Angels Beat Twins for Third in Row

The suspense ended early, when Minnesota’s John Moses led off the game with a single to left field.

“I didn’t want to leave any doubt about it,” Kirk McCaskill said cheerfully after pitching six innings in a 3-1 victory Thursday over the Twins. “I think it was quite obvious I wasn’t going to go out there and throw a no-hitter.”

Because Mark Langston and Mike Witt pitched a no-hitter against Seattle Wednesday, McCaskill was, perhaps, in an unenviable position. Anything he did would suffer by comparison, but though he didn’t duplicate his predecessors’ near-flawless exploits, he did match them in tenacity.

And in earning a victory.

Although his command of his pitches was “pretty erratic” and he walked five, McCaskill persevered through six taxing innings. His three-hit performance at Anaheim Stadium wasn’t a work of art, but it was no less admirable than the tandem no-hitter.

“That was a tough act to follow,” catcher John Orton said after guiding McCaskill and reliever Mark Eichhorn through the Angels’ third consecutive triumph. “Kirk did a real good job. . . . I think he was consistent with every pitch, but he didn’t have his regular pinpoint control with his fastball. Some nights you can just get a paintbrush out and paint the corners, and some nights you need a roller.”

McCaskill painted himself into a corner in the second inning when he walked leadoff hitter Kent Hrbek and yielded a single to Brian Harper, which moved Hrbek to third. Hrbek scored on Gene Larkin’s sacrifice fly, ending the team’s scoreless streak at 22 innings.

“It’s not always going to be easy out there,” McCaskill said. “I’ve won quite a few ballgames by not quitting or giving in. . . . I didn’t have enough to go nine. I threw too many pitches (82). I didn’t throw enough strikes and I didn’t get ahead of enough hitters. It’s just an adjustment getting out there in real games. It’s just more stressful. . . .

“Even in midseason form, a game like this is going to wear on you. I made a lot of stressful pitches early on. When I came out, I was gassed. I was looking for the sixth inning about the third inning.”

Manager Doug Rader was satisfied with McCaskill’s effort.

“He gave up five walks, but they weren’t hitting off him, either,” Rader said. “He did walk a few people, and he might have been too careful with his breaking ball from time to time, but give the guy credit. He got himself in a game and he had the wherewithal to get himself out.”

The Twins put themselves into difficult situations with sloppy defense. Dante Bichette stroked a two-out double to right-center field in the second inning off starter David West and might have been stranded there except third baseman Gary Gaetti couldn’t hold Orton’s shot down the line. Bichette scored, and Orton went to second. He scored on the first of Jack Howell’s three singles.

“Our defense was very porous,” Twin Manager Tom Kelly said. “The way the pitching lines up in this division, you’d better be fundamentally sound.”

McCaskill protected that 2-1 lead through six innings before being relieved by Greg Minton, who got the first two outs in the seventh on ground balls but then gave up singles to Gagne and Jim Dwyer and a walk to Moses that loaded the bases. That was the signal for Eichhorn, who ended the threat by getting Randy Bush to ground out.

The Angels gave Eichhorn additional security in the eighth. Howell led off with a single and went to second when reliever Rich Yett couldn’t pick up Kent Anderson’s bunt. Devon White then pushed a bunt toward Gaetti, whose throw to first was wild, allowing Howell to score the insurance run.

Eichhorn has two saves in as many opportunities. He earned the first Tuesday, saving Chuck Finley’s 7-0 victory over Seattle. He’s maintaining his perspective, though, pointing out that fellow closer Bryan Harvey, “gets more saves in one week than I got in the last two years.” Harvey has appeared in one game, the season-opening loss to Seattle, and did not figure in the decision.

“I’m just happy I’m throwing the ball well,” said Eichhorn, who had no saves at all with Atlanta last season. “The thing I’m most pleased with is coming in in the seventh inning and keeping the ‘W’ for Mac.”

Angel Notes

Catcher Lance Parrish, who has been struggling at the plate (two for 10), was was replaced by John Orton, who was tested early by the Twins and acquitted himself well, as he threw John Moses out stealing.

Manager Doug Rader said he doesn’t understand Devon White. The reluctant leadoff hitter was one for 13 after three games with two walks and one stolen base. “He’s changed from what he did during spring training,” Rader said. “There’s a change in his approach and the way he’s swinging the bat since spring training. I don’t know why. I don’t know if he even realizes it.” However, Rader intends to keep White at the top of the order. . . . Kent Anderson, who had been hampered by a muscle pull in his rib cage, made his first appearance of the season Thursday. He started at shortstop and hit ninth.

Pitcher Bob McClure was placed on the 21-day disabled list retroactive to April 6 because of continuing soreness in his left elbow. To replace him, the Angels summoned left-hander Sherman Corbett from triple-A Edmonton.