Loss Is Enough to Give Witt Fits : Former Ace Struggles Again as Brewers Beat Angels, 5-2

Mike Witt continues to be the weak link in the Angels’ strong-arm tactics this season.

The Angels lead the American League in earned-run average, despite the somewhat bloated 4.35 ERA put up by their onetime ace, who has allowed fewer than six hits in just one outing this year and is yielding an average of eight hits per start.

Saturday night, Witt started again and another Angel winning streak ended when the Brewers slapped him around for 10 hits en route to a 5-2 victory in Milwaukee.

The Angels, who had won their previous three, have won 13 of their past 18 games, and Witt has been the starting pitcher in three of the five losses. In fact, just about every time he gets a start these days, something bad happens . . . even when he pitches well.

In his previous start, the bullpen blew a 5-0 lead to Seattle. The time before that, Oakland won, 9-5, and cut the Angels’ lead in the American League West to one game.

Two starts prior to that, Baltimore beat the Angels, 3-2, in 11 innings. Saturday night, the Angels lost, but managed to hang on to first place thanks to the Seattle Mariners, who beat the Athletics, 11-5.

“If you pitch well most of the time, you’re going to win often,” Witt said. “If you pitch well two out of five times, you’re not going to win too much.

“I threw decent tonight. I had good stuff. But getting out of tough situations is part of this game and I had two tough situations and gave up two runs in each. So I don’t think I pitched very well tonight.”

Witt held the Brewers hitless in three of the six innings he pitched, but he gave up four hits and two runs in two others.

In the fourth inning, Rob Deer led off with a single and, one out later, Greg Brock doubled. Glenn Braggs and B.J. Surhoff followed with run-scoring singles and the Brewers had a 2-1 lead.

Robin Yount and Brock singled to lead off the sixth. Then, with one out, Surhoff laid down a nice bunt on a squeeze play. But Witt made an acrobatic, sprawling snatch-and-toss to get Yount at the plate.

Instead of being buoyed by a fine defensive effort, Witt promptly surrendered a run-scoring single to Meyer on the next pitch. Bill Spiers followed with an RBI-double and Milwaukee went ahead, 4-1.

“That was the ballgame right there,” Witt said. “If I get (Meyer) out, it’s a 2-1 game and who knows what happens after that. I don’t want to downplay his hit, but I didn’t exactly make a great pitch.

“I guess I’ve given up a lot of runs with two outs this season.”

The Angels didn’t provide Witt (7-9) with much offense, scoring only on solo homers by Lance Parrish and Wally Joyner. And they squandered some early chances against Ted Higuera (7-4), who pitched his first complete game of the year and improved his record since the All-Star break to 4-1.

“We had a chance to get him early,” Angel Manager Doug Rader said. “We could’ve had four or five runs early and that would have made a big difference. But we didn’t do it and (Higuera) pitched very well after that.

“You have to give Teddy credit. He threw the ball over the plate and we made out. And when he started locating the ball, he got threw some innings without making a lot of pitches, which allowed him to finish strong.”

The Angels left runners in scoring position with less than one out in the first, second and third innings.

Devon White singled to center and stole second in the first, but Johnny Ray flied out, Chili Davis struck out and Joyner flied out to the wall in right.

Claudell Washington followed Parrish’s second-inning homer with a double to right, but Dick Schofield flied to center and Jack Howell lined out to right.

And White walked leading off the third, eventually stealing his way around to third, before Joyner flied deep to right to end the inning.

So the Angels didn’t capitalize on their chances and the Brewers made the most of theirs. But the Angels haven’t risen to the top of the standings on explosive offense alone. They have a league-leading 15 shutouts and Witt has been involved in just one. And reliever Bob McClure got the victory that night.

“I thought Mike made some tremendous pitches tonight,” Rader said. “He had some really good innings. He makes a helluva play on the squeeze and then he makes that pitch to Meyer . . . you’ve got to make a quality pitch there.”

But Witt, the Angels’ best-paid pitcher, just can’t seem to make the right pitch at the right time these days.

Angel Notes

Catcher Lance Parrish left Saturday night’s game with contusions of the right knee and rib cage after a collision at home plate with Brewer left-fielder Glenn Braggs. Milwaukee had runners on first and second with two out in the second inning when designated hitter Joey Meyer hit a ground ball into the hole at shortstop. Dick Schofield ranged onto the grass to backhand the ball and Braggs apparently thought Schofield would attempt to get the slow-footed Meyer at first so he continued around third and headed home. Schofield’s throw to Parrish was there in plenty of time, and the surprised Braggs didn’t slide or try to run over Parrish. Instead, he sort of stumbled and dove headlong into Parrish. Parrish collapsed, but held onto the ball. “My knee’s fine but my side is a little stiff,” Parrish said. “I knew once the throw was coming he was set on contact so I just tried to hold on the ball. If wasn’t a cheap shot. It’s just part of the game.” Parrish was examined by Brewer team physician Dr. Paul Jacobs and will be available on a day-to-day basis.

The slumping Brian Downing got his third day off in four games Saturday night and Devon White, who was out Friday night with a throat and sinus infection, was back in the lineup and hitting leadoff for the first time this season. “Brian volunteered to play yesterday because Devo was sick,” Rader said, “but he has more trouble with left-handers than right-handers so it would have been a disservice to put him in there against (left-handed) Teddy Higuera. He just hasn’t found stroke yet and the best thing to do is get away from it. More often than not, these things are more emotional than physical.” . . . Catcher Bill Schroeder’s five-year-old daughter, Lindsey, who had been hospitalized with an ear infection, returned home Saturday and Schroeder says he can finally get some sleep and enjoy baseball again. “She’s much better now,” he said. “It’s a relief. Now, if I go 0 for 4, I’ll give a (damn).” . . . A ball autographed by Jim Abbott went for $220 in a charity auction sponsored by the Brewer wives.