Angels Look at Home in 8-4 Victory

Anaheim Stadium must have been a comforting sight for the Angels when they showed up for work Tuesday afternoon. After staggering through a 4-11 trip, coming home had to seem sweeter than ever.

And a few hours later, they put all those bitter defeats of the past two weeks behind and were celebrating victory again. It was as close to a party atmosphere as the Angels have seen in a while. Everybody in the lineup with a halo on his cap had at least one hit by the fifth inning as the Angels pounded three Milwaukee pitchers for 15 hits and romped to an 8-4 victory over the Brewers in front of a 22,951.

“It was a bad road trip that left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth,” Chili Davis said. “It’s nice to play in your own environment for a change. When things are going bad, you always want to go home.”

The victory not only snapped a five-game losing streak, it was the Angels’ first September win since Sept. 19, 1988. And while this one game may not have vaulted them back into the race for the American League West title--Oakland routed Boston, 13-1, Tuesday and maintains a 4 1/2-game lead--it was at least a step in the right direction.

“People say we looked flat on the trip,” Manager Doug Rader said, “but when you’re not hitting too good, you don’t look too good. It was important that everyone got to feel like they were helping out for a change.”

With the negatives abounding of late, the Angels had a rare chance to accentuate the positive for a change:

--Tuesday marked the first time they had scored seven or more runs in almost three weeks.

--Substitutes Kent Anderson and Max Venable combined for four hits and three runs batted in, making the absence of shortstop Dick Schofield and outfielder Claudell Washington a bit less glaring.

--Kirk McCaskill (15-8) picked up his sixth victory in his last eight decisions, throwing 100 pitches in 5 2/3 innings but allowing only solo runs in the second, third and fifth.

--Willie Fraser yielded only two hits and one run in 3 1/3 innings of relief, retiring seven Brewers in a row at one point.

--And the Angels, who had made a habit of missing opportunities recently, finally got some clutch hitting.

The Angels, who hit .194 with runners in scoring position on Disaster Trip, were 0 for 6 in those situations Tuesday night until Davis, the team RBI leader with 77, slugged a two-run homer in the third that turned a two-run deficit into a 3-2 lead.

“We needed that,” Davis said. “It was nice. But we got some really big hits by (Anderson) and (Venable), too.”

Devon White led off the inning with a single and scored on Venable’s double to right-center. Two outs later, Davis unloaded on Milwaukee starter Mark Knudson, sending a towering drive into the second deck in center to give the Angels a 3-2 lead.

The Max Factor also played a key role in the fourth, when Venable, who is filling in for Washington in right field, helped the Angels extend their lead to 5-2.

Lance Parrish led off with a single to left and Brewer Manager Tom Trebelhorn summoned Bill Krueger to replace Knudson, who was making his fourth start of the season after 30 consecutive relief appearances. Krueger struck out Jack Howell, but Anderson lined a run-scoring double down the line in left. And, one out later, Venable recorded his second RBI of the game with a single to left.

“Max has never really had a shot as an everyday player,” said Davis, who played with Venable in San Francisco. “But he’s a great player to bring up when you need someone. He does the little things that win games for you.”

The Angels built a 7-2 margin in the fifth when Davis, who has a 10-game hitting streak, opened the inning with a single to right and Brian Downing, who had not homered at home since July 9, hammered a shot over the fence in center. Downing also drove in a run in the sixth with a run-scoring single to center.

“Chili and Brian were the only guys who were really swinging the bat well on the trip,” Rader said. “It’s a big plus for the rest of the offense to get going.”

It wasn’t exactly clear sailing from the outset, though. The Angels started out as if the rocky trip still had them shaken.

The Brewers took a 1-0 advantage in the second inning when Robin Yount led off with a line-drive homer to right. McCaskill gave up two more hits--singles by Glenn Braggs and Greg Vaughn--and a wild pitch, but got out of the inning without further damage when he struck out Ed Romero with runners on second and third to end the inning.

Milwaukee got another run--and left two more runners on base--in third inning. B.J. Surhoff slammed a one-out double off the wall in left-center and scored on Paul Molitor’s single to right. Yount walked, but McCaskill got Greg Brock to pop out and Braggs to fly to deep center.

“I’ve been struggling to keep the ball down,” McCaskill said. “I’ve been throwing a lot of strikes, but they haven’t been quality strikes. I guess that’s why I’ve been giving up so many hits.”

Greg Brock hit a home run leading off the sixth and two more singles chased McCaskill. But the Angels’ hit parade--for one night at least--made for a welcome homecoming.

Angel Notes

Team physician Lewis Yocum examined pitcher Chuck Finley, shortstop Dick Schofield and catcher Bill Schroeder during Tuesday night’s game. Finley, who has been sidelined for two weeks with a sprained toe, got the OK to throw off a mound for the first time since injuring his foot Aug. 21. Finley threw in the bullpen for 12 minutes and was pain free. X-rays of Schofield’s broken left hand showed that the fracture was healing normally, but was not completely healed. Schofield, who has been out since Aug. 11, was given the go-ahead to test his ability to swing a bat by hitting off a tee. Schofield is probably still 10 days to two weeks away from being able to play. He fielded ground balls Tuesday for the first time since being hit by a pitch. Schroeder, who has a chronic right-elbow problem, will undergo tests later in the week.

Add injury update: Trainer Ned Bergert said that Wally Joyner’s left knee is almost back to normal. “There’s just a little bit of swelling left,” Bergert said. . . . Claudell Washington, who left the Angels in New York to attend to “family matters” at his home in Orinda, Calif., did not rejoin the team Tuesday as expected. “He called (Tuesday) and said he’ll be here (today),” Manager Doug Rader said.

Former Angel Don Baylor Tuesday was named a special assistant to Milwaukee General Manager Harry Dalton. Baylor, who spent 17 years with six major league organizations, will have a broad range of duties, including working with prospects in the farm system, scouting major league clubs, evaluating talent in and out of the organization and other front-office duties. “I’ve always thought Don was the perfect role model as a player,” Dalton said. “This was an ad hoc move. I just wanted him with the organization. He’s been with three clubs in the last three years. He’s one of the most well-connected people in the game today. We’ll give him the smorgasbord approach. He’ll get a chance to scout, coach, teach and do some administrative projects and we’ll see where his talents lie.” Baylor, who had been working as a “free-lance” consultant for the Minnesota Twins, said he is looking forward to putting on a uniform and working with the players. “It was an opportune time to make this move,” he said. “My friendship with Mr. Dalton meant that I didn’t have to go knocking on doors. This is something that has always been in the back of my mind. Managing is one thing, but I’ve always been interested in assessing talent and working to build a club.”

DODGERS LOSE

The Astros rally to beat the Dodgers, 3-2. Bill Plaschke’s story, Page 3.