Parrish’s Performance Gives Offense a Lift : Angels: Catcher responds to Blyleven’s criticism with three hits, including a home run and three runs batted in.

Although no one admitted it, Bert Blyleven’s motivational tactics apparently hit home with Angel catcher Lance Parrish.

Parrish broke out of a three-for-23 slump Sunday, going three for four with a home run in the Angels’ 8-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Anaheim Stadium.

Parrish’s outburst--which included a solo homer in the eighth inning, three runs batted in and two runs scored--followed some curt comments by Blyleven after Saturday night’s 7-1 loss to the Red Sox.

To put it bluntly, the Angel pitcher said the team’s offense “stinks.”

It wasn’t the most constructive criticism Parrish has heard, but it appeared to be effective. He and his teammates tagged four Boston pitchers for 12 hits, tying a season high.

“Regardless of what’s been said, I think our offense is coming around and being aggressive,” Parrish said. “I don’t care to comment on Bert’s comments. It has been said. It’s over and done with.

“It has been frustrating for everyone. But we sat down as a family, and as a team, and aired it out.”

The Angel players and coaches met for 40 minutes before Sunday’s game to discuss Blyleven’s comments--and the offense.

“I think the meeting had a lot to do with it,” said right fielder Dante Bichette, who was one for four Sunday. “I didn’t read Bert’s comments but I heard about them at the meeting. It wasn’t a big deal to me. I understand that sometimes people get frustrated.

“Bert knows how to win and I think he saw some things that winning teams don’t do.”

Blyleven watched Sunday as the Angel hitters made a winner of starter Chuck Finley (5-2). Finley gave up eight hits and four runs before being relieved by Bryan Harvey with one out in the eighth.

“Chuck has more or less been our stopper this year,” Parrish said. “I have a lot of confidence in him. If anyone is capable of turning this around, he is.

“We (the hitters) had to give him some support, though, and it’s nice to be able to do that.”

That hasn’t always been the case. While the bottom of the batting order has failed to hit, the Angels have flirted with last place in the American League West.

Just look at the averages entering Sunday’s game:

Parrish, who bats eighth, was hitting .228 with four homers and nine RBIs.

Jack Howell, the No. 9 hitter, was in a one-for-26 slump.

Devon White, who moved from the leadoff position to the lower third of the order, was batting .189 and had stolen only one base since April 14.

But Sunday, Howell was two for four, including a single that scored Wally Joyner and Johnny Ray in the sixth and gave the Angels a 5-3 lead. White walked twice and scored a run.

Besides his homer, Parrish doubled off the center-field wall in the second to score Joyner and White. Parrish also singled and scored on a base hit by Donnie Hill in the fifth.

The offensive outburst was timely, Parrish said. They begin an eight-game road trip Tuesday night at Milwaukee.

“My experience in the past is that one game like this can make a big difference in the emotional outlook for a club,” Parrish said. “We have been on a serious low, and this might fire us up a little bit.

“I look at today and see that we’re capable of swinging the bat aggressively and getting the clutch hits. And that’s an important thing for a team to take with it on the road.”

Parrish’s homer was his first at Anaheim Stadium since April 14. Opposing outfielders have robbed him of four homers in the last two weeks with catches at the wall.

As a result, Parrish was hesitant to start his home-run trot Sunday when he knocked Wes Gardner’s pitch deep into right field.

“I was looking to see where the outfielders were when I hit it,” Parrish said. “All I could do was make solid contact. I can’t do anything about it, whether it goes over the fence or they catch it. I have to take the same frame of mind up there each time.

“I felt unfortunate about the way things turned out in the last week, but I know they (the outfielders) can’t catch them all.”