Witt Is Finally Worth the Wait : He Stops Twins, 7-3; Angel Rookie Bobby Rose Homers

Mike Witt returned to the land of the winning Wednesday, and if no one else in the Angel clubhouse was willing to say it, Witt came forward with his own version of the obvious:

It’s about time.

“The first 4 1/2 months have kind of been a lost cause,” Witt said after beating the Minnesota Twins, 7-3, for his first victory in five weeks. “I look at it as being my time now. I look at it as a challenge. I expect myself to do well the last month and a half.”

If the Angels, who trail first-place Oakland by a half-game, are to outlast the A’s down the stretch in the American League West, they need to believe in those expectations. Time won’t allow any more Witt sabbaticals, in which the Angels’ opening-day starter is reduced to marking time every fifth day in the rotation and little more.

Already in 1989, there have been two of these mysterious fade-outs.

The first lasted nearly two months, with Witt going 1-5 in nine starts from April 25 through June 17.

The second, which ended Wednesday, dated to July 9, when Witt beat the Twins, 9-3. In his next six starts, Witt went 0-3, dropping his record to 7-10 before his latest rematch with Minnesota.

Finally, Witt broke through with win No. 8, limiting the Twins to six hits and three runs (two earned) in eight-plus innings before turning the last three outs over to Angel reliever Bob McClure.

“I’m real happy for him,” said Angel Manager Doug Rader, who had formed something of a one-man Mike Witt booster club during the dark days of the latest drought. “I think it’s important for everybody to understand how very much we believe in Mike Witt. It’s all there. And before it’s over, it’s all going to be out there (to see).”

This victory, however, was in jeopardy for a good while, shaping up like many of Witt’s starts this summer:

--The Angels give Witt a quick lead.

--Witt quickly gives it back.

Wednesday, the routine was played out again. By the top of the fourth inning, Witt led, 2-0, courtesy of Brian Downing’s run-scoring single in the first inning and Wally Joyner’s opposite-field home run in the third.

But by the bottom of the fourth, the game was tied, 2-2.

An error by Angel left fielder Chili Davis laid the groundwork for a job that was finished by Minnesota first baseman Kent Hrbek. After Davis dropped Gary Gaetti’s sinking line drive, Hrbek homered deep to right field and Witt’s lead was no more.

The tie lasted until the bottom of the fifth, when Angel rookie Bobby Rose decided it had been too long between major league firsts. After collecting his first big-league hit, RBI and triple in Tuesday’s 3-2 victory over the Twins, Rose took this time to deliver his first Angel home run, sending a Shane Rawley pitch over the left-field fence for a 3-2 Angel advantage.

Two innings later, Rawley (5-11) wavered once more and this time, the Angels capitalized with four runs.

Kent Anderson drove in the first with a single to right field, promptly Minnesota Manager Tom Kelly to change pitchers and bring in Mark Guthrie. Two batters later, it was a 7-2 game, with Guthrie surrendering a two-run single to Johnny Ray, followed by a run-scoring double to Joyner.

Witt’s losing streak was nearing the wall.

But there would be no complete game. Witt pitched into the ninth inning, but the first two Twins he faced--Randy Bush and Gaetti--doubled and singled, resulting in another Minnesota run.

Rader decided to interrupt the bid there, calling on McClure to wrap the thing up, which he did in prompt fashion, getting Hrbek to fly to right and Brian Harper to bounce into a double play.

Witt was asked if the last five weeks had been especially tough on him.

“It hasn’t been as hard as people make it out to be,” he said. “After I’d pitch a game, I’d look at the stats at a particular point in the game and many times, a guy would go out two days later, give up the same amount of hits and runs, but the results wouldn’t be the same. I’d lose and he’d win.

“Maybe you didn’t get the same kind of support or maybe you gave up just one run too many. As they say, I’d pitch just well enough to lose.”

Witt referred to last weekend’s series against Oakland. In the first game, Witt gave up the A’s three runs in seven innings en route to a 5-0 loss. Two days later, Bert Blyleven gave up three runs in seven innings--and wound up winning, 4-3.

“It’s just a matter of how many runs the other pitcher gives up on that particular day,” Witt said. “When you look at it from that perspective, (the winless streak) is easier to deal with.”

In other words, you blame the fates or curse your fortune or content yourself with moral victories. Whatever gets you through your plight.

It’s often a matter of luck, Witt said . . . although not on this afternoon. “Hey, I pitched pretty well,” he said. “I don’t want to take away anything from my performance today. If you don’t give yourself enough credit, that’s when you start going crazy.”

So give Witt his due for this one. He has been due for a while.

Angel Notes

Bobby Rose was a reluctant hero Wednesday. After his fifth-inning home run broke a 2-2 tie, the rookie received a thunderous standing ovation from the Anaheim Stadium crowd, hoping to summon him out of the dugout for a curtain call. At first, Rose wouldn’t budge from his seat on the bench, but that was before veteran pitcher Bert Blyleven interceded. “Blyleven told me to get out there, so I went to the top step and gave a wave,” Rose said. “I don’t want to be in the spotlight. That’s not my game. There are others that deserve it more than I do. Mike Witt pitched a great game and Wally (Joyner) had some great hits today.” A nice attempt at modesty, but everybody loves a story about a 23-year-old infielder who leaves double A to hit home runs that help win games in a pennant race. “I get a lot of gratification out of that,” Manager Doug Rader said. “It’s nice when you put your faith in somebody and see him respond.”