Angels Lose in 10 as Minton Suffers 11-Year Glitch, 6-4

When it comes to throwing pitches that wind up over the outfield fences, Bert Blyleven and Greg Minton occupy opposite ends of the spectrum. Blyleven once gave up 50 home runs in aseason, a major league record. Minton once went 269 1/3 innings without yielding a home run, another major league record.

But Tuesday night, both were burned by the indiscriminate Jeffrey Leonard, whose two home runs powered the Seattle Mariners to a 6-4, 10-inning victory over the Angels before 27,252 at Anaheim Stadium.

With two swings, Leonard first erased a 4-1 Angel lead and then broke the tie he had forged. He hit a three-run home run off Blyleven in the sixth inning and then hit a solo shot off Minton in the top of the 10th.

So shaken was Minton (1-3) by this development that he gave up a home run to the next batter he faced, Darnell Coles. Minton had given up only two home runs since opening day, 1988.

The last back-to-back home runs against Minton?

Try Aug. 25, 1978--when Minton was pitching for the San Francisco Giants and getting tagged by the Montreal Expos’ Andre Dawson and Ellis Valentine.

Minton, who has struggled in recent outings, helped cost the Angels their one-game lead in the American League West Tuesday as the Oakland Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox, 3-2, to move back into a virtual first-place tie.

“I know I’m not helping the club right now,” Minton said. “But nobody was as good as I was for four months. The first four months, I threw real well . . . but in one week, nobody’s gone that bad that fast.”

Sensing his pitcher’s mood, Angel Manager Doug Rader strode across the clubhouse and poked his head into the huddle of writers around Minton’s locker.

“Mike Port’s got that contract for you,” Rader told Minton.

Minton gave Rader a puzzled look.

“Mike’s got your contract,” Rader repeated.

Minton stared at Rader and decided it best to humor the boss. “OK, he answered slowly, not really wanting to know what was coming next.

“Your 11-year extension,” Rader said with a grin. “You haven’t given up back-to-backers in 11 years, so we figure you’re good for another 11 years.”

Nice try, Doug. Minton managed a smile--”I’ll be right in there,” he said--but as soon as Rader left, Minton’s tone grew dark again.

“I feel fine, but I’m struggling right now,” Minton said. “I’d tell you what I really think, but you couldn’t print it.”

Minton knew he had helped waste nine strong innings by Blyleven, who would be the 1989 AL Cy Young front-runner if not for seven non-decisions in his last 14 starts. He is 7-0 in the others.

“He pitched magnificent tonight,” Rader said. “He made 120 excellent pitches and one bad one.”

That was the pitch to Leonard, a hanging slider with two Mariners on base in the sixth inning.

“I wanted to get it down and away,” Blyleven said. “I was looking for a ground ball in that situation. I think it started rolling 450 feet away, after it bounced.”

That hit ended Leonard’s one-for-13 career slump against Blyleven. Four innings later, he victimized Minton, which gave Leonard 18 home runs this season.

Leonard also wiped out a three-run home run by the Angels’ Chili Davis. After hitting .448 with three home runs last week, Davis opened this one with a second-inning single off starter Randy Johnson before hitting a home run in the third.

The home run was Davis’ 18th of the season--and his fifth three-run homer. Both figures lead the Angels.

The Angels had taken a 1-0 lead in the second when Tony Armas, Davis and Kent Anderson singled. There was potential for much more--Armas and Davis singled with no outs--but Johnson struck out Bill Schroeder and Jack Howell before giving up Anderson’s scoring hit, a dunker down the right-field line.

After Seattle tied the score in the top of the third, the Angels set up Davis in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Devon White singled and Wally Joyner was hit by a pitch. White then stole third, his 32nd steal of the season, and Armas struck out before Davis connected on a 1-and-1 pitch, sending it over the fence in right-center.

But the Angels squandered other opportunities in the sixth, seventh and ninth innings.

Armas led off the sixth with a ground-rule double to right, but advanced no farther than third when Davis flied to center field, Schroeder lined to shortstop and Jack Howell grounded to second.

In the seventh, a single by Johnny Ray, a passed ball by Seattle catcher Scott Bradley, an intentional walk to White and a wild pitch by Johnson produced two runners in scoring position with two out.

But in scoring position they remained, with Joyner lining to first base to end the threat.

The Angels also advanced a runner as far as second base in the ninth, but stranded him, too.

That gave Leonard one more swing of the bat. With it, he sent the Angels to defeat--and Minton reeling through his worst inning in 11 years.

Angel Notes

The opening day of the Angels’ 12-game home stand was a long one for team physician Lewis Yocum, who had three players to examine and then, during Tuesday night’s game, re-examine. Yocum declared Claudell Washington’s bruised left shoulder to be “slightly improved” and cleared the outfielder for pinch-hitting duty. The status of designated hitter Brian Downing and catcher Lance Parrish, both bothered by sore ribs, was more difficult, however. Downing received a pain-killing injection and will begin a therapy program. Parrish had his rib cage X-rayed, which revealed no break--but no good news, either. The injury, diagnosed as a contusion of the right rib cage, can be fairly serious for a right-handed-hitting catcher. “It hurts him to throw, it hurts to swing a bat, it hurts to do everything,” Angel Manager Doug Rader said. “Of the three, Lance is by far in the worst shape. I’d really be surprised if he’d be able to (play) by the end of the week.”

The injuries left the Angels with 10 able-bodied position players, which meant utility infielder Glenn Hoffman was the extent of the Angel bench Tuesday. Hoffman is also the club’s emergency catcher--and on this night, the sole backup to starting catcher Bill Schroeder. Hoffman’s strength as a catcher? “His availability,” Rader quipped. Another Angel roster move could be in the offing. “We’re going to have to do something,” Rader said. “When you start with two catchers to begin with, you always feel a little naked. If one of them is out of commission for a while, we want to protect Billy. (A player move) is definitely something that needs to be thought about.” One problem: The Angel farm system isn’t exactly teeming with catching prospects. Doug Davis and Mike Knapp are splitting time at catcher for triple-A Edmonton. Davis is batting .248 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 37 games, Knapp .234 with no home runs and 15 RBIs in 39 games.