Angels Tied With Tigers in 15th Inning : Defense Plays Key Role for Starters Gibson, Abbott

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 as the Angels and Tigers battled into the 15th inning tied, 4-4, in front of 48,766 at Anaheim Stadium.

Pettis’ reactions in the fourth inning saved the Tigers at least one run, and Tony Armas’ reactions in the ninth cost the Angels a chance to win the game in regulation.

Wally Joyner led off the ninth with a single to right. When Downing tried to sacrifice, Gibson grabbed the ball and fired to second. His throw beat Joyner, but it was high and Joyner slid in safely. Devon White did sacrifice, and Gibson walked Lance 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 popped up to end the inning and give 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 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 Saturday night. Pettis led off with a single to center and, one out later, stole second. Then Tracy Jones hit a very-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 dead center.

Abbott, who is less-than-proficient at holding runners on, 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 wall, 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 homer 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, thanks to some more shoddy defensive play by the Angels. Abbott, whose ability to smoothly transfer his glove and remove the ball has amazed on-lookers since his college days, snagged a comebacker from Brumley but couldn’t get the ball out and make a throw to first in time.

Pettis followed with a single and Keith Moreland walked to load the bases. Brumley scored on Jones’ sacrifice fly to right and Pettis scored when Glenn Hoffman couldn’t handle Alan Trammell’s chopper to put 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 Aug. 26 of last year.

Angel Notes

Angel Manager Doug Rader moved Wally Joyner into the clean-up 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 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, giving him 15 hits in 35 at-bats, a .429 average.

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. . . . Left fielder Chili Davis, mired in a six-for-53 slump, and third baseman Jack Howell, who has just one hit in his last 19 at-bats, had the night off Saturday. “Chili did a lot of extra work before the game, and when you do as much extra work as he did, a rest is appropriate,” Rader said. Asked what kind of work he had done, Davis smiled and said: “Nothing much, just hitting, lots of hitting. You know, the hard part of this game.”