Calculations Add Up as Tigers Rout Angels

Addition by subtraction, a dubious principle to begin with, continues to be carried to ridiculous levels by Sparky Anderson’s true believers, the Detroit Tigers.

Last year, the Tigers lost Lance Parrish, their Gold Glove catcher, to free agency--and won the American League East championship.

This year, the Tigers lost Kirk Gibson, their supposed heart and soul, to free agency--and now lead the AL East after 76 games.

Friday night, the Tigers lost Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker, their All-Star double play combination, to injuries--and opened a three-game series against the Angels with a resounding 11-0 victory.

What next? Kick Matt Nokes in the kneecaps a couple of times today, ship Jack Morris out to Toledo tomorrow. . . . and they’ll be dancing in tickertape along Trumbull and Michigan in October.

“Don’t ask me how to explain it,” said Anderson, whose club leads the New York Yankees by 2 1/2 games in the AL East standings. “I know it looks funny.

“Alvin Dark asked me the other day, ‘How in the world did you win with that team last year? And what in the world are you doing in first place this year?’ ”

The best reply Anderson can offer is, “Attitude,” that great intangible that can mean so much, Sparky insisted, when your tangibles are not so great.

“Give me one writer and have him visit all of the 26 clubhouses in both leagues,” Anderson said. “Have him spend three days in each one. Then have him come back and tell me there’s a better clubhouse than this one.

“It’s impossible, in all of professional sports, to have better people than we have here. It comes down to attitude. I’m convinced--if you don’t have good attitude, you don’t win.”

Of course, playing games against the Angels from time to time can also help. Detroit began this one with both Trammell (bruised left elbow) and Whitaker (bad back) on the sidelines, forcing Anderson to start a lineup consisting of Jim Walewander at second base, Luis Salazar at shortstop, Pat Sheridan in left field and Dave Bergman as the designated hitter.

By the end of the second inning, the Tigers led, 7-0.

Ex-Angel Gary Pettis had three hits in his first three at-bats, including a two-run single in the second-inning outburst.

Bergman, the little-used utilityman, got that outburst started by hitting his second home run of the season into Tiger Stadium’s right-field seats.

And Doyle Alexander, the Detroit reclamation story of 1987, improved his 1988 record to 8-4 by throwing seven innings and combining with a couple of relievers named Paul Gibson and Mike Trujillo for an eight-hit shutout.

Incredible stuff, true, but one mustn’t underestimate the contributions of the Angels, who did more than their share to make this victory possible.

Angel second baseman Johnny Ray committed a grand total of three errors--two in one inning--that ultimately led to six unearned runs.

Angel starting pitcher Mike Witt (6-8), winner of his four previous games, surrendered 7 runs and 7 hits in 3 innings, including that excruciating second inning in which Witt faced 12 batters.

Also part of the show were missed Angel cutoff throws, Angel throws that should’ve have been cut off but weren’t and nine innings’ of little offense.

Such features led Angel Manager Cookie Rojas and a reporter to this postgame exchange:

Reporter: “Were you displeased with the effort tonight?”

Rojas: “What effort?”

The game got out of hand so quickly that Rojas began pulling starters by the sixth inning, most notably center fielder Devon White, whom Rojas replaced with Chico Walker.

Witt, by Rojas’ admission, was well off his usual course but certainly not solely to blame for the runaway. Witt was behind, 3-0, when Ray committed his first error, paving the Tigers’ way to four more runs.

Bergman had opened the second inning with his home run, and Pettis followed with his two-run single. But with two outs and the bases loaded, Witt got Salazar to hit a grounder to Ray, who let the ball skitter off both legs. By the time he could get a grip, another run had scored.

And three more would be soon forthcoming, thanks to a two-run single by Bergman and a one-run single by Chet Lemon.

Ray reared his ugly glove again in the eighth, first letting Darrell Evans’ pop fly fall beyond his reach and then losing control of the ball while attempting to pivot on a double-play try. Two more errors . . . and, quickly, two more Tiger runs.

“Never in my life have I had a game like that,” Ray said, throwing his hands up. “I don’t even want to talk about it.”

No need to. This was one instance in which Angel actions spoke louder than words. Good thing Sparky only had the jayvees out there.

Angel Notes

Before Friday night’s game, the Angels finally acknowledged the obvious and placed pitcher Dan Petry on the 15-day disabled list. Petry sprained his right ankle in Minnesota June 20 and has since had to scratch himself twice from scheduled starts.