the plate where Pete Incaviglia could handle it. Well, manhandle might be a better word.

Incaviglia hit a towering home run to left-center. It was Incaviglia’s 14th homer of the year and broke his longest homer- and RBI-drought of the season. He had gone eight games without driving in a run or hitting a home run.

Petry has allowed 20 runs via the home run this season. Incaviglia’s shot may have rattled some seats in left-center but it didn’t seem to bother Petry, who has given up 13 homers this year. He didn’t yield another hit until Curtis Wilkerson lined a two-out single to center in the seventh.

Russell, meanwhile, was cruising through the Angel lineup. He faced the minimum 15 batters in the third through seventh innings. Chico Walker had a bloop single to center in the fourth, but was caught attempting to steal second.

Joyner had a two-out single to right in the eighth and stole second, but Russell struck out Davis to end the inning.

Bryan Harvey, who replaced Petry in the eighth, allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base in the eighth and ninth innings, but escaped both times. He walked Ruben Sierra in the eighth before retiring the side on three fly balls. And he gave up a single to Incaviglia in the ninth before striking out Cecil Espy and Buechele and getting Wilkerson to fly out to left.

The Rangers, however, made the most of the extra inning.

Reliever DeWayne Buice came in to pitch the 10th for the Angels and allowed two, one-out walks before yielding run-scoring singles to Larry Parrish, O’Brien and Espy. And it could have been worse if Espy hadn’t run into the third out while trying to stretch his hit into a double.

The Angels didn’t mount a threat in their half of the 10th, but then this is not a team you expect to perform well while on overtime.

Angel Notes

Second baseman Mark McLemore, who has been out of action since May 23 with an arm problem, will undergo surgery Friday to remove a blood clot in his upper right arm. The procedure will be performed by Dr. John West at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange. McLemore, who is on the 21-day disabled list, could be ready to play in three weeks. “Actually, I’m relieved,” McLemore said. “This has been a really frustrating time for me.” The clot, which caused numbness in his right hand, was not diagnosed until this week. It is not related to the tender elbow that has bothered McLemore for almost two years. “At least they know what this problem is and can get it solved,” Manager Cookie Rojas said. “They told me there would be two weeks of recuperation time and I figure he’ll need another week of running, throwing and hitting to get his timing back.”

Rojas took some cuts in the batting cage before Wednesday night’s game. No, he’s not considering activating himself in an effort to add some punch to the Angels’ anemic offense. He was getting in a few swings in preparation for the old-timers game in Anaheim Stadium June 26. Rojas challenged George Hendrick to a hitting contest. Hendrick prevailed, but not by too wide a margin. . . . After one shot down the left-field line, Hendrick yelled out to third baseman Jack Howell, “Would you have gotten that?” When Howell nodded, Hendrick said, “Man, that one would’ve knocked your glove off.” When Hendrick questioned Howell after another hot smash and got the same response, he shook his head and said, “Man, you’re a regular Brooks Robinson today.” . . . Brian Downing, battling a 1-for-14 slump, got a rest Wednesday night and Jim Eppard started at designated hitter.