Davis Gives Angels Win in 16th, 5-4

Sometimes, a little defense can go a long way. And sometimes a few little defensive lapses can make everything go the wrong way.

Just ask Detroit starter Paul Gibson. Or Angel starter Jim Abbott, for that matter.

Gibson benefited from a spectacular, home run-robbing catch by center fielder Gary Pettis Saturday night. And Abbott was once again victimized by some sloppy defense.

Thanks to the long arm of former Angel Pettis and the defensive deficiencies of the current Angels, the teams were deadlocked after 15 1/2 innings. Then, more than five hours after the first pitch, Chili Davis finally ended the waiting game with a run-scoring single to center field, lifting the Angels to a 5-4 victory early Sunday morning before a crowd of 48,766 at Anaheim Stadium.

The 16 innings were the most the Angels have played this season, but their efforts were rewarded as they remained percentage points ahead of the Oakland Athletics in the American League West.

Devon White led off the 16th with a walk off reliever Charles Hudson, who was working his sixth inning after Gibson threw 155 pitches in the first 10. Lance Parrish followed with a single to center field, before Davis came through with the game-winner.

Pettis’ reactions in the fourth inning saved the Tigers at least one run when he rose above the fence in left-center to snag a drive off the bat of Brian Downing. And Tony Armas’ reactions in the ninth cost the Angels a chance to win the game in regulation.

Wally Joyner led off the ninth inning with a single to right. When Downing tried to sacrifice, Gibson grabbed the ball and fired to second base. His throw beat Joyner, but it was high, and Joyner slid in safely. White did sacrifice, and Gibson walked Parrish to load the bases.

Gibson had two strikes on Armas when he unleashed a pitch that was shoulder-high and inside. Armas intuitively spun out of harm’s way, but probably wishes he could go back and take a game-winning shot on the arm for the team.

Armas ended up forcing Joyner, and Glenn Hoffman forced Downing to end the inning, giving Gibson, who has never had a complete game in the majors, a chance to pitch the 10th.

Abbott was long gone by then--he went just five innings--and he must have been thinking about his last start. The Angels made four errors, and Toronto scored four unearned runs last Monday. This time, the struggling Tigers got the gift package, turning four Angel errors into three unearned runs.

The Angels, who have made the third-fewest errors in the league (60), seem to have collective breakdowns these days. Manager Doug Rader said the miscues in Toronto were “forgivable” because the Angels were playing in a new facility--the Blue Jays’ SkyDome--and weren’t familiar with the playing surface.

But they didn’t have any excuses Saturday night on their home turf as they bobbled and fumbled threw the early innings.

Abbott got a bad omen in the first inning. Pettis led off with a single to center and, one out later, stole second. Then Tracy Jones hit a routine bouncer at shortstop Dick Schofield, who let the ball go between his legs as Pettis jogged home.

The Tigers earned run No. 2, though. With two out in the second, Rick Schu crushed a 1-1 delivery from Abbott and deposited it 415 feet from home plate beyond the fence in center field.

Abbott, who is less than proficient at holding runners on base, gave the Tigers plenty of opportunity to run in the early going. He yielded a single to the leadoff batter in each of the first three innings, and all three runners attempted to steal second. Pettis succeeded in the first; Chet Lemon got caught in the second, and Mike Brumley was safe in the third.

The Angels took a 3-2 lead in the fourth, but it would have been a bigger inning if not for a spectacular catch by Pettis. Johnny Ray singled to right and, after Joyner struck out, Downing slammed a drive to left-center. Pettis raced back and timed his jump. With his armpit on the top of the fence, he reached back and caught the ball--about a yard beyond the fence.

Gibson didn’t exactly make the most of this good fortune, however. He walked White and then gave up a towering three-run home run to Parrish. It was Parrish’s 13th homer, already a single-season record for an Angel catcher.

The Tigers regained the lead in the fifth, however, due to more shoddy defensive play by the Angels. Abbott, whose ability to transfer his glove and remove the ball smoothly has amazed onlookers since his college days, snagged a comebacker from Brumley but couldn’t get the ball out and make a throw to first base in time.

Pettis followed with a single, and Keith Moreland walked to load the bases. Brumley scored on Jones’ sacrifice fly to right field, and Pettis scored when Hoffman couldn’t handle Alan Trammell’s chopper, putting Detroit ahead, 4-3.

Schofield atoned for his first-inning error in the bottom of the fifth, slugging a line-drive homer to left-center. It was his third home run of the year and first at home since last Aug. 26.

Angel Notes

Angel Manager Doug Rader moved Wally Joyner into the cleanup spot June 24, and the first baseman finally has started to respond with a surge worthy of the No. 4 spot. Joyner had four home runs in 419 at-bats before hitting three in the last seven games. “It could be a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Rader said. “Sometimes, you put a player in a position perceived to be more glamorous, and he responds.” Rader thinks that there are also a couple of other factors playing an important role in Joyner’s streak. “First, you’ve got to admire Wally for his tenacity,” he said. “He’s worked hard, he’s persevered nicely and now he’s swinging the bat really well. And others around him are hitting, so (opposing pitchers) don’t have the luxury of feeding him anything but an assortment of garbage. He’s been getting better pitches to hit lately.” Whatever the reasons, Joyner is on a tear. He extended his hitting streak to eight games with a ninth-inning single Saturday.

Oakland Manager Tony La Russa decided to unshuffle his starting pitching Saturday after announcing Friday that he would start right-hander Bob Welch in the three-game series against the Angels, which begins Monday. A rainout Wednesday in Detroit provided La Russa with the option of skipping Curt Young, but La Russa changed his mind, and the Athletics will stay in their normal order. Young will pitch Monday night; Dave Stewart will start Tuesday night, and Mike Moore will pitch Wednesday.