Angels Give the Twins a Hand, 7-4

Two nights after Mike Witt played a key role in the kind of game pitchers dream of, he endured an inning that pitchers dread.

Witt, who shared credit with Mark Langston in a combined no-hitter Wednesday, struggled in relief of Jim Abbott Friday night. The Angels’ defense also struggled, committing three errors in the seventh inning and four overall to help the Minnesota Twins rally for a 7-4 victory at Anaheim Stadium before a crowd of 33,217.

The loss ended the Angels’ three-game winning streak.

Abbott, the last pitcher in the Angels’ rotation to make his season debut, pitched into the sixth inning before giving way to Witt. Abbott, who was charged with giving up only one earned run, had some trouble early, but left with a 4-2 lead, thanks in good part to Lance Parrish’s three-run home run in the fourth.

That lead disintegrated in the seventh, with Witt pitching. Angel shortstop Kent Anderson bobbled two grounders and left fielder Chili Davis misplayed a double by Brian Harper, an unusual occurrence for a team that last season had the second-best fielding percentage in the American League.

Greg Gagne led off the seventh with a single to right and moved to second when pinch-hitter John Moses walked. Dan Gladden’s easy grounder to short didn’t stay in Anderson’s glove, an error that loaded the bases. Gagne and Moses scored on a single to left by pinch-hitter Jim Dwyer.

Kirby Puckett hit another seemingly easy grounder to Anderson, who was charging in and bobbled it. Dwyer moved to second and Gladden to third. Gary Gaetti then flied out to right, deep enough for Gladden to score. Dwyer tried to tag and go to third, but Dante Bichette made a fine throw to third to get him. Harper then doubled to left. The ball was misplayed by Davis, which enabled Puckett to score. Witt hit Gene Larkin with the first pitch, which became Witt’s last pitch. He left to a mixed sendoff of cheers and jeers.

Witt (0-1) had given up four hits and five runs in 1 2/3 innings, but only one run was earned.

Scott Bailes came on and walked Hrbek and Gagne to force in a run, but the inning ended when Moses--the ninth Twin to bat--hit a shot back to Bailes for a play at first. Four of the Twins’ runs were unearned.

The Angels had taken a 4-2 lead during a three-run fourth inning. Davis led off with a double, moved to third on Brian Downing’s grounder to first and scored on Bichette’s single to right to give the Angels a 2-2 tie. Then Parrish, who had managed only two hits in his previous 11 at-bats this season, hit Allan Anderson’s 2-2 pitch into the left-field seats for his first home run of the season.

It stayed that way through the sixth inning, which Abbott started but couldn’t finish. Witt got out of that inning unscathed, getting Gaetti and Harper to ground into force plays before striking out Kent Hrbek.

Allan Anderson (1-1) allowed eight hits and four runs in six innings but got the victory when Minnesota rallied.

It was a tough start for Abbott, who labored in the first inning, falling behind most batters. With one out, Shane Mack, formerly of UCLA, was walked after working the count full, and he advanced to third when Puckett singled to right. Abbott walked Gaetti on four straight pitches, prompting a visit to the mound by pitching coach Marcel Lachemann.

Whatever Lachemann said appeared to make a difference. Abbott retired the next two batters, although Harper hit a fly deep enough to left to score Mack. Then Abbott got Larkin to ground to first to end the inning.

The Angels came back to tie the score in their half of the inning. Devon White led off with a sharp single that rolled past left fielder Dan Gladden, White going to second on the fielding error. Johnny Ray’s sacrifice bunt toward first enabled White to move to third. Wally Joyner walked and Anderson’s first pitch to Davis bounced in the dirt and away from Harper for a wild pitch, which allowed White to score.

The Twins manufactured another run in the fourth. Harper led off with a liner to left that took one hop and bounced into the seats, a ground-rule double. Larkin hit a grounder back to Abbott, who engaged Harper in a rundown before finaly tagging him out. Larkin had time to go to second.

Carmen Castillo followed with a grounder to short, on which Larkin initially held up. As Kent Anderson’s throw was heading toward Joyner, Larkin dashed toward third. Joyner’s throw to third ended up several rows back in the stands, and Larkin was waved home.

Angel Notes

A number of Angels took early batting practice Friday afternoon, still trying to make up for lost time because of the lockout. “We’re still kind of in spring training as far as hitting goes,” hitting instructor Deron Johnson said. “The thing about spring training is that you don’t get to see that many breaking balls. You’ve got to see them and adjust. That’s what’s happened all over baseball. Hitting is timing. You’ve been off six months, and here come these guys with forkballs and sliders. Fastball pitchers get hit in spring and then you come into the season and see a 2-and-0 curveball and go, ‘Holy smokes!’ ”

Johnson’s prize pupil is third baseman Jack Howell, who was five for seven before Friday night’s game. That included two hits in three at-bats against left-handers, who owned Howell last season. He hit only .140 against left-handers in 1989 and .179 over his career. “He got off to a good start, which is amazing because he was out a week,” said Johnson, referring to the sprained left ankle that sidelined Howell until Wednesday. “You can’t have everybody all hitting at the same time--you’d rather stagger it, keep three or four going at the same time.” Howell, however, was hitless in four at-bats Friday night.

The saves by Mark Eichhorn Tuesday and Thursday and Mike Witt Wednesday gave the Angels’ relievers saves in three consecutive games for the first time since the relievers recorded six straight from July 6-15, 1988. . . . The MRI test done on the left elbow of reliever Bob McClure, showed no tissue damage. McClure was placed on the 21-day disabled list retroactive to April 6.

The Twins acquired infielder Fred Manrique from the Texas Rangers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jeff Satzinger.